The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-09-29
49, =
CheAAkING
| n =
EXCAVATIONS
,,... turkey Offers Rare opportuni-
~ III for American Capltai-A Use
= sbe Flag That Does Not Rebound
d Honor of Country.
~ WILLIAM ]. ELLIS.

lv ,.. Nat was Greece and the gran
a. samr hat was Rome.
M Today it is OF interest as a feature
M new life of awakened Turkey
j ! rare field for the employment
~ Ar,erican capital and the sale Of
,arlcan goods. The commercial
a-nort,,nities OF new Turkey are EN-.
sSSiad IN the situation which is found
- II the new order in the empire
- y sncceed there will inevitably be
changes In the life of the peo-
pie. - "a, ,,,n -,
.oday mirrors the times Of the Bible.
mere sT has been little change in two
,housand years. Upon great threshing
soore omen to the sky, handicapped
rain Is threshed by oxen and fails,
md wInnowed by tossing it into the
sir Two women may still be seen
Grinding at mill. Instead of hotels
X wayside khans are of the type
rSicb tbe beautiful Bethlehem story
haq made familiar to the world. About
,ha roadside wells the herdsmen still
Gather their focks, and women with
iars draw the water 1t is all print
live pastoral, patriarchal. The next
tventy-fiye years will transform the
id 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.
simon-pure business has been kept out
Of the country to make way for the
promoter who is supported by the off,
cialdom Of some European govern
ment. New Turkey is tired of this.
She must have money fer internal de-
yelopment. Only by the inflow Of for
eign capital and modern foreign meth
DDS can the people be helped along
the road which the government has
planned for them. In their hour of
need the officials are sincerely turn
Ing toward America for help. have
been told directly by more than one
cabinet minister as we'll 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 Bagdad 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
BY the Germans. It is master stroke
ofpollcy. 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. 1t may be looked upon from
several angles. Some persons see this
line stretched from Berlin to Bagdad
as 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
II 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 note that 1t opens up the fer
ule plains of the Tigris and Euphrates
70 the German trader. Construction
mas already proceeded to Burgulu and
before this winter is over it will be in
operation we'll into the foothills of the
taurus mountains. There, engineering
olmculties will hold it for a few years
Out the Cilician end of the line is also
Oelng built. The maps of tomorrow
viii not ignore this new route over
lle most ancient highways of the
world.
II But the railway is practically polit-
II NaL Germany says that if New Tur-
Aey increases her taxes, as she means
49, the money must be applied to
ue building Of the Bagdad railway.
ereat Britain and Russia declare that
'ne taxes may not be raised If they
arc 70 be used for any such purpose.
Se'Ween the contending forces of di-
nOmaey, poor Turkey is held at a
n sHndstill. Small wonder that she
uas looked fayorably thus far upon
y chester railway project which is
asslgned to open the eastern end of
aola Minor. This, however, is not vet
ufOugh, for the sinuosities of dipio-
aacy at Constantinople have twined
eIeuselVes about many another prom
s enterprise to throttle it to death.
II Business and Reform.
apart from the question of mines
~ railways, and these other larger
so nairs which are roughly grouped as
II ,,uueessions, there remain smaller en-
stpfises which offer no difficulties to
- american business man. Perhaps
an pest explain these by quoting a
Il ~. aS conversation which had with the
au Of the Vilsyet of Adana--a pro-
" sssiVe young Turk who was put in
Y ne Reform government after the
aassaeres to rule this troubled terri
" py an iron hand.
uiemal Bey is an enlightened Turk
ue new orser. liberal in his opin-
intensely patriotic yet sensible
sn,. pursuit of reforms. He has re-
ems emu compulsory education for all
~ ren between Z and IA years of
4 ros de has forbidden loafng in the
a. Houses before the middle of