And, partly no doubt because they may not comment upon anything of real importance, the papers are always ready to enlarge upon some trivial detail that is calculated to fan the flames of hate, or point the finger of scorn, towards any Turk. Someone asserted that the Turkish military expert had made a little mistake in preparing a map. He himself did not admit that he was wrong; but in any case, no one pretended that the matter was in the least important; and it could, ultimately, be rectified without the slightest effect on policy. Remember, too, that the poor man was working from surveys prepared on different systems, and in a language that describes everything for us backwards. It would not be remarkable if some slight error _were_ made in transposing the details to European measures and methods. Yet the papers all give columns exposing the “little mistake,” which, most probably, was never made. Vital questions, meanwhile, were almost entirely ignored in the Press; and the “insolent” Asiatics are filled with bitter resentment. It is idle for Mr. MacClure to say that “they must expect criticism.” What they complain of is not “criticism,” but the entire “ignoring” of their point of view—a very different thing. The journalist whom I thus attacked admitted that they deserved all I said. “The public,” he added, “_has_ been misled, one might say ‘cheated.’ I _could_ myself have supplied a good deal of first-class information, sufficiently dramatic and interesting to ‘raise circulations’; had I refused my signature to the ‘official’ news so sparingly doled out for me to put into shape. I can promise you that, on me at least, your words have not been wasted.” Let us hope he may substantiate his pledge. At present the Press is neither a critic, a check on intrigue, nor an inspiration. It echoes the Governments, good or bad. In Constantinople, for instance, the American and English “special correspondents” frankly confessed that they employ a few “scouts” to collect copy, and merely “hash up” what comes in from these “scavengers” of rumour and gossip. * * * * * Propaganda in the Turkish Press is under the direction of Kemal Bey (the poet) and Ruchène Echref. Men of such literary distinction, alas, are no better fitted for such work than a watchmaker would be to heave coal. In Turkey they do not understand how heavy are the hands that can mange propaganda: that posts are created for the men who can fill them, and men are not made for any post that may happen to be vacant. * * * * *