TURKEY: Speech

Fatigued, hoarse, unnerved, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, iron President of the Turkish Republic, ended his 400,000-word speech to the Grand National Assembly in Angora, capital of the nation. Over a period of six days, actually speaking for 36 hours, 80 minutes, the great Ghazi traced the history of the Nationalist, movement through the founding of the republic, ending on an impassioned patriotic plea to Turkish youth.

So eloquent, so passionate was the President that great tears streamed down his cheeks. Deputies, visibly moved, blubbered with him. One Deputy, dashing the tears from his eyes, made a heroic effort to reply to the presidential speech, but in vain. As he mounted the rostrum, his eyes swam, overflowed, and he shook convulsively with great, heartrending sobs, completely overcome. Another dignity read his speech for him.