The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-26

where they go to the Mediterranean sea over the road l have just mentioned.
 One of the newest schemes is a rail- way from Damascus to Hit, a town on the Euphrates river, and another is one which connects with the railroads of Smyrna and Constinople at Adana. The latter crosses the country above Aleppo and strikes the Tigris at Mosu. running down that river to Bagdad. The road rom Damascus to Hit would be only about one-third as long. It is backed by the British, who have a great irrigation scheme for the plains of. Mesopotamia. It is headed by Sir William Willcocks, who has gone over the ground. and is pushing the matter In London. Sir Will liam Willcocks is the engineer who built the great Nile dam at Assouan which has redeemed about 100000 acres in Egypt.
 His scheme includes irrigation works in the plains of Mesopotama, and also a navigable canal from Bagdad on the Ti- gris to point on the Euphrates just below Hit. This would have 75 miles of railroad and would make Hit the ter minus, with the rivers of the Tgris and Euphrates to draw from as water trans portation routes. It Is claimed that this road would pay largely from the freight traffic and that it would have also a large pilgrimage business through the Mohammedans who annually go from Persia to Mecca It would get many pas sengers who now travel by the Suez canal to India. When the present sys- tenn is completed, they could go from Paris to Constantinople by rail and thence to Hit and Bagdad. from where they could steam on to the Persian gulf and across to India.
 It is claimed that the line will not cost more than S20000 per mile, or about $S- 000,000 from Damascus to Hit.
 The German Road to the Tigris
 The other road which is planned to so to Bagdad itself is the one backed by the Germans. A concession for 1t was grant ed by the Sultan in 1892 and part of the line has already been built The headquarters of the road Is In Switzer- land and bonds for a part of it have already been issued. The idea now is to begin the work at several different points The route has been divided up into sec tions of 124 miles each. One of these will be started at Bagdad and move west ward; another will begin at Bulgurlu, the end of the present line in Asia Mi nor and will go to Adana and then on toward the east. The climate of tn, Adana plains is such that the construc- tion can be continued this winter, and the same is true of the Euphrates val ley. This syndicate is managed by the DeutSCne 11dnk UT otfllil, tic lHiPciidi Ottoman Bank of Paris, the Weiner bank and the Societe du Credit Suisse of Zu- rich. Loans to the amount of about S44,0OO,0OO will be issued. They will be guaranteed by the imperial Ottoman gov ernment.
 Opening Up of the Turkish Empire
 The Importance of these railway schemes cannot be overestimated The new government has planned the devel- opment of Asiatic Turkey, country which Is ten times as big as New Eng land and as well populated as Minneso- ta. In addition to the projects above mentioned is the Chester railway con- cession, which has been granted to Ad- miral Chester. a retired officer of our navy, and which now only awaits the ratification of parliament This involves the building of 1900 miles of new lines covering the richest parts of Armenia Kurdistan and Mosul, and embracing the upper portions of Mesopotamia The road will begin at the Mediterra- mean. and will run across Asia Minor to Persia, with numberous branches, 1t includes. also the development of the