Evening journal., 1913-10-17

ihc ibulShah, as tnc sultan IS cali
ed by the Faithful" as the temporal
head OF all Islam, and into whose safe
keeping tho historic green flag Of the
prophet has been placed by the Sheik-
ul.lslam, the high priest Of the Moslem
religion for centudes, to repose at the
lildiz Kiosk on the shores OF the Bos
phorus and to be unfurlcd only when a
"holy war is dccrced against the Gun
believers" has decided toemake pH-
grimage TO Mecca, there as an humble
hadpi lpilgriml TO pray as the kaaba
and TO kiss the blackstone TO thank
Allah for the dcli,erancc Of The otto
man empire from the "Giaurs."
And well might Sultan Mohammcd "
do so, for when all is told and cousd-
cred, the Turks have returned a. upper
hand in tho struggle against the Balkan
allies, and remain in Europe.
Events have taken the only course
possible under present reversed condi-
tions Bulgaria is in no position to
adopt and pursue a defiant attitude.
Tho cards arc all in the Sultans hands.
The last act Of the tragic Balkan con
test has been reached. 10 is all but a
year since the first news Of the forma-
tiou Of the Balkar alliance was given
to the world. What "a time Of mingled
triumph defeat hope aud dsappoint
ment that period has beenl Bulgaria's
grcut victories followed quickly upon
the declaration OF war; pretty soon her
armies were at the Chatalia redoubts,
the last chain of forts in the defense of
Constautinoplc. Then she had other
foes TO face and was forced TO give
WY before them. The Crescent came
back to Adriano7le. and Car Ferdinand,
defeated, despite victories. had TO sue
Tor peace at bucharest as well as at the
sublime porte Bulgaria. whose victori-
ous fight made possible the success of
the other states. has been robbed of ter
ritory by Roumauia ami the small strip
of land She is permitted 10 retain hard :
ly is worth the terrible price she had to
pay Tor il. Her losses have been so
great that she win not be able 60 en-
gage in war again until new genera
ton of men has been raised and grown
to manhood.
About 80 miles south of Mcdinah and
sixty-livc nilcs east of Jeddah, on tho
Red Sea, in a narrow. rather dcsolatc
valley hcmmcd in by barren hills and
only accessible through two passes, lies
Mecca tOur-Al-kora; j. g. Mother OF
Citiesl an ancient city of Arabia and
the center Of all Islam. the "Maksraba "
of ptolcmy and the capital of the He'd
Jas Province. AlcccR's fame chiefly
rests upon its possession of the kaabs,
TO sec which flock some 9OO0U pilgrims
fHadiisl annually. Ages before Moha
met was born. the kaaba tnow the
holy mosqucl. attracted pagan pill
grims; for as a heather shrine contain
ing misaculous fetich it enjoyed wide
rcpuie in remote times. Prior TO It's
rcconqnest by the Prophet in 627 five
years after his flight l"hegina'l Mecca
was under the control of the kosaitcs
and then OF the koresh. from whom
Mohamct captured it. For several cen.
.turies Mecca remained under the rule of
tho "Calipha" who adorned and restored
u. IN 930 il was sacked by the Carma-
thians. who carried on the. sacred black
stone and retained il for twenty years
Mecca subsequently fell under the in
lluencc Of Egypt and thus IL came into
the hands Of the Turkish .Sultans, but
their power was never more than nom
inal. Just as il is today.
From the earliest times Mecca has
bccn trading center The barren soil
rendered agricultural pursuits impracti-
cable. and the inhabitants arc. therefore
dependent upon traders for provisions.
but Mocca's command Of tho principal
caravan routes affords unusual facilities
for commerce quite apart from the
city's reputation As holy place, which
Of course, is the chief courcc Of its pros
perity.
The city as il appears today Is made
up Of modern buildings. excepting tho
great mosque and some few others,
owing 20 the frequent devastation caus-
ed by the torrents which pour down
from the surrounding hills, Through it
runs the sacred course. the road from
4 Safa TO Marwa. which must be travcrs-
ed by every pilgrim The streets arc
broad but not paved aud filthy, the
usual condition in the East. The houses
form terraces. mounting the hills ON
either side, and for the most arc part
of stone and fairly we'll built, some
times being three and four stories high,