Semi-weekly herald., 1909-02-08
RICH FIELDS TO OPEN
IN TURKEY IN FUTURE

WASHINGTON. Jan. 2s.-The new
Turkish government is showing ~
enterprising disposition, and II II u
allowed TO work out It's purposes wiIa
rapidly modernize that ancient empire
and offer vast and profitable nelo
for American trade In railway con.
structlon material and supplies. AZ
ready has the department OF public
workers decided upon the construo
tion OF 1850 miles OF railways, aAt
German and French engineers are nov
In the field making surveys. Most os
the proposed lines extend from the
principal ports upon the Mediterrpr
mean and the Black sea Into the pro.
ductive regions OF the Interior, thua
giving the people access to msrksts.
Not less than twelve OF these roads
have been proposed through Asia Mn,
or, and by connecting them at some
early date In the future with Constasf-
tinople 1t Will be possible for . trsy-
eier from Europe to reach any import.
ant port in the Ottoman empire by
rail.
| There Is a great deal OF rivalry ~
tween the French and German baak.
ers who have agencies In Conutauti.
nople to gain control OF the concea-
sions, and the government is playins
one against the other for terms. 4
is also inviting Dutch, Belgian, Italiaa
and English capital to interest Itself
In order to have as many differsut
nations represented as possible. Il
VIII be easy for an American syndi
cate to obtain concession or two. II
one should be formed. but the expert
ence OF our fellow countrymen In Chi
ma and In Central and South Amsrics
does not encourage Turkey or any
other foreign nation to show then
preference. 1t seems almost imposs&.
BILE for an American syndicate to buill
railroad in foreign country. II
has been done In Mexico and In Guate.
mala, but In Colombia. Ecuador, Peru.
China and other countries Americas
syndicates which have undertaksa
such work have invariably sold out
to or consolidated with British cor.
porations.
The Turkish government proposes
to build four roads from ports on tie
Black sea into the interlor--ons q
them ninety and the others $50. ~
and $50 miles long. 1t In propossl
also to build six roads from ports -
the Mediterranean into tho intertoe.
varying from sixty to 600 miles q
length. The other roads contemplated
are TO connect the larger cities Of The
interior and the roads that are already
In operation.
| If the plans are carried out, aaA
most OF them undoubtedly will b., II
rails, bridges and other constructjeo
material should be furnished By IL
United States, as was the case IN ~
construction OF the railway recaatly.
opened between Damascus ard No
dinah. Of which I wrote the other aAy.,
As rule, the European style Of lpep
motives and other rolling stock u pr0,i
ferred in the east, being lighter os
construction and more easily handled.
Very few box cars are used for freight ;
they prefer cheap open cars, and pro-.
tect the cargoes with tarpaulins and
other waterproof covers. The pssssu-
ger cars are light and roughly maAs
and do not cost 10 per cent as much
as the ordinary passenger coach used
In this country. Railways are the
great cfvilizers. and when the people
OF the Ottoman empire can travel
about they win develop . modern civ.
ilization and adopt modern methods
very rapidly.
An equally important enterprise ol
the new government Ii the plan u
restore the ancient irrigation system
OF Asia Minor and MesopotamiA ~
gions, which once supported . popula,
tion OF 12.000.000 TO $4,000 900 people
but now have become almost Q desert
waste. In the time Of NebuchsA1ae
gar and the Babylonian captivity thil
: was the richest section Of the world
but the splendid cities are now pllel
+ OF ruins half buried In the sand, d
which the archaeologists Of EuroD(
and America are searching for svi
s dence of an extinct civilization. AZ
Q are making remarkable discoveries
D The only population consists Of "a
2 madic tribes of Bedouins. with hsr'
r and there hamlet Of people va
r have taken refuge by q well Or syr1nl
). that has been preserved from destru<
It tion and marks an oasis In the 1ress,
T. stretch of lifeless sand.
Had 1t not been for The HsralA .
one outside the ring would have know,
8 thing about the rebatins resolut3oa
e The Herald realizes It has hard -
'r on hand. but as long a. the nanagl
e ment draws breath outrasss e ~
s. character will bs exposed - nattl
. II 1t does interfere with he vesaMq
u Of the ring.