Sept. 28, 1909 (Tuesday)

CREELMAN INTERVIEWS SYRIAN GOVERNOR ABOUT ISLAM-CHRISTIAN DIVIDE: There's a story on Page 7 of today's Globe that clearly shows that ADVOCACY JOURNALISM was alive and well among established news organizations. The piece appears under the byline of James Creelman (right). It's based on his interview with Nazin Pasha, governor of Syria. Here's the introductory paragraph:
Continuing his notable investigation into the massacre of 30,000 Christians in Aisa[sic] Minor, Mr. Creelman, who has already explained the causes of that unparelleld [sic] crime, shows the imperative necessity for an international protest, headed by the United States.
In the articles the author describes the cold-blooded struggle between Great Britain and Germany for commercial and political advantages in Turkey which largely explains the cowardly silence of Europe.
In setting the scene for the interview, the reporter related the number of the killings, on the "murder-swept Cilician plain" to the number of those "killed on both sides in the seven greatest battles of the American civil war and the population of Canton, Ohio.
Creelman described the meeting this way:
So the spokesmen of the three great religions given to mankind by one country, the representatives of 680,000,000 worshipers who for centuries have cursed and persecuted each other in the name of God, peacefully met together for the sake of liberty a few weeks ago.
Creelman reports that he asked the governor this tough question: "But how can there be equality, how can there be even safety for Christians in Turkey so long as the sacred Moslem law prevails?"
Here's the response:
Islam as practiced in its earlier days, as conceived and as perfected in its teachings at the time of Moslem greatness, obviously calls for a liberal form of government. Constitutional rule is a logical outgrowth of the principles of a democratic country. The history of Islam -- I need only to refer to the great Caliph Omar [presumably this man] -- proves that the various religious elements can live together, and are required to live together, in harmony and equality. Moslem chivalry and tolerance are proverbial. But we must go back to the pure religion of the days of Omar.
The governor says the massacres are "the result of fanaticism bred by ignorance, not the result of true faith."
There will be another article in tomorrow's paper. The Globe said "Mr. Creelman will describe the Moslem attitude toward the Christian."

WILL YALE PUT HIS HIS PICTURE ON MILK CARTONS? The Yale football coaches are upset at star lineman William Arthur Goebel, according to today's Globe. The paper included the photo (right) with the plea:
"Information Wanted -- If You Know Where This Man Is, Please Send Word to Yale".
Practices have begun. Goebel and two others are nowhere to be found. I presume they have already thought of looking for him IN CLASS. Today's article says"Nothing has been heard from Goebel or Andrus, and the coaches are greatly put out about it, espcially in the case of Goebel, about whom there has not ben even press dispatches."
(NOTE: Don't worry. Goebel will be a guard on the 1909 All-America team, as chosen by Walter Camp.)