The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-07-01
RAILROAD UILOING IN TURKEY
That Benighted Empire viii Soon
Have Transportation Facilities.

orier OF the day in all countries,
and though it seems almost incred-
ible, the Turk has caught the rail-
road fever and is not only project
ing, but actually constructing, and
has partly finished what will be
one of the longest and most I'M
portant railroad lines in the old
world. It's object is to connect
the political capital of Islam with
the holy places which every Mos
lem is expected to visit at least
on, during his lifetime. As the
Moslems number from Us, 900, 900
to 200, 900, 900, the annual pilgrim
age from all parts of the Moham-
medan world is of enormous pro-
portions. That from India and
the east is provided for by steam
ship lines, but it is now proposed
by the Turkish government to
offer special inducements to its
people in Asia Minor, Syria, Pal
estine, and even North Africa, to
make the sacred pilgrimage at
their ease, by providing railroad
TRANSFORMATION from COuStantinOr1e
to Mecca.
To comprehend the magnitude
of the enterprise, it is necessary
to remember that old world dis
tanCes are not always I'M 'erstood
in the new world. The scale of
the maps is usually much smaller,
50 We sometimes get the idea that
the United States is the largest
country on the earth, because it
looks largest on the maps. A bet
ter conception OF the Turkish TN
dertakIng will be gained by the
knowledge that, taking CONSTANT
nople as a center, Paris will be on
the edge Of circle with radius
OF 5000 kilomcters about 2,25o
miles, while Mecca will be 500
kilos beyond the edge of that cir
Gle. In other words, to make the
matter palmer, the distance from
| Constantinople to Paris is about
that from New York to Sante Fe,
n. NJ, and from ConstantinopIe to
Mecca is approximately that from
New York to Prescott, Ariz.
The Turk, therefore, who has
always been regarded as slow 60
ing, must be conceded to have
more industry than generally goes
to his credit. There is, however,
behind the religious motive,
political end to be gained.
The sultan is the nominal head
of the Moslem world. But as the
holy places Mecca, Medina and
several others, are in land far
| distant from the center of the en-
pire's political influence, the rul-
ing officials in those cities have, for
hundreds of years, been quasi-in-
dependent, some have thrown off
entirely the Turkish bond and
actually maintained their indepen-
dence. Then, again, pilgrims
from Syria, who attempt to travel
by the caravan routes through
Arabia, Petraea and along the
Red sea, have ong been subject
to pillage by the wandering tribes
of Bedouins. A railroad through
this country with fortified stations
at short intervals, would bring all
northwest Arabia under real, rather
than nominal, Turkish control and
restore to the sultan genuine au-
thor:ty as protector of the holy
places"
The Turkish government is al
ways harassed by its creditors.
The moment plaster comes into
into the treasury, ali the creditors
make grab for it, SO the question
of financing the enterprise became
one of prime Importance, for no
money, no road. In this dilemma
the willy Turk hit upon happy
expedient, The sultan issued an
trade commanding that every Mos
lem family which sacrificed sheep
at the feast of Bairam should bring
in the skin to the nearest govern
ment official, and these skins
should be sold for the benefit of
the road AS every Turk does