Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-29
THE WAR PRIMER
By National Geographic Society

The Desert of the Sea.-The proc lamation of the Grand Shereef of Mecca announcing the formation of the new kingdom of Arabia gives es- pecial timeliness to a communication to the National Geographic society at it's headquarters at Washington from Archibald Forder, of Jerusalem, a part of which is issued as one of the soeiety's series of war geography bull letins. MT. Fordre describes Arabia as one of the oldest known parts of the earth. He says:
 Long before the sons of Jacob went down into Egypt, the sons of Ishmael had settled in the land Providence had assigned them. The boundaries of Arabia are outlined in the Bible as early as Genesis xxv, IS. Probably many centuries ago Palestine, Syria and the Sinaitic Peninsula were inn portant parts of Arabia Isaiah speaks of it as the desert of the sea (xxi, D and when one considers it land largely desert, almost entirely sur rounded by water, we conclude that the ancient seer was not far wrong in his designation of the land. Arabia is between Egypt and Persia, to put it widely, and between India and Eu- rope. It has a seacoaSt of about 4,000 miles.
 "No land so little attracts the atten- tion of the Specuiator, hunter, advent urer, or traveller as Arabia, and yet no country presents so large or new a field. Many are the obstacles to be faced and overcome ere one can see and learn for oneself what is beyond the mysterious and almost waterless belt of uninviting desert that almost encircles this little known land, but a few have penetrated the country from different points and each has shed some Night on the interior.
 ''The first and perhaps the most difficult obstacle with which the trav- eler had to contend prior to the, out rigid persistence of the Turk, who practically controlled the entire coast line of Arabia up to the time of the revolt of the Grand Shereefs follow CTS a few months ago, but who never held sway far inland. Travellers land ing on the coast with the intention of proceeding to the interior were met by smiling officials who politely re- quested their permit from Constanti- nopIe, and on failing to produce that were recommended to procure the same by telegraphing to their displo- matic representative in the Turkish metropolis-a costly and usually hopeless procedure.
 "If, however, an entrance was gain ed ,as has been done, troubles of oth- CT kinds had to be overcome, such as the difficulties of transportation, the SuDSTSllIlOn dislike of the Christian, the last per- haps the most dangerous if not the most formidable.
 Arabia is probably one of the old est of the Oriental countries and at different times has played important roles in the making of the worlds his tory, and the probability is that in the revival of the Orient it will yet fig Ire prominently once more.
 The northwest part of Arabia is famous for it's many-huned mountains, rocks and crags, into and out of which has been hewn many a fine tomb, tenn pie, dwelling, and theater by the Nab- athean, Roman, Greek, or Egyptian, all of whom have left their mark be- hind them.
 "The great need of the Arabian peninsula is water, for without that all important factor of everyday life little can be accomplished and the en- tire absence of running water in any shape or form accounts largely for the lack of any forward movement or at tempt at industrial or manufacturing achievements.
 ''Where water is obtainable it is generally from wells of great depth, causing a large amount of labor to get it to the surface. Some of these wells are evidently ancient, as indicated by the stones of many courses near the mouth and the deep grooves worn by tEe4ropes of the drawers during many