Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-09-10
SOUND ECONOMIC POLICY
TURKEYS GREATEST NEED
Exploitation Must Cease and Some
thing 30 Left for Coming
Generations.
PROMINENT BANKER TALKS
Discusses Essentials That Will Make
Nation Strong and Self-COntaincd.
Political Unit After War-Jmprovc-
ment Already Noted.

A banker of considerable prominence in
Constantinoplc has given the Asso-
ciatcd Press correspondent some idea
o: what may be accomplished in Tur.
soy in event of the war having IA
'orablo outcome for tho Turks. Al
though the banker stipulated that HIS
name should not he used at this tirn.
his position and knowledge OF tn.
country are such that his statements
c."a appearing anonymously. may he
soAsidered AS Of unusual Importance.
Discussing the essentials tina: woulo
make Turkey strong and sclf-coh-
tanned political unit after tho war. he
said at the outset that what Turkey
needed to-day most was economic
policy that would leave something 70,
coming generations. In other words.
exploitation would have to cease
The undevcloped resources of tn.
Ottoman Empire arc enormous" he
continued. Turkey. for instance.
could meet tho entire grain shortage
OF Europe. If it's soil were Adequately
TILED and marketing facilities pr"
v!ded. Turkey could supply all OF
Europe with fruit. and ship fully ore-
nalf OF tho meat now imported by
European countries from South ana
North America. Australia and New
Zealand The intelligent cultivation
%: cotton would place Turkey next to
tine United States as n producer OF me
staple. The olive oil industry coula
be increased thousand times. Mere
wool could be exported. Ports OF Ana
tolia and Syria are especially suited for
tho raising OF plants Of great medicinal
value Even coal Of fair value could
he shipped TO the Mediterranean coun-
tries"
Before any Of these things could pc
made possible. however. said the banh.
er. the Ottoman government wouio
have TO realize that Il stable economic
policy was necessary Some OF th>
Young Turks had already arrived az
such a conclusion. but little had been
done even By them, he asserted.
But we mus, be patient. II Is
hardly two years now since the Turks
themselves have taken TO work ~
10 that time the Turks held the
roneous notion that work was not par
ticularly cnnohlinS. that work afie,
all. was for others-kurds. Greeks and
.trmenians. With the Turks holding
tho reins Of government, this vieN
could lead hu, to one resuit-a total
lnck Of sound economic thought What
ever done had the meeting of imme-
d!ate needs as its objective. EXploi-
t1,ion OF a most ruthless nature
sned Under this system the splendid
forests Of Turkey were destroyed; !he
peasant was taxed TO death, and given
no opportunity to improve either him
self or his land. honest investors were
kept out Of the country. with the r.
suit that Turkey to-day has no in
iustries. and is Obliged even to snip
it's olive oil TO Italy for refinement.
The absence OF all economic under,
standing on the part Of those in powe,
under the old regime was appalling.
Those wishing TO establish themselves
~ some industry or business in Tur.
key were usually asked 10 pay for tho
privilege in the FORM OF a bride to
some official.
STILL MUCH ROOM
For RETTERMENT
Already conditions have improved.
but there ia much room for bettcrment
set. But l am not one OF those who
maintain. maliciomsly. ] think. thas
The Turk is, constitutionally, aversc to
progress. He simply does not. as n
rule understand that what may hencn>
others. will benefit him. The Turk IN
suspicious OF all strangers. he is ais.
covetous enough TO envy tho foreicnc>
whose SKIN and enterprise lead 70 sues
cess He does not understand that \
similar qualification and excrtion on
his own part would produce q Ike 70
suit.
Such a condition could have but
one result. the staCnation one finds in
all parts OF the Ottoman empire. Re
ligion has nothing to do with that. !
have many Turkish friends. who enjoy
material we'll being along with their
religion. and am quite sure that the
Aratol!an peasant is capable Of relish
ing both caVIarc and vaudeville, II he
could but secure them"
Turkey needed rapid extension OF
it's railroad system. said the banker.
y needed more roads, though paradox
ical as IL might seem, Turkey had
never had so many good roads as had
been built during the war. Then the
peasant would have to be trained and
relieved from much OF the petty inter
ference he is SUI subject TO. Com
merce ought 10 be given the oppor
tunity OF developing under the inn
petus OF unrestricted competition.
Manufacture should he placed beyond
tho reach of governmental intcrfer-
cnce, with the control left entirely to
the circumstance that Turkey, an
open market. would always enjoy the
price regulation resulting from com
petition between the home and foreign
manufacturer.
Among other informants. the CORE
spondcnt found some who held that
Turkey was incapable of formulating
= sound economic policy: elsewhere the
opinion that Improvement was discern
able, and that more could be look ed
for.
NO Turkish government has yet
gone to the trouble of training men in !
economics. or giving the few Turks so
trained. chance of applying their
knowledge" said one authority. Il
doubt very much whether the first prin
ciple OF economies is understood by a
quarter of the men who serve in the
department dealing with economic
matters in the Ottoman empire. 1t is
all n question of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
on the part of the men who manage
affairs they do not understand. igno-
rance on tho part of those who permit
them TO occupy such positions. Eco
nomic questions in Turkey are not set
tied from the viewpoint OF the aggre-
gate. but from that of individualism
1T is ALL MATTER OF
GETTING THINGS STARTED
1T is all matter of getting the
thing started. know that all Turkey
IL ready TO start anew, and start right.
! know also that a sound economic
policy would reconcile the Greek and
armenian. who, even If they do not
always adhere to such policy them