Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-05-14

30, NL w IOhl Ny w
as on the Nile, while tho winter pro-
duets OF cereals. leguminous plants,
Egyptian clover. opium and tobacco
VIII lind themselves at home as they
do in Egypt. or The historic gardens
OF babylon and Bagdad IL Is not nee
cssary for me to speak" continued Sir
William Wilcocks, "a land whose eli
mate allows her to produce, such
crops in tropical profusion, and
whose snow-fcd rivers permit Of peren-
NAL irrigation over millions Of acres,
cannot lie barren and uesolate when
the Basdad railway is traversing her
fields and European capital is seek
ms remnncrative outlet"
Inhabited by Nomadic Bedouins.
One has queer sensation when he
hears the land Of Abraham and Ne
buchadnczZar and Xenoba discussed In
this manner. But the railway through
Ghaldea is already an actual thing. and
McSopotamia and the other lands east
OF the Jordan are almost certain TO he
reclaimed and they will offer new
and extensive field for Investment ana
commerce. The lands are held chiefly
by tribes Of nomadic Bedouins. They
arc used only for grazing and now
sustain several million cattle. sheep
and goats. From these llocks and
herds comes the wool from which the
Turkish and Persian rugs you buy ut
The auctions arc made. Many of the
rugs on the floors of Washington re.
Sidcncos were wnvcn in the mud huts
of these regions and shipped to Snyr-
na and Constantinoplc Ivy camel cara
vans. Visitors to Smyrna have seen
the caravans coming into that city
every morning, each camel carrying
two bales OF $40 pounds each When
the irrigation system is completed and
agriculture is resumed there will he
an immense field for the Introduction
or agricultural machinery and iinplc
mcms. The present population know
nothing O! such things, AMI il will he
necessary to- obtain foreign labor, who
are familiar with the use of lahor-SaV-
ing machinery. Tho naughty Bcdouin
will not work with his hands lie is
Il good deal like the North American
Indian He will not plow. neither will
he SOW nor reap. Anon. the Arab
race nearly all nj the vegetable fuod
is raised by women. The men folk do
their farming on horseback and follow
The liocks AMI herds.
II you will take map of Syria for
Il moment it will make things clearer
a railway owned by Frencilmen now
runs from Beirut to Damascus There
il turns southwark and runs adistancc
Of abont fifty miles on the eastern
slope of the AntiICbanOn Mountains
II also runs northward to Hons and
Hannah, ana is now being extended to
AleppO under The subsidy of 81 900 per
kilOmetcr from the Turkish govern
mcnt. This road is To connect with
one running eastward from CONSTANT
nOplc which Is now in operation for
about 200 miles. Alcppo is Il very i'm.
poItant city. having population of
about 10000 and hcing the centre OF
Il considerable trade.
The Sultan Borrowing Again.
The German and the French am
bassatlors at Cunstantinople have been
very busy with the Sultan all winter
lighting over Il loan which the Turkish
government will probably never pay
1t is curious fact that the financial
institutions OF Europe will continue 10
grab at the bonds of bankrupt gov
ernment when they already have piles
OF them i'll their vaults upon which
neither the principal nor the interest
has been paid. Notwithstanding the
w." citui. d. me ottoman Ethpirc,
~! nen VIZ o"l'a i,o i mn an lhteh
.,o ,,,, 10 "'i ,oM T-o'o"o'o"o ior iiiiNai ana
m. eluil"lrhL anu S'ppies holh
,"a,' n,,i"1 "nu ralee INSISTED upon
,," a,'imS INN We '''"heS; upon me sup
,', 't s - :. S'"u'u Do eApcliucu
- ILL.,, .no.' ..s't, ,., M.si q'Iirreillls al
m, ni NY ',unain siAs , d.i water
iNnn' '.',u . so n,nn iV,"ou.u"V III
r. ~. nv "'..' fo""V'o"' III ''r'i''''hE. ~
~ ~ 'mv ro,,aa ma'n ,uan Is W ne spsm. III