Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-06-12


class printing office. are kept busy
ious. scientific and standard literature
ana school textbooks of all kinds in
the Arabic language. Over seven
hundred different works in Arabic
have been published, and are now of
feIed to the public. Last year Q9OD
2S,70j.I60 pages were printed 3,O00,-
coo more than in 1900 of which l6,-
100000 pages were scriptures and 1O,-
100000 miscellaneous books; 1880
volumes of the scriptures and 1910
volumes of miscellaneous literature
were printed, besides two newspapers
issued regularly each week
Last year 27,00 copies of the Arab
ic Bible were sold in Mohammedan
lands. 1921 in Syria. 1t is estimated
that 75O 100000 pages have been pub
lished by the American printing office
in Beirut since it was established.
The managers are much embrassed
by the censorship of the government,
which is very strict. and all manu-
mitted to the inspection of officials
who are not always intelligent enough
20 understand the subjects they are
equired to decide upon. When in
loubt they almost invariably reject
Very often manuscripts and books for
warded to Constantinople to be exam
med by the chief censors have been
eturned mutilated and disapproyed
Sometimes the criticisms are absurd
and insignificant, and matter which
one might expect would be objection
able is passed without hesitation Most
Of the books issued by the American
press. however, have been officially
sanctioned because the editors have
been scrupulous in obeying the edict
which requires them to confine their
publications without adverse criti-
cism upon the religious beliefs of any
of the sects in the empire.
The same government inspection is
exercised over English books
house. They are often confiscated
and burned without reason, but only
with some pretext, probably because
the inspectors either did not have
the time OF the disposition to read
them and did not dare let them go
through without Children's books,
the most innocent primers and nur-
5ery rhymes are often confiscated be
cause the inspectors do not compre-
hend their meaning. Only the other
day an American gentleman residing
in Beirut lost catalogue of publish
ing house in New York City which
lad been sent to him because the cen
sor could not make any meaning out
of it and concluded that it must be
some seditious work in cipher.
That remarkable little volume,
Black Beauty" which has been cir
culated all over the world in many
languages, teaching its lesson of kind
ness to beasts. had to be published
under the title BLACK Horse because
the Turkish word for beauty happens
10 be the name of high official. The
word Armenia is not allowed to be
printed since the massacres four years
ago, and pages of publications issued
by the American printing office which
contain it have had to be reprinted
TO satisfy the inspectors. More cost
ly corrections have been required on
the maps for the name Armenia is
not allowed to appear. Another curl
Gus and even more absurd rule of the
censor is that Brazil shall continue
TO be mentioned as a monarchy on the
maps as well as in the biographies
and other publications, because the
sultan, does not care to have his peo-
pie know that thrones are ever over
turned and emperors are ever depriv
ed of power. All of the Balkan states.
including Servia, Bulgaria, Roumania,
Crete, Cyprus and other former prov
inces of Turkey, and about one-third
of the continent OF Africa, from Egypt
to Algiers. must appear as a part of
the sultan's domains or the map is
not allowed to be published.
Ii is impossible to measure the val
ne of the results accomplished by the
missionaries and the printing Office.
Statistics give only a meager idea of
the length and the breadth and the
depth of the influence they have ex-
erted upon society and civilization
generally. The American College
at Beirut and the other schools have
created an ambition for education
among the people which the govern
ment and other religious denomina-
lions have been compelled to satisfy,
but it should be said that the Protest
ant schools were in operation more
than quarter of a century before any
others were started in Palestine for
general education. Before that date
every educational institution was
purely ecclesiastic and devoted to the
raining OF priests. In 1894 a me-
mortal column was unveiled at Beirut
on the spot where tifty-nine years be
fore was established the first school
in Syria for the instruction of girls.
One of the speakers was Miss Alice
Bistany, daughter of DR.. Smiths as
sistant in translating the Bible. Her
mother was the first native girl taught
to read in Syria. The schools of Bel
rut alone illustrate how effective has
been the force of example. Nearly
every religious denomination now
maintains them.
The training schools established by
the American mission for the higher
education of teachers and for those
whose families are able to pay for
such advantages have also done a