Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-16
ARAB FRENCH SCHOOL me UNIVERSITY AL0ERS

, der the government and the rates show
the benefit of government management.
They as low as in France and less than
half of our charges either at home or in
our colonies. One can telegraph between
any two cities of Algeria, which Is coun-
try more than five times as large as the
minimum telegram costing 10 cents. He can
send a telegram to any part of France from
any part of Algeria at the same rate. Ca
bles to Great Britain and Germany cost
only 8 cents a word, to Italy, Austria,
Spain, Portugal. Switzerland and Belgium
only cents, and to Gibraltar but Z. These
are rates for from any part OF Algeria to
any part of the countries mentioned. They
are, l venture, about the lowest telegraph
rates of the world.
AS to telephones, all the chief Algerian
cities have them The rate for business
houses In Algiers is forty dollars per year,
and one can have a three-minute CONVEX
saton to any part of the city, or to any
where fifteen miles outside it, for cents.
And all this is In this black, ar-behnd-the-
times continent Of Africa!
Libraries and Cheap Street Cars.
Algiers is a city of amusement halls
libraries and schools. 1t has city theater
which is subsidized by the government to
the extent of 100000 a year. a casino
which is kind of second-class vaudeville
and regular concerts by the military bands
in the Place du Government and at Musta-
the winter there are fashionable society
gatherings. The governor general then
gives balls and receptions, and the French
army adds to the gayety. Mustapha Su-
perieur has magnificent villas with tropi-
cal gardens situated on the/hills six hun
bred feet above the harbor, which are oc-
cupied at that time by rich Europeans, and
there are also large winter hotels which
are then filed with Americans and Eng
lish.
Algiers has street car lines, equipped with
our own Thompson-Houstone electric service
which go to all the suburbs. / understand
they pay dividends although the fares are
1 cent and upward per trip, according te
the distance. In each car there are first
second and third class compartments, the
difference of price being regulated by the
part of the car in which one rides.
How France Educates the Arabs.
African France is doing much along edu
cational lines. Algers has a university
with the departments of law, medicine
science and letters. This institution IL
magnificently situated on the hills overlook
ing the harbor. 1t has about thirteen hun
bred students and is patronized not only by
the French but by the Arabs and Moors
| There are also agricultural schools and
| technical schools of various kinds through
| out the colony and Mohammedan higf
schools. where Arab pupils are prepared
| for native employment. There is a norma
| college in Algiers, and not far from 1t 9
military school like that at West Point. AL
| the children of French citizens, and, indeed
all children except those of the Arabs, are
compelled to attend school between the age:
of eight and fourteen, and there are com
mon schools everywhere. l have found
them on the edge of Morocco, far down II
the Desert of Sahara, and also in Crane
kabylia, high up in the Atlas mountains
In most of the native schools both French
and Arabic are taught, and in many pla ces
the little ones write texts from the Koran
on their wooden states and commit them t.
memory.
AS to foreign and native religious houses
these are found in all of the large settle
ments. There Moslem shrines and
mosques everywhere. The French have g
cathedral in Algiers, and the Roman Cath
Ollie Church has archbishop. There is g
Scotch Presbyterian Church in Mustaphs
Superieur, and there are twenty-one Protes.
tant pastors who share in the government
grants for religious support There are q
number of libraries and museums in AL
geria. Here in this city the university has
one of each and there is also national
library supported by the French.
Old Algiers.
One might think that these modern limo.
vations would change the character Of the
Arabs, and that they would throw of the
customs and costumes of the Arabian
Nights and adopt those of our modern
world. They do not. Come with me into