Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-18
DAMASCUS TO MECCA
NEW RAILROAD HAS BEEN COM
PLETED AS FAR AS MA'AN.
Strong Weapon Against the Bedouins,
Who Pillage and Harass the
Faithful Pilgrims.

| In an interesting report on the opening
of the Damascus-Mecca railroad, United
States Consul Bic Ravndel, at Beirut, Syria,
says, in part:
by the completion of the Damascus
Mecca railroad as far as Ma'an, Beirut
has secured access by rail to the entire
Trans-Jordan country and to Arabia.
Competent persons claim that the Mecca
railroad, as far as it goes. is well con-
structed. 1t was built under the personal
superintendent of Mr.. Heinrich Meissner,
a German engineer. American rails are
largely used. The Turks plan to make
Haifa, not Beirut, the port of their rail-
way and intend to build harbor works at
Haifa Whether the foreign trade OF
Damascus will be diverted from Beirut to
Haifa. the future only can TELL
I'm order to understand the commercial
Importance of the Mecca railroad, it is nee
essary to know something of the annual
is being built for religious purpose. sight
is not lost of it's strategical value turkey,
in a general way, claims sovereignty over
Arabia, but actually exercises 1t only over
the provinces of Hedjaz and Yemen, on
the western coast, and over somewhat
limited area to the northeast. adjoining the
Persian gull projection of Turkeys
Mesopotamian dominions.
It's Strategic Value.
'.Unquestioned possession of Mecca ana
Medina is more or less a sine qua non Win
the Ottoman government. as 1t gives to the
master of the holy cities. perhaps, his best
t,tla II, the caliphate or headship Of Is am.
Rv virtue of the Mecca railroad the 5th
ARMY Corps at Damascus can be dispatched
to the Hedtaz In a short time. and IS also
in position In an emergency 10 nasten TO
- fI1o T<1yrfY
yemen. which more or less constantly are
at war with the powerful tribes OF the
hinteriand Petty rulers calling them
selves suitans, amesrs or mans - na xr.t h
among them the most important peine the
suItans Of Oman and the great Neio kins
dom. The territory of the potentate o.
Neid stretches from souths ast Q. the ns Tts
sea to Rad and the WanaDi Country.
capital is Hail.
The Pilgrimage to Mecca
..P;lgrimages are as old as the hills II
would be vain to speculate whe.nsr ..'o
sacular or the spiritual element originally
rravailed. most probably each had its por-
ton. The Mecca pilgrimage is essentially
,sIiein,s incidentally an affair of COM
merce. Last year about 100000 pilgrims
went to Mecca. representing Moslem pop
uiatior of about 100. 100000 in Turkey, Al
bla. Egypt, Sudan. Zanzibar, Barpdry
states, South Africa. Afghanlstan: Fessa;
Raluchistan India, the East indian anu
Philippine Islands, China and Russia IN
Asia. The governments of Turkey ana
Egypt pay toll (biackmaiD to the Bedouin
tribes through whose territory the Pill
grimages pass, but the system IS not en-
firely effective Last year some ~ per
cent of the pilgrims were reported ill-treas,
ed. wounded or killed. and it Is estimileu
that during the pilgrimage season traveleis
To Mecca were robbed of more than 3. 3d.
900. Caravans of 1900 to 5000 camels are
nc rare occurrences. but the most OF the
pilgrims com,e by sea to Jedda. proceeding
from there under military escort % noel
& : "A thence rs Medina BY the yambO route
III ii presumed that the Mecca railroad
MN proye L strong Weapon against the
l5edouins whose privilege it p indepsnA-