Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-27
Thirty Years Of Progress.

During the thirty or more years that
have elapsed, under the wise. progressive
and tactful administration of Count Kali
lay. the Austrian governor general, these
two little states. with population Of two
million and half in Bosnia and about
five hundred thousand in Herzegovina,
have made great progress in civilization.
They have been transformed from wild
and semi-ba barous conditions such as
now exist in Albania. the neighboring
province still under Turkish rule. to or
Derby, peaceful and prosperous cOmmuni-
ties. Thirty years ago no life was safe
and all property must be defended by
arms from the attacks of both lawless
brigands and the soldiers Of the sultan.
Even the peasants built their houses back
where they could not be seen from the
roadway to escape the observation Of rob-
bers and murderers from whom they were
always in peril. No man could accumu-
late anything beyond his daily food and
ordinary clothing for fear Of exciting the
cupidity of the Turkish officials. and the
without manufactures, without roads or
schools or any Of the necessary conditions
of civilization.
Today there is no more prosperous peo-
pie in Europe. Austria has furnished an
extraordinary example OF paternal gov
eminent. which has not only reconciled
the people to it's rule, but has assisted
them in their material progress in many
directions with great practical common
sense.
Manufacture and Trade.
Both Bosnia and Herzegovina now have
good roads in every direction. The rail-
way which gives them communication
with the rests OF Europe and with the
Mediterranean sea was described in my
letter yesterday. Their water power,
which is abundant and conveniently To-
Gated, has been utilized to a considerable
extent for manufacturing purposes, and
both provinces are converting their wool
; and hides. tobacco and other natural
products into finished merchandise, 80
that they enjoy the profit Of the labor
and the trade. The government has In
troduced superior fruits. grains, veSeta-
bles and other agricultural products; It
has established experimental stations for
teaching agriculture and horticulture and
model farms which demonstrate the best
way of cultivating the soil and breeding
stock The silk worm, the honey bee. I'm
proved poultry and other means Of in
creasing the family income have been
encouraged. School houses have been
built. factories have been subsidized and
modern hotels have been placed at con-
! venient points, SO that tourists and men
who came here business may find
comfortable accommodations and carry
away a pleasant impression of the coun-
try.
The religious sCTupieS Oh tne population
| have been carefully recognized. There
are three separate courts for Christians,
| Mohammedans and Jews, and two kinds
| of schools, one taught by Mullahs for
| the Mohammedan children and the other
! for the children of the Roman Catholics
and Orthodox Greeks, who constitute
| about one-third Of the entire population.
The Jewish element is strong. prosperous
and enterprising and numbers about one
hundred thousand in both provinces.
They are the descendants Of refugees
/ from Spain, who came here to find homes
after their expulsion by Ferdinand and
Isabella and Philip ii. The synagogue. the
| mosque and Christian houses Of worship
are reverenced alike by the authorities
and Mohammedan coIscripts during their