The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10
CONDITIONS IN PALESTINE.
Educational Forces Now In Operation
There.


Rev. John d. Peters, in New York Post.
In educational matters the French and
Americans are to a considerable extent,
rivals in Syria. This rivalry has pushed up
the standard Of the schools on both sides,
since, to maintain it's position, each must
offer at least as good conditions as the
other. 1t has also resulted in the establish
ment of elementary schools through all the
towns and villages of Syria and the Leba-
non. Both the French and the Americans
have also printing presses at Beirut which
do valuable work in the publication and
dissemination of religious and educational
literature in the Arabic language. Like the
Americans the French have likewise a
large and well-equipped college at Beirut,
under the control of the Jesuits. The med
ical department connected with this college
possesses or did possess in one respect an
advantage over the American School of
Medicine. The diplomas of the latter were
not recognized by the Turkish authorities,
and students were compelled to go to Con-
stantinople and obtain diploma from the
Imperial Turkish Medical School at that
place. condition which compels. in most
cases, the acquisition of a new tongue,
L VI
Beirut and the neighborhood being Ara
bic. the French government, by the exer-
else of political influence and especially by
it's peremptory method Of enforcing it's just
claims in Turkey, as by the seizure Of the
Island of Mytilene a few years SINCE has
secured to it's schools and institutions a
position of advantage. Americans, in spite
of the favored nations clause" obtain no
such treatment.
AT the commencement of the Armenian
massacres Turkish soldiers actually bonn
barded an American institution at Kharput
in Asia Minor and the American govern
ment practically submitted to the outrage
This and other similar instances of sup
posed weakness in dealing with the Turk
ish government unlike the energetic and
peremptory measures applied by France,
Russia and Germany, have placed Ameri-
can institutions and citizens in the Turk
ish empire at a certain comparative dis
advantage This political disadvantage is.
however, partially offset by the belief of
the people at large in the single-hearted-
ness of the Americans; that they have no
Interior political aims in their educational
activity. 1t was gratifying to me to hear,
in the most unexpected quarters and in all
parts of the land words Of high praise for
"
All agreed in placing ii on different foot
ing from that Of the work done by any other
nation.
OF late years another educational force
has developed in Palestine and the parts of
Syria adjacent. namely, the Russian schools.
There are now, IL is said. about 800 Russian
schools, on which the Russian government
and church spend no less than $500 900 year
In these schools free education is given to
both boys and girls, the study of the Rus
sian language is required; and. further,
MI, yn6 nh0l folo %
trained in high schools and universities to
equip them to return to Palestine and adj
vance Russian interests. The propaganda
is conducted inteligently and systema teal
ly, and the progress of Russian influence
in Palestine Is one or the most striking
phenomena of recent years
The bulk of the Christian population of
Syria and Palestine. outside OF the Ieb-
anon. where the Maronites. who recognize
the supremacy of the Pope, are numerous,
are Greeks, and Russia has always been
regarded as their natural protector. France
has been and still claims TO be the protector
of the Catholics i'm the East, while England
when il has played a politica1\part in Tur-
key, has been rather the friend of the
increased its political influence by educa-
tional instrumentalities. largely under the
direction of the Franciscans. Jesuits and
kindred orders These French schools teach
the French language, so that that has be-
come in peculiar degree a medium of
communication in the East, and the spread
of the French language has done much to
increase French influence. Russia has SIM
ply taken advantage of the experience OF
France and undertaken to annex Palestine
by an educational propaganda on a more
systematic and larger scale than that car
ried on by the latter country. But this
propaganda has been so successful that IL
has begun to arouse distrust and hostility
In the Greek Church. for the Greeks dream
OF great Greek empire, with Constants
nople as its capital. while the Russian prop
uganda aims at an annihilation OF Greek
nationality.