The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-01
In Historic scenes.

Persia.
In Historic Scenes.
No railroad enterprise has ever possessed
such fascination as the Bagdad line or
so completely held the attention of the
world. II was to open up TO modern
civilization the great Euphrates Valley.
ths scene Of Biblical history and ancient
civilization. 1t was TO pass by the sites
0. Old Ninevah and Babylon and through
o., land NJ the earliest conquests Of
Mohammedanism. 1t was to restore this
now desolated and neglected region to the
wonderful fertility it once enjoyed and
10 furnish Europe a new and almost in
exhaustlble granary.
It's political significance was SIN great
er. 1t was to furnish to Germany en-
trance to the middle East and means
o. Check1latiug the increasing power or
Russia and Great Britain in that part or
TIC world. There were to be two con-
trolling ports in Asiatic Turkey. one 1T
Ha!dar pasha opposite Constantinopie,
tie other AT AleNandrette on the Mediter-
r4rean coast OF Asia Minor.
Austria Hungary was TO build the Now
Bazaar Railway. gain control OF Salonica
and then by short sea voyage across
from Salonica to AleXandrette Vienna
and Budapest would have direct route
70 the Persian Gulf. From Berlin there
would be another equally direct route 10
the same point by way OF Constantinople
even a bridge across the Golden Horn
was one OF the projectors dreGns-anI
then across the Bosporus through Ana
toha and down the Euphrates Valley
one OF the dreams Of the military enthu-
sissts was to rush troops from the capt.
tails Of the two great nations or th-
Triple Alliance in German cars over this
road to the East. thus avoiding the pas
sage Of the Suez Canal
The entire distance OF the line from
the Bosporus 10 the Persian Gu1 Is
1850 miles. But of this. part Is the
already constructed Anatolin Railway
The road proper begins at Roma, the
terminus OF the Anatoiin section. and Is
10 be built in a southeasterly direction
passing through Aleppo, the metropolis or
syria; MosuI, on the site OF ancient
Sineveh, and Bagdad, the city OF the
esliphs, distance OF 1880 miles.
Political Outlook Changed.
Recent events in Europe have lessened
apparently the political significance OF
the project. Germany is not so closely
allied with the Ottoman Empire as in
Abdul Hands time. Austria Is not 80
ambitious 10 build the Novi Bazar rail-
way now that the Greeks are at Salonica'
70 neither OF these great nations does
the passage of the Balkans look SO easy
as before the ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF turkey
1ilites OF the road that now offer the
strongest appeal.
The building of the road is reported
% be progressing favorabiy ana there
appears to be good foundation for the
hope that the line will be In operation
Oy 1917. The 800 miles OF road from
hon!a 10 Bagdad are being constructed
by a German company, the general man.
ager OF which is Meissner Pasha, VINO
mas record OF twenty years OF ran
road building in the Ottoman Empire
Work has been held up at the Taurus
Mountains owing to the heavy pfluge
building and tunnelling necessary. Atoms
the rest of the line there are no great
engineering problems, but the cost OF
transporting building material and ballast
into lower Mosopotamia makes construc'
ton expensive. recent traveller VINO
went by caravan over nearly the entire
route, says that he saw active cons'Fuc'
ton Or hnal surveys In progress at every
point
The road is expected to develop laten
resources Of the country and stimulate
business to such an extent that capita
will flow In and Industries thrive. Th'
gigantic irrigation plans that Sir william
Nllcocks has been at work upon fol
years II IL expected will make the vale,
of the E.uphrates one of the creates
wheat producing lands in the world
To open Np Nhcu SS~hsES'
The line will cut through districts wher
cotton has fourished but where cultiva
ton has been neglected owing to lack o
a market. Petroleum and btumlnou'
coal are said to be plentiful In man!
sections through which the line RAISES o
which can be easily reached rom II b.
short side lines. Near Hosdl and nea
the Persian frontier there are known T.
exist immense fields OF petroleum, whic
have been carefully guarded against IN
threads OF foreign speculstors. There ar
rich mineral deposits to the north wh!c
are also well protected against specula
tors and will be tapped by Feeders iror
the main line. The import trade OF IN
interior has been OF small Importance
account OF the difficulty OF access 70
and ths high price that must DO aske
for even the simplest article on accouI
- Of cost Of carriage from either Medite'
q 11l1RaoH r 2tack Sea ports.
pEsiGhs y = thougl