The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-03-30
RECLAIM FERTILE LAND
COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION OF
PALESTINE AND SYRIA
CONTINUES.
Franchises for Railroads Have Been
Granted-SeveraI Lines Have
Been Constructed.
WASHINGTON. March 30.-The


and syria continues without intermis-
sion. The work is not going forward
with great rapidly, owing to the nu-
merous obstacles thrown in the way
by the Ottoman government. but the
progress is real. and the day is not
far distant when this land of Bible
story viii have relatively as much inn
portance for the world at large as it
had at the time of its ancient splendor.
when Solomon was king.
From the earliest times down to
\. y. 20. Jerusalem was one OF
the garden spots and most highly de
veloped agricultural sections of the
known world. Indeed its productive
ness did not cease until after its con-
quest by the Mohammedans. the
blight of whose long continued rule
has made it desolate.
Now that the attention of the great
nations Of the world is being Greeted,
more to the far east. Palestine again
becomes important. 1t is in the path
way of those who travel east and west
by land between Europe and Suez ca
nal by means of which its products,
and those of the ASiatic interior can
J., carried along the east coast of Afri-
ca. 1t commands cheap water carriage
t. all Mediterranean ports, and there
is talk of building a line of railway
from the eastern shore of the Medter-
IHnean through India to the Pacific.
following the old caravan routes.
Such a line would be competitor
60 the trans Siberian railway. whose
commercial utility can never be GER
tain under a despotic form of govern
ment. but. unlike that railway. it would
ttaYefse countries teeming with popu-
Iation. The theory on which it is
being projected presuppOses the trans
shipment of goods at some Sprian port.
y development of this character would
rehabilit8te the entire country, and
cause it once more to flow with milk
and honey" and would probably has
ten the time when the lost sheep of
the house Of Israel" would again be
gathered together in realization of the
dreams Of the ardent Zionites
Four Railroad Lines.
Consular reports during the past
few months have called attention to
various phases of the Improvement
now heins made in Syria and Pa!as-
tine. -Four lines of railway are either
built or building. mostly with capital
from Belgium and Germany.
First in point of interest is the
railway from Jaffa to Jerusalem.
opened for traffic in 1892. 1t is pro-
posed To extend it. in accordance with
the original plan. by branch lines to
GAIA, NabIous, Jericho and the Dead
sea. and an extension of the main
line from Jerusalem UP the Jordan
valley to Damascus and connections
with the afa-Jerusalem line. now
building
The franchise for the railway from
iaita to Damascus has been bought
pack by the Turks who are building
as rapidly as possible on across the
Jordan eastward for a connection with
the Damascus Mecca line. For this
money has been raised by popular
subscription among the Mohammedans
In all parts of the world. including the
Fhllipplne islands, 1t will be the
route Tor pilgrims and will do away
with the expensive, slow and unsani-
tary caravans which heretofore have
furnished the only means of reaching
the burial place of the prophet Much
o. this line has already been built and
telegraph lines cover the route 1t will
throw open to civilization the trans
Jordan country, hitherto as inaccessi-
BILE as Tibet
The railway from Beirut to Damas-
Gus French undertaking. which
crosses the Lebanon mountains. is do
Ing thriving business. Lately new
feeder has been opened. known as tho
Damascus Hauran branch, r,nninr
down the valley of the Orontes to Rasl-
beck HONS and Klamath. from which
l"st-named point it is being continred
10 the Euphrates Starting from HONS.
tourists may now reach the ruins of
Palmyra after a short carriage rid.
'hreshins Machine in Damascus.
In Damascus the chief events of tho
year are the departure and arrival of