Bisbee daily review., 1915-09-12
BANKER IN TURK
CAPITAL TELLS
OF PROGRESS
THERE
Prominent Turkish Banker Tells
of Things That Might Be Ex-
peCted in Turkey Should War
Have Favorable Outcome.

I nave + aVOrdDle outcome.
CONSTANTINOPLE. Sept Ii A
banker of considerable prominence
in Constantinople has given the Asso-
ciated Press correspondent some idea
of what may be accomplished in Tur-
! key in event of the war having a fav-
orable outcome for the Turks Al
though the banker stipulated that his
name should not be used at this time
| his position and knowledge of the
! country are such that his statements,
even appearing anonymously may be
considered as of unusual Importance
Discussing the essentials that would
make Turkey a strong and selfcon-
| tanned political unit after the war, he
/ said at the outset that what Turkey
needed today most was an economic
| policy that would leave something
for coming generations. In other
words, exploitation would have TO
cease
The undeveloped resources of the
Ottoman empire are enormous" he
continued. Turkey. for instance,
could meet the entire grain shortage
of Europe, if its soil were adequately
titled and marketing facilities provid-
ed. Turkey could supply all OF Eu-
rope with fruit, and ship fully one
half Of the meat now imported by Eu-
ropean countries from South and
North America, Australia and New
Zealand The intelligent cultivation
Of cotton would place Turkey next to
the United States as a producer OF
the staple The olive oil industry
could be increased a thousand times
More wool could be exported Ports
of Antolia and Syria are especially
suited for the raising of plants of
great medical value Even coal of
fair value could be shipped to the
Mediterranean countries.
Before any of these things could be
made possible. however. said the
| banker, the cotton government would
have to realize that stable economic
| policy was necessary. Some Of the
Young Turks had already arrived at
such conclusion, but little had been
done even by them, he asserted.
But we must be patient It is.
hardly two years now since the Turks
| themselves have taken to work Up
/ to that time the Turks held the err
roneous notion that work was not
particularly enobling, that work, after
all, was for Kurds, Greeks
and Armenians With the Turks hold
ing the reins OF government, this view
/ could lead to but one result-a total
lack of sound economic thought What
| ever was done had the meeting of i'm
mediate needs as its objective Ex-
ploitation of a most ruthless nature
ensued. Under this system the SPLEEN
did forests of Turkey were destroyed;
| the peasant was taxed to death and
| given no opportunity to improve eth
er himself or his land: honest invest
/ ors were kept out Of the country
with the result that Turkey today has
no industries. and is obliged even to
ship its olive oil to Italy for refine
ment The absence of all economic
understanding on the part of those
In power under the old regime was
appalling Those wishing to estab-
! fish themselves i'm some industry or
business in Turkey were usually ask
ed to pay for the privilege in the form
of a bride to some official.
Already conditions have improved,
but there is much room for better
ment yet But / am not one Of those
who maintain, maliciously, l think,
that the Turk is constitutionally a.
verse TO progress. He simply does
not, as a rule, understand that what
may benefit others win benefit him.
The Turk is suspicious of all strang-
ers, he is also coyetous enough to en-
Wy the foreigner whose skill and en-
terprise lead TO success. He does not
understand that a similar qualihca-
ton and eXertion on his own part
would produce like result
such a condition could have but
one result, the stagnation one finds in
all parts Of the Ottoman empire. Re
ligion has nothing to do with that /
have many Turkish friends who en-
JOY material well-being along with
their religion. and / am quite sure
that the Anatolian peasant is capable
Of relishing both caviare and vaude-
Vile, if he could but secure them"
Turkey needed a rapid expansion
Continued on Page 60