The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-09-03
TURKS IN NEED
 OF NEW POLICY
 AS TO FINANCES
Leading Banker of Constan- tinople Tells of Nations
 Economic Problems.

Constantinople. Sept. 3-A banker of considerable prominence in Con EtantinQple has given the Associated Press cSfrssp pSndent some idea of what may be accomplished in Turkey in event of the war having a favora- ble 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 state ments, even appearing anonymously. may be considered as of unusual inn portance.
 Discussing the essentials that would make Turkey a strong and self-con- tained 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.
 'eThe undeveloped resources of the Ottoman empire are enormous" he continued. Turkey, for instance, could meet the entire grain shortage of Europe, if it's soil were adequately titled and marketing facilities provid- ed. Turkey could supply all of Europe with fruit, and ship fully one half of the meat now imported by European countries from South and North naerica,ssss 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 Anatolia and Syria are especially suit ed for the raising of plants of great medicinal value. Even coal of fair value could be shipped to the Medi- ferranean countries.
 
 made possible however said the banker, the Ottoman government would have to realize that a stable economic policy was necessary. Some of the Young Turks had already ar rived at such a conclusion, but little had been done even by them, he as serted.
 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 erroneous notion that work was not particularly ennob1ing, that work, af- ter all, was for others-Kurds, Greeks and Armenians. With the Turks holding the reins of govern nent, this view could lead but to one result-a total lack of sound econom- ic thought Wnatever was done had the meeting of immediate needs as it's objective. Exploitation of a, most ruthless nature ouSuGQ. OnOGI LQlS system the splendid forests of Turkey were destroyed: the peasant was tax ed to death and given no opportunity to improve either himself or his land; honest investors were kept out of the country, with the result that Turkey today has no industries. tnd is oblig- ed even to ship it's olive oil to Italy for refinement The absence of all economic understanding on the part of those in power under the old re- gime was appalling. Those wishing to establish themselves in some industry or Pusineas in T1lrlxey were usually asked to pay for the privilege in the form of a bribe to some official
 Already conditions have improved, but there is much room for better ment yet But am not one of those who maintain, maIciously, I think. that the Turkis constotutional1y averse to progress He simply does not, as a rule, understand that what may benefit others, will benefit him. The Turk is suspicious of all strang- CTS, he is also covetous enough to envy the foreigner whose skill and enterprise lead to success. He does not understood that a similar qualif- cation and exertion on his own part would produce a like result.
 Such a condition could have but one result, the stagnation one finds in all parts of the Ottoman empire Religion has nothing to do with that have many Turkish friends who en-, joy material wellbeing along with with their religion, and I am quite sure that the Anatolian peasant is ca pablo of relishing both caviare and vaudeville, if he could but secure them.
 Turkey needed rapid extension of its railroad system. said the banker It needed more roads, though p1ra- doxical as it 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 Interference he is still subject to. Commerce ought to be given the op- portunity of developing under the inn petus of unrestricted competition Manufacture should be placed be- yond the reach of governmental in terference, with the control left en- tfrely to the circumstance that Tur- key, open market, would always enjoy the price regulation resulting from competition between the home and foreign manufacturer"
 Among other informants, the cor respondent found some who held that Turkey was incapable of formulating a sound economic policy; elsewhere the opinion that improvement was discernib1e and that more could be looked for.
 "No Turkish government has yet gone to the trouble of training men in economies, or giving the few Turks, so trained, a chance of applying their Knowledge" said one authority. "I . doubt very much whether the first principle of economics is understood by a quarter of the men who serve in the departments dealing with economic matters in the Ottoman empire. It is all a question of ignor- ance-ignorance on the part of the men who manage affairs they do not understand. ignorance on the part of those who permit them to occupy such positions. Economic questions in Turkey are not settled from the viewpoint of the aggregate. but from that of individualisnn.'