Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-09-27
73s AMAZING
6 NA1IONS
New Turkey Offers Rare opportupl-
ties for American Capitai-A Use
Of the Flag That Does Not Rebound
20 Honor Of Country.
Az William &. ELLIS.

70 Honor OF Country. A
by WILLIAM r. ELLIS.
Tarsus, Asia Minor.-One OF the
great gardens and granaries OF the
world Is this famous Cilician plain
Round which bloom memories OF "The
glory that was Greece and the gran
deurs that was Rome"
Today 1t IL Of interest 40 feature
In the new life of awakened Turkey
and as rare field for the employment
Of American capital and the sale Of
american goods. The commercial
opportunities Of new Turkey are en-
bodied in the situation which is found
here. II the new order IN the empire
lis to succeed there will inevitably be
great changes in the life Of the peo-
5tple.
Broadly speaking, the Asia Minor OF
today mirrors the times sof the Bible.
There has been little change in two
Thousand years. Upon great threshing
floors, open to the sky. handicapped
grain Is threshed by oxen and Halls.
and winnowed by tossing It into the
air. Two women may still be seen
grinding at q mill. Instead Of hotels
the wayside khans are Of the typo
which the beautiful Bethlehem story
has made familiar to the world. About
the roadside wells the herdsmen stu
either their flocks, and women with
Jars draw the water It is all primi-
tive, pastoral, patriarchal. The next
years will transform the
old order here, even as the like period
OF time has done in japan.
Why Americans Are Favored.
Hitherto obligations and finances
have gone hand in hand in Turkeys
experience with foreigners. Conces.
,sions have had diplomatic Significance.
jSimon-pure business has been kept out
of the country to make way for the
promoter who is supported by the of1-
cialdom Of some European govern.
ment. New Turkey IL tired OF this
She must have money for internal de-
,velopment. Only by the inflow OF for
.eign capital and modern foreign meth
DDS can the people be helped along
the road which the government haA
planned for: them. In their hour Of
need the onicials are sincerely turn
ing toward America for help. ! have
been told directly BY more than one
cabinet minister rs well as by minor
officials, that since American capital
lists are not the forerunners Of danger
Gus governmental policies, they are
the most welcome in this country.
The eaadad Railway.
The Bagdad railway is an illustra-
ton OF how business and diplomacy
60 hand in hand. The concession for
this great highway has been secured
10Y the Germans. tits master stroke
of policy. There Is no exaggeration IN
declaring that this Bagdad railway is
the most important bit of railway con-
struction now under way anywhere on
earth. It may be looked upon from
several angles. Some persons see this
line stretched from Berlin to Bagdad
as q mailed fist shown in the face OF
India. Others regard 1t as an out
stretched hand for the golden COM
merce Of the far east. Others see In
&c only peril to the British and Rus
sian influence in Persia.
The ordinary business man. who
does not NEEDLE with politics. is con-
tent to mote that It opens up the fer
tile plains OF the Tisris and Euphrates
to the German trader. Construction
has already proceeded to Burgulu and
before this winter is over It will be In
operation well into the foothills OF the
Taurus mountains. There, engineering
difficulties will hold it for few years
but the Cilician end OF the line is also
beina built. The maps Of tomorrow
win mot ignore this new route over
the most ancient highways of tho
world.
But the railway 10 practically polit-
zeal. Germany says that II New Tur-
key increases her taxes. as she means
to do, the money must be applied to
the building Of the Bagdad railway.
Great Britain and Russia declare that
the taxes may not be raised II they
are to be used for any such purpose.
Between the contending forces Of d.
.plomacy, poor Turkey is held at .
standstill. Small wonder that she
has looked favorably thus far upon
the Chester railway project which is
designed to open the eastern end Of
Asia Minor. This, however. Is not yet
through, for the sinuosities Of diplo-
macy at Constantinople have twined
themselves about many another prom
Using enterprise to throttle It to death.
N Business and Reform.
Apart from the question Of mines
and railways. and these other larger
affairs which are roughly grouped as
conc essions, there remain smaller en-
terprises which offer no difficulties to
the American business man. Perhaps
I can best explain these by quoting
long conversation which had with the
Vail OF the Vilayet Of Adana-a pro
gressive young Turk who was put in
by the Reform government after the
massacres to rule this troubled terri
tory by an iron hand.
Djemal Boy is an enlightened Turk
of the new order. liberal in his opin-
ions. intensely patriotic yet sensible
in the pursuit Of reforms. He has re-
quired compulsory education for all
children between Z and IA years Of
age. He has forbidden loafing in the
Coffee Houses before the middle Of
the afternoon and he has undertaken
to close out the gambling which has
become an increasing menace to the
life Of Turkey. freely translate the
message which he desired me to con-
vey to the American business men.
A Governors Invitation.
This district alone needs an in
vestment Of five hundred million
francs OF foreign capital. We are now
having drawn specifications of vast
irrigation project for this great Gill;
clan plain. shall be glad to let you
have, and to send to any interested
and responsible persons in America,
detailed information such as would be
necessary to make bids. Americans
are familiar with irrigation work and
skilled in this department Of engineer
49,, 81, ~, voru oyl,d ~ how>