The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-11-16
STOREH0USE Of NEEDED
MATERIALS IS OPENED
TO TfUT0k|C ALLIES
National Gco2 raphic Society in Latest
Bulletin describes Resources
OF Turkey-in-Asia.

OF Turkey -in-Asia.
Washington. D. c.. Nov. i5.--with
the conquest and opening-up of the
connecting link In the Orient Rail-
way between Belgrade and Sofia by
the Teutonic and Bulgarian allies, a
vast storehouse. rich In much
raw materials, has been made aoces-
sible for the supply OF the hard press
ed Central powers. Probably, the
most important feature OF this ac-
complishn ent is the bringing of the
Austro- Hungarian and German nations
into communication with lands where
are found minerals and products Of
agriculture in abundance: though the
control OF the Orient Railway. also,
enables the remunitioning OF Turkey
and the transportation OF German
troops 10 territories threatening near
the Suez Canal. A sketch of the
stores OF Asia Minor. or AnatoIia.
upon which the Germans will now
be able to draw. is contained In bull
letiu Just issued by the National Geo
graphic Society. The bulletin reads:
THE mineral and agricultural
wealth Of Turkey in Asia is very great
This wealth, however. is largely OF
the potential kind. for, except in limit
areas, agriculture is carried on ac-
cording to primitive methods. while,
for the most part, the mineral stores
have been left untouched. Among the
known to exist In consider
able quantities Hro Iron, copper,
nickle. lead, manganese. silver. sui
phur. coal, antimony, arsenic, emery,
frller's earth. gold, kaolin, zinc, alum.
asbestos rock salt. harackie, chrome
and rner curry. OF these resources the
copper stores viii. likely. be the most
priced by the Germans. though little
has been done under Turkish admin
istration toward exploiting the copper.
The reserves Of Anatolian copper are
said to be large.
Wheat. corn and barley are grown
in large quantities in Asia Minor. and.
in normal times. much OF the sur
plus barley has been exported to Great
Britain. where 1t has been used for
brewing There Ia considerable
surplus OF wheat, which should re-
lieve the reported meal scarcity In tho
mills of the Central Powers. The
west coast Of Asia Minor is noted for
the fruits that ripen in its Mediter-
ranean climate. Here are grown an
important part of the worlds ratsin
crop. Olives and figs. also. thrive
along the Regean coast. Where hot
summers ,swelter over the northern
Anatolia coasts come OF the finest
Turkish tobacco Is raised, which, In
all likelihood Is now a rare luxury
among German smokers. A sort OF
ff.f. la sert-g
insipid, unfragrant leaf. which bears
little resemblance to the rich tobacco
OF America. Turkey and the East In
dies. Great quantities of hazel
nuts are among the exports of this
area. and cotton, another staple whic h
the Germans are said to be greatly
in need of. is grown in the districts
of Kassaba and Adm in the west,
and on the Cslician plain In the south
east
All through Turkey in- Asia there
has been but little accomplished to-
ward building up a manufacturing m
dustry. Olive oil soap is extensively
manufactured at Smyrna: carpets are
woven in various places. mostly pro-
ducts OF home industry; leather Is
produced. and cigarettes are made in
large numbers. In Syria there are
important weaving, dyeing and tan
ming industries at AIeppo and Aintab
and there Is some small manufacture
in Mesopotamia.
The principle exports OF Asia Mi
nor are raisins, tobacco. figs, barley
iiquorico, wool, hides, cotton and
skins Owing to the backward or
ganization OF the country II is difficult
to assign any values to the annual
exports Of these articles, which would
|. - a. ~
ports of Syria include lemons, oranges,
Ice, while Mesopotamia exports large
shipments of dates, wool, barley,
wheat and opium. Yemen. in Arabia,
the land which Is mostly desert,
exports the famed Moktm coffee.
Coffee is said to be very scarce in Ger
many now Dates are about the only
other export from Arabia of any i'm
portance.
The climate of Syria II OF the ex-
treme Mediterranean type, and most
OF the soil is fertile. In great part,
however. It remains unworked silk
worms are raised In many parts OF
the land. and, before the wars out
break, most of the silk was sent for
manufacture to Lyon, Franco. Some
silk is spun in Syria Cotton Is an
important crop around fdlib. and n
surplus grain crop is raised. Much
OF once-fertie Mesopotamia il now
desert. The old irrigation systems
have fallen to decay. and. where forty
centuries ago the land was fruitful,
today il merely wastage. In Some
areas. wheat. barley and beans are
grown for export. The date palm and
the sheer herd, however, are the main
elements in present-day Mesopotamia
agriculture"