Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-02-10
TOO MANY Greeks IN TURKEY
Big Business of the Levant in
Their Hands.
Always Manage to Get Along with the
Turk-Havc No Wish To He Drawn
into War and So .JcopardIze
Financial Interests.

First among the reasons offered in ex-
PLANTATION of the tenacious neutrality OF
Greece Is that of the widely scattered
Hellenic populations and business inter-
csts in the Ottoman empire. An import
ant part of the wealth of Greece is carney,
by the enterprises Of her people without
her borders. and her sons, rs captains of
near eastern industry and commerce. have
taken a leading and lucrative Part in the
exploitation OF Turkish lands In Illus
tration Of this phase or the problem con-
fronting the statesmen at Athens,
study prepared by the National Geograph-
c society on the Greek interests in the
Lcvant is timely. 1t reads:
From Dana SOUS to Adrianople. and from
Smyrna to Trebzond. Greek capacity for
buying and selling. and for banking, has
quickened commercial life in spite of the
heavy odds of the outworn forms of Turk
ish administration. Throughout this vast
territory, where western capital and lead
ers are not to the fore, big business Is in
the hands of the Greeks, to such an eX-
tent thai plutocracv in the Levant has
almost become matter of nationality.
Equipped with the best training that the
commercial schools OF France and Ger
many can give, with practical experience
in the big firms of London, Paris, Berlin
and Vienna, and with native business
acumen equal to that of the Jew, the
modern Greek has been able to carry
everything before him in those lands
neighboring his country where business
methods have been at a standstill ever
since the days of Joseph.
| Beirut, Smyrna Alexandretta, Constan-
| tinope and Trebizond, all great ports Of
the Levant and middle east. number
among their most fortunate citizens the
wealthy Greek merchants. bankers and
shippers. Navigation on the eastern Med
iterranean and on the Aegean sea is large
| ly in the hands Of the Greeks, and on the
Black sea they successfully divide this
business with the Russians. Even the in
terror trade Of Turkey in Europe and Of
A STA Minor is largely upheld by the vigor
of Greek enterprise.
Greek colonists have followed in the
wake OF Greek business, and the larger
commercial cities of the ports have ac-
quired considerable number of Hellenic
residents since the days Of Greek indie
pendence. Moreover. there have always
ben large native population and settle
ments OF Greeks in the realm of the Sui
tan, outside of the Grecian peninsula. The
tho D,rd.ro,,o, ~ ,ho C.,,,, ~ .do,i, :.
,a,.o, I'D. ,,.,, C-.,. ,,,,,a
,o,,. ~ +ho ;nh,hi,,r,, -, u.h;a, ora ~
5o,,ona,,,., - a. .,,,,I, Co.., ai.;o .,a.
ors, ,o,, ~. ,,.,,,,, -, .h. por.io,, T.,
c,ossic ,i,,o. TIL coo,. ,..u,,a l.; $50.
,ar,oa - H.. ,o.,,.,.. go, .ha,. t.,
thai, in,nor.,r,o o,d .ho ,,,,,,ho. -, ,noi,
roonlo h,,., ,,,oaa r,,,.,. .,,. oe 49, t.,
,o-+.n, ,.nr,,,,o. ,c r,.o..or,, Act, N,;,,o.
r,,,,i,, u.;.h -. h;,x,,o- 49, ,,,. a,h.,
four id,ous % ,ho ,ana rrr,,;.h .,,,,o-
,;or I-,rd;sh c,r,,o
Tho Tur, t. ,bo laos, h,,sir.ss,;,,. ~ oil
tho eIements i, bis .rnir. HE rolo fror
bis .nne,r,pce In history aou.r "a III.
nresent dav has hoo, ,b,t ~ tho con.
nueror of tho o,er,ord r,,ner;or IN cor.
merce and industry tboupb of,eo u,bere
pressed bv necessity. WORKING a. filler
of the soil The careers onen to hin, ha We
been the army. administrative offices. the
professions. or the indolent ease of land.
lordism Az q SELLER Of merchandise tho
Turk is the least embarrassing and the
least importunate and onnovinr Of all
the people Of the east: for he sits bv his