Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-06-25

l .N>'T ''f'~N Si"FGAy anu VIVGA0xkX&00
the universal equality and brothsr.
hood of all Mohammedans.
I. He forbade the payment Of trib-
ute to Constantinople as against the
teachings OF the Koran and claimed
that whatever Is contributed by .
people in the way OF taxes should be
used TO supply their own needs.
D. He advocated self-government
of all tribes of Moslems.
9. As the Puritan OF IsIam," he
forbade the use OF coffee and tobacco
as well as wine and liquor. condsuan-
cd polygamy, and declared the Turk.
lsh suitans infidels because Of their
plurality of wives.
The Wahabite rebellion Of today ID
more serious than any OF Its preds-
cessors because the Arabs have better
arms and ammunition and are better
supplied with animals. Three armies
nave been sent against them from
turkey during the last year, and eaca
one of them has been DESTROYED and
practically exterminated. This has
been serious drain upon the re.
sources of the sublime ports. and, as
the rebellious Arabs do not seem to
have suffered to any extent, the fate
Of armies that are sent down there
In the future Is likely to be the same
as OF those that have been sent In
the past. Those who are familiar
with the situation claim that the reb-
els and the desert will swallow up all
the troops the great Turk can send
and that he can accomplish nothing.
On the other hand II is difficult for
the Arabs to separate themselves
from the Turkish empire because they
are divided into tribes. whose leaders
are not only jealous, but hostile to-
ward each other. They would not
agree to a centralized government,
md they wouli not injure the sultan
or weaken MS authority. even II they
should form an independent nation
and establish their right to govern
Arabia as distinct from the Ottoman
empire. They could only humiiiats
him.
II is frequently asserted by those
who have knowledge OF Arabia Tat II
the Wahabite movement had been
successful century ago, Arabia
would by this time have been a high
ly civilized and fourishing country,
because the influences behind 1t were
progressive and its tendencies were
to purify, improve and elevate. In
1878, wnen the second Wahabite re-
bellion occurred. the Turks destroyed
everything that was OF value In Arab
la. and the people have never recov-
cred from that devastation. It In the
policy OF the sultan to destroy and
TO keep his subjects in poverty. He
goes on the theory that the less mon.
ay they have the less they will spend
FOR arms and ammunition to resist his
authority; the less they have To eat
the weaker they will be, and there
,ore in Arabia. as in all other parts
Of the Turkish empire, progress ceas-
ad generations ago; the country II
less advanced and the people are not
50 well of as in the beginning Of the
nineteenth century. Nevertheless,
there Is great deal OF business done
In Arabia.
No census has ever been taken, but
estimates of the population vary from
100000 to 12.000.000. No statistics
If commerce are kept, but 1t IL cstA-
mated that the exports amount to
about $17,00O.OO0 and the imports to
about $l3,000,000 year. Consul
Masterson OF Alden reported to the
secretary Of state not long ago that
the imports for 1905 amounted to
sl5,90s.642 and the exports to tls.-
s79,G15. He said that 31.438, 6S1 OF
the imports came from the United
states and S2,332.1 .102 OF the exports
we're sold here, chiefly sheep and goat
skins and coffee. The Imports from
the United States were cotton goods.
kerosene oil and vehicles.
The City Of Alden has q commercs
Of about S30.000.000 year, but " II
an English colony and Is q distribut-
Ing point not only for Arabia but for
Nubia, Abyssinia, and all that part Il
the world The coffee trade OF Ara
Did hab u'ch lhihh8 On iOt Ao8S
years. The trees have been af1icted
with destructive pests; the culttvs-
tion and gathering OF the crops have
been interrupted by war, and very
little Mocha coffee. not more than S4.-
100000 worth altogether. Is exported.
The most OF 1t goes to Turkey and
Egypt. Although you can buy No
cha coffee in every grocery store In
Inc United States, the total value Of
the imports into this country last
year was only $2s2.094. Mocha ID
trade term; II Is used to describe
variety Of coffee similar to that which
was formerly received from Arabia
through the port OF that name. but
nearly all the supply comes from the
Central American states.