The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-23
THE MECCA RAILWAY.
To BE Built by a Lottery-Prizes for
Winners and Paradise Nearer to
Losers.
From the London Standard.


From the London Standard.
Vienna-Another difference between
France and Turkey purposely omitted
from the series OF claims which were
settled after the naval demonstration
at Mytilene, will before long come into
prominence, as few days ago the
French Charge d'Affaires addressed a
formal note on the subject to the Porte.
This affair has reference to the pro-
test of the French company which is
building the Damascus Beirut Railway
against the construction of a line be-
longing to the Mecca Railways, namely,
one between Kademi Sheriff and Dera,
which, the Syrian Railways Company
declares, runs parallel with their own
line, or at least near enough to COM
pete with it. The protest of the
French company, which, as usual, Is
intended to force Turkey either to pur-
chase or give compensation, was back
ed by the French representative in the
note of last week, which speaks of the
injury done to French interests, and
so on. Whether the Syrian Railways
Company has any legal ground to
stand upon, and whether, with the aid
of another ultimatum and naval DEM
onstration, it carries its point on some
future day or not, it must be Irritating
In the extreme to the Sultan to find
that his Mecca Railway, which he
looks on as his personal affair, and t.
which he deYotes the twelfth part of
his Civil List encounters obstacles OF
every sort, not the least of which is
the monetary difficulty. Wherever Mo-
hamedans live, from the GASES of the
Sahara to Afghanistan and India, sub
scription lists have been opened for
the Mecca Railway. In Turkey itself
every official on receiving his belated
salary allows a deduction to be made
for it; and still the result is in ridicu-
lous disproportion to what is needed.
1t was said, during trial in Vienna,
that railways cannot be built with
moral phrases; and now II looks as IL
religious fervor even when backed by
a Sultan, would not suffice.
Every concession hunter, knowing
how anxious the Sultan is to get mon
ey for the Mecca Railway, thinks to
advance his aims by promising a con-
tribution to the railway fund. This,
for instance, is done by the promoters
of scheme for starting a state lottery
in Turkey, on the Hamburg and Buda-
pest model. The Schonberger Borsen
und Handles Bericht gives the follow
ing details Of the scheme:
THE concession Is to be for seventy
five years. There are to be two draw
ings every year. Each ticket will cost
400 piastres. The chief prize is to be
$780, 900 piastrees. The company is to
receive 20 per cent. from all prizes
won. per cent. interest on the invested
capital, and, after deducting 20. 900 pl-
astres for working expenses. the re-
mainder of the net profit is to be d.
vided between the company and the
Mecca Railway, for which, moreover
the company pays down the substan-
tial sum OF 100000 ipastres on the
signing of its concession as a free gift
to please the Sultan"
SO far there is nothing very unusual
in the conditions. The scheme Is main
ly promoted by a bank in Budapest,
which, IL is said. acting for an inter-
national syndicate. has already made
such progress with the negotiations
that only q few points still remain 10
be discussed. Among these however.
is one OF more than usual interest, and
quite a novelty In it's way The pro-
moters demand, as a condition OF their
future success. that the Turkish gov
eminent should induce every newspa-
per appearing in Turkey to write OF
the new state lottery In favorable
terms, In return for which they will
place a fixed sum yearly at the dispos-
al of the Turkish Press Bureau. to be
distributed among Turkish newspapers
as a reward for recommending the lot
terry in editorial and advertisement
columns. All this. OF course, is TO the
advantage Of the Mecca Railway. which
Is 20 become a co-partner I'm the lottery.
but astonishing as IL may appear,
II Is precisely this part OF the pro-
gramme which meets with difficulties,
and, according 20 the commercial pa
Der which have quoted, II has not yet