Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-28
THE WAR PRIMER
By National Geographic Society

Bagdad-Thirty days by caravan from Constantinople near the Persian frontier, iu Turkish Arabia, and re- moved 10 the westward but 50 miles from the Garden of Eden, mans birth place, stands the once splendid city of reVelry ancient Bagdad, for centuries the capital of the AIohan1nedan world, and, now, the second city of import ance in the Ottoman Empire. Withered by it's riots of pleasure, an easy prey for MouEols in 1258 generations asleep and behind-hand the spirit of modern pTUeTesS has recently taken hold there, and from Bagdad the flower Of the Turkish army, ofTicered by young men
 of highest military and scientific train
 iuS, is pursuing an invasion of Persia
 In one of q series of studies of lands affected by the war prepared for the National Geographic Society. Fred
 er.Clz and Margaret Simpich describe
 the city of Caliphs as it is today.
 I5agdad, they say, is built on both
 sides of the river Tigris On the west
 bank is the old town, with streets so
 narrow that it is often impossible for
 two dOl6eyS to pass one another III
 them The new town. With it's govern
 ment offices. barracks, Cousulates. pris
 ons, and great government army fac
 tolN, lies lDon the east bank- ATouFt
 as far as the eve can reaCn. stretches
 the vast fiat, treeless. empty plain or
 ittLc W s-lEA9 =iif -'t+-tAI-N-
 Turkish soldiers are stationed at Eag-
 dad, and this division Of the Ottoman
 army apnarantiy is as well trained as
 the model war machines of Europe.
 The older houses are huddIed to- Eeth. box -shaued. with fat roofs. and
 suljTy sumner nights on these flat
 roofs with tom toms, flutes, water pipes and dancing women Banked with flowers fragrant with scent Tythmic with Eastern music, the roofs Of Bagdad, in the days ot it's luAurF when it bore the distinction of belns the most UecElcS5lv wicked city in tLE world, presented nightly broad acres Of widest reEeITy rD 7le cspNules: heavens. The license, the indolence and tho Insecurity o1 old Bagdad are gone. Today, the city is as comner- | Ciai in it's spirit as New orA. Il has Q large foreign trade, is dlstri- outing center for all the country ! around. Basdad is becoming mere business and less UCnlan-ic-the hard riding fioCce-hghting rioters Of former | days having some forever
 Modern methods are creeping n with modern business The bazaars. ! hOwcy CT. arc conducted tie same as they were in the time If Marco Polo ! They are held in streets like tunnels, arched with brick to keep out the heat, and are ia intly lighted, surglng with l experts in intensive haggAng, thlcH | With stlhlnE all, mingled ln Whlrn are 1 all the distinctive. dIscOnfOTtlng odorS 1 of the East. q poJpouri of all the agon- 1 ies of smell The individual shops are no larger than telephone booths. The l shopkeepeUs sit cross legged within their wares piled nigh around them. i The shouting of offers rivals the noise ! of an American fair grounds Alp | pease your mother law the flower ] vender sings out. and the other sales men are ae rhetorical.
 1 Rare old rugs costly affairs, are made in Bagdad by laying fine new l ones in the filth oE the narrow streets 1 beneath the tramp of men and beasts. l The Bagdad traders in antiquities are