The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-12-11
The AUTOMOBILE IN
The TURKISH empire


Ernest l.. Harris, accredited to Smyr-
ma. has transmitted the subjoined re-
port upon road conditions In the
Turkish Empire, which will be of in
terest to owners of autos and manu-
facturers as we'll
"The following article from the
July number of the Near East, an
English publication, will be OF inter
est not only to automobile manufac-
turers In the United States, but to
pleasure seekers as well who are plan
ming tours abroad with their own ma
Chimes" writes the Consul. This
ONCE is often in receipt OF questions
In this respect, and the article is full
OF information:
This is the first year that motoring
IN any form has been allowed in the
Turkish empire. The imperial trade
was issued I'm the latter part of 1907,
and the spring season this year saw
several motors on the roads adjoining
the city OF Constantinople. The Turk
halls them with pleasure. and the
rich pashas and other notabilities
will soon be using them instead OF
the highly trapped horses and Parl-
sian and Viennese carriages now so
much In evidence. Unfortunately
there are no English cars here. One
naturally asks the reason for this.
From the representatives OF English
firms learn that English motor man
ufacturers will not conform to the
practice pursued by makers In Ger
many, France, Italy and Belgium.
That Is to say, they refuse to send
cars. accompanied by chauffeurs, for
the Turkish population to see. They
do not realize that the motors first
installed In the Ottoman Empire will
capture the cream OF the trade. The
idea prevails in Turkey that the goods
10 buy are the goods which are well
displayed, and am very much afraid
that English motor manufacturers
will be left out in the cold, so far as
this new field for their industry is
concerned, unless they adopt com
mon sense methods.
AS regards the future Of the motor
I'm Turkey let us consider first the
pleasure car or the passenger vehicle
propelled by petrol. The roads are
in places rough and hilly, but the
writer has seen motors In Russia and
in the baCkwOods of America driven
over much rougher thoroughfares
without the least trouble. Motors for
use I'm Turkey must have etrong elias
tic springs and shock absorbcrs.
They must also be of the four-cylin-
der type and run noiselessly which
the foreign cars | have seen do not
do. The English manufactures should
remember that in the Turkish empire
there are 30,000,000 of people who
MS yet have no motor car Of any sort
The ten to fifteen horse power car OF
good English make will climb any
hill in Turkey If placed in well
trained hands. Here. again Is a
point which must not be lost sight Of.
No one is quicker to pick up engineer
ing than the Turk or the Greek. and
there are any number OF young men
here who could be turned into COM
petent chauffeurs in few days.
The roads in Constantinoplc are
badly paved The streets of Galata
and Stamboul can be traversed only |
at slow and careful pace, and this !
will be the case until the public |
grows accustomed to the horseless !
vehicle. The swarms of carriages !
plying for hire would astonish even
the promoters of the numerous taxi |
cab companies I'm London. and If |
some OF these enterprislng gentlemen |
would spend a fraction of their pro-
motion profits in this city they would |
reap rich harvest. The roads out
side the city on the European side af- |
ford an excellent run TO the Sweet |
Waters OF Europe. with a stin hill to
climb coming back--a hill. however.
which an English car would delight
In Leaving its mark upon. To this
spot the who,e OF the pleasure-loving
section Of the population goes on Fri !
days and Sundays. One meets thou !
sands Of carriages containing richly
attired ladies who. could they but
have the chance. would possess them
selves Of an English car.
The return route to Constantinople
Is through Chicili a residential quar-
ter. Subsequently one passes through
Nichantache, where many wealthy
Turks have their dwellings, and in
this neighborhood the roads are quite
good. as also they are along the
shores OF the Bosphorus. On the Bos-
phorus there is sprlnkling of motor
boats, but. save one or two small ones
none are Of British make. regret to
say. The road continues to be favor
able as far as Bebek. the residence
of the Khedive Of Egypt. where It de-
terlorates. but from Stenia there is
lovely running through the great
summer embassy quarter OF Yenikeuy
and Therapia. and miles farther TO
the mouth OF the Black Sea at KAYAK
Thence one can drive along the top
road to the city again. None OF the
roads mentioned are too rough for