The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-04-15
been on THE MAP
FOR A LONG Time
Turkish CITY Of Smyrna Has Occupied
Its Place in History for
Three Thousand
Years.
IT Is A GREAT HARBOR
Was Founded by the Aeolian Greeks
and Grew Rapidly into Wealth
and Power as
Metropolis.
IT Is A GREAT HARBOR

WASHINGTON d. c., April 15--
Describing the Turkish city of
Smyrna, which has been bearing the
brunt Of an alleged attack in the near
east, today's statement of the Ma
tional Geographic society says:
Smyrna has occupied it's place up.
on the map for more than 5000 years,
and through all this time it has re-
tanned its ancient name, its mixed
character of east and west, and its
significance in the world Of trade.
From the first, it has been q rich pro-
duce exchange. a great caravansary,
and an important harbor, receiving
merchant fleets under every flag.
Known to the olden Greeks as The
First City OF Asia 1t survives, in the
, present, the greatest city in Asia
Minor, and the second port of an ex-
tensive empire.
while Ephesus, Miletus, Sardis,
Magnesia, Pergamus, and Halicarnas.
sus have faded away, Symrna has con.
tinued its story Of untiring centuries.
It has risen superior to every stress,
remaining today what It was yester-
day, as lasting as Mount Pagus at its
back. The rise, splendor and decay
Of great empires have formed but
monentary episodes in this city's life
whose history stretches from the 18th
century before the birth of Christ
down to the present day It, most
truly, deserves the title of Eternal
! City; for it, like the phoenix Of myth.
al l,o
age by more magnificent youth.
Smyrna was founded by Aeolian
Greeks upon the natural outlet of an
important trade route. 1t grew rapidly
| into wealth and power and early took
the lead among the cities of Asia
Minor. Ionian Greeks conquered the
city in the seventh century B. c., and
under these masters it played lead.
ing role in, the Ionean league. Jeal-
Gus of its tremendous riches, the
Lydians captured and conscientiously
destroyed Smyrna in SIS B. c. Their
endeavors were SO thorough that
there remained but village until
after the Macedonian conquest Alex.
ander the Great caused the city to be
rebuilt, and 1t was laid out with ex-
travagaat magnificence Among the
many beautiful buildings Of this new
city was the Homereum. where the
poet, Homer, was worshiped as a
hero The Seleuceae declared the
city sacred and inviolable.
"In the days of Roman conquest,
Smyrna was the great world center
of art and learning, somewhat the
Paris Of that early age. The Romans,
who treated the city WELL called it
the Philosophers Grove and also
The Oasis of the MUSES. aad the
Graces' For many generations,
Smyrna was the proudest Asiatic pos
session Of the Byzantine empire of the
east. In 1902, 1t was destroyed by the
Mongols of Tamerlane. and such Of
It's inhabitants as could be found were
killed. When it fell to the Turks,
Smyrna receivd another loving nick
name. It was called The Eye Of Asia
Minor
'sThe city lies at the head of the
Gulf of Smyrna, some 200 miles south
west Of Constantinople, with which it
is now connected by rail. The fore
ground of the port Is level ground,
while the background is cut by the
sharp shoulder of Mount Pagus. There
is a population of more than 250,O00,
OF which about one!nalf is Greek, one
fourth Mohammedan, while Armen-
ians and Jews make UP the greater
part of the remainder. There were
also a large number OF European resi-
dents before the war, who, In the or
der of their numbers, We're French,
English, Italian, Swiss and German.
Greek is the language of greatest cur
rency, and, at the wars outbreak.
French was the most useful tongue
for the visiting foreigner.
Smyrna was divided into five quar-
tiers. for the Turk, the Jew, the Ar
menian. the Greek, and the European.
The Turkish and Jewish quarters
were devious, overcrowded, squalid
and forbidding. The Armenian and
Greek sections were well-built, with
wider and cleaner streets, and OF more
satisfying appearance. The European
section was Smyrna's glory. Here
were the finest thoroughfares. the
most imposing buildings, sharply
contrasting cleanliness. and the love-
w water front. The strange organiza-
ton of the city has given occasion
for the development Of a curious
municipal government The Christian
and Jewish communities have sepa-
rate elected councils, which are pre-
sided over by Their. respective reli-
gious heads.
THE trade of Smyrna is large. It
,s worthy of note under present con-
dftions that the greatest part of this
trade was in the hands of the Eng
l,sh It has an annual import OF
about s15,000.O00 and an annual ex-
port of nearly s2O.O00,0oO. The i'm
ports are manufactures. coal. and
iron: and the exports are mainly figs,
the famous Smyrna rugs, raisins, to
bacco, and silk"