Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1911-09-20
G1e AMAZING
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The Recent Uprising In Arabia--A.
tacks on the Mecca Railway Indl
cate New Unrest-Fresh HostIilt,
to Christians.
On. Mt. Nebo, Land of Moab.-Try
ing to get to the inwardness Of nation
al currents, which may be seen onl!
superficially. in the cities. have beer
over in, Arabia. Here, on the spo
where Moses was given his glimpse o
the Land Of Promise. encamped Will
company of Bedouins. beneath whose
black tents expected to find the>tra
ditional Arabian hospitality, II re
ceived at all. Instead, have met with
scant courtesy, and that this has no,
been open hospility is due to the un
settled state Of mind which does not
know quite how to take the new siren
uosities OF the Young Turk govern
ment.
I did not know. at the moment, the
risk ran, for the ferment which
found was but the beginning OF open
armed antagonism to the government,
on the part OF OF the Arabs, who at.
tackled the Hejaz railway. despoiled a
station and train. robbing the pas
sengers. killing some of the crew, cut
ting the telegraph wires. and general.
ly bidding defiance to the authorities
A party Of Americans mum bering nine
going over the same route as myself
and only two days later, were de.
spoiled OF all their money and posses.
sions, and saved their lives almost by
a miracle.
The Arabs are out in strength, and
this seems to be more than a raid. in.
dications pointing to "a concerted
movement among the tribes. against
whom the government has since sent
out an expedition of large proportions.
The Arabs are still out" and Con-
stantinople seems to be afraid OF a
general rising OF all the Bedouins in
Arabia. &. i3 s5Hs
Anti Christian. Anti-Pro9ress.
A key to the situation was given me
on Mt Nebo, when handsome, black
bearded sheikh asked. naively, yet in
no pleasant spirit, why don't all
these Christians 60 to America, or
somewhere else? We don't want them
here" The man had not the remotest
idea that the Christians held this re.
gion before Mohammed was born; he
spoke out Of the common Moslem Is.
norance and bigotry. The, immediate
cause OF his remarks was the fact that
Christians are now being enlisted in
the Turkish army, which used to be
entirely Islamic. He was also dis
turbed by the fact that the government
is gathering conscripts from the Arabs
a hitherto unknown procedure.
With more reason than they them.
selves discern. the conservative ele.
ments in Turkeys population are lay
Ing the responsibility for all this re-
cent awakening and progress upon the
Christians. They think that somehow
the infidel dogs are back OF this dis.
turbance OF the good old days Of in
action.
For constitutionally, or rather, theo.
logically. the Moslem is foe Of prog.
ress, He Is under the sway Of fatal.
Ism which says, The old ways are
best" Yet under his rule the civiliza.
ton Of this land has not only stood
still, but 1t has decidedly refrigerated
There is deep element OF truth in the
charge Of the faithful, that the pro.
gressive Young Turks are not good
Moslems.
Change. for the ck.na.le.. Desert.
The Arab has never been able to
reason in the abstract or In the large;
he thinks only In terms Of the indi-
vidual: therefore he has never created
civilization, although he has lived
longer, as distinct people, than any
other on earth. So he feels only vague.
" the economic and social changes
that are touching his land. along with
the rest Of the old world. He knows
that he has had to discard, of late, his
traditional spear. and even his dint-
lock musket, with the long barrel, IL
not equal to his present needs, SO that
he must buy an expensive rife, which
can be had only with difficulty, and for
which 1t is not easy to secure cart.
ridges. Likewise his tent must now
be lighted with kerosene, rather than
with a tallow dip. and his wife Is sug.
costing other radical household i'm.
provements. all OF which threaten the
old order.
The noble Bedouin cannot grasp the
larger meaning Of the railway that
runs down through the desert from
Damascus to Medina. with Mecca FOR
its ultimate goal: but he can see that
1t has deprived him OF the profitable
employment Of Transporting and prey.
ing upon the pilgrim caravans. The
lack Of a sale for camels, for instance
touches him. ! met string Of more
than one hundred and thirty camels
going south. unladen. The answer /
got when inquired the reason was
"The railroad has taken our business
Now, for most Of the year, the ami.
mails eat out Of our pockets, so we are
taking them down to Egypt to sell
them"
The Mecca Railways Meaning.
Everybody has heard of the Mecca
ralIway-the He1aZ railway Is the
proper name-but comparatively few
know its real significance. Advocated
II not originally suggested. by Emperor
William, to his good friend Abdul
Hamid, 1t is ostensibly pious enter
prise, to facilitate the annual pilgrim
age to Mecca, the birthplace Of Mo
manned and the place OF the sacred
Kaaba. or shrine: toward which all
Moslems turn when they pray; and
to Medina. the prophets tomb. It /,
also Of immense strategic value. i,
enables the government to convey
troops quickly to the scene Of frequent
disturbances by the turbulent Bedou
ms. Without 1t. the control Of the
Hejaz region was merely nominal, q
government by entreaty and brides tc
the lawless tribes.
And Hejaz province. SO little known
to the world. and a mere desert waste
&C. <ha 10 49,