The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-01-26
Societies Organized for Stu
dy of Near East Begin a
Course of Lectures Stud
led Plan Many Years.

Berlin, Jan. 26.-The society re-
Gently organized for the economic
study of the Near East has begun a
course of lectures at the University
| of Berlin, which is one of many in
dications that the economic exploit
tation of Turkey after the war is al
ready enga ging much attention here.
The first lecture was given by r.
Junge who has spent many years in
study of economic conditions in the
Near East and who has just publish ed
a book Under the title of 1.-The Euro
peanization of Oriental Business Life -
The society referred to is made up
of a number of university professors,
students of economics, and business
men interested in the development of
Turkey. It appears, however, that
there is some disagreement among the
various auth critics on the subject as
to whether Germany will find as great
an opportunity for trade in Turkey,
as some of the more optimistic writers
expect Prof. c. H. Becker, of the
University of Bonn, in an article in the
Cologne Gazette notes the large num-
Der of young men who are taking up
the study of Turkish and Arabic in
the hope of putting their knowledge to
good account when the war is over,
and he says that German hopes in
this regard are not only exaggerated
but chi1d1ess.
Prof Junge's book, which is the
first of a series to be brought about
by the society that is studying the
eastern economic situation, also con-
tains a, warning against excessive op-
timism on the part of Germany. Prof.
Junge spent five years investigating
the Russian attempt to EuropeaniZe
Turkestan, and he warns the Germans
against repeating the methods which
Russia tried in that part of the Near
L, RI 17r1C
taken only a merchants view of the
opportunities presented. They had
worked the market for all it was
worth without looking to the future
Occidental fashions were introduced
in order to increase the demand for
European goods, and similarly, i'm
ports were forced by other means.
Long credits were extended that in
volved the Russian merchant in the
fate Of the native buying firms and he
was finally obliged to squeeze the lat
ter for payment, with the result that
many of the native firms were ruined.
Valuable Oriental goods Of artistic
design were initiated by European fac
tories and sent into TurkeStan to dis
place the home product.
In suggesting a commercial policy
for Germany in Turkey, Prof. Junge
declared that Turkish business life
should be allowed to remain Turkish
instead of being made German. Ger
many, he said, should indulge in no
thought of making Turkey a, part of
the German economic system. He even
favored protective policy in Tur-
keys behalf which should act against
imports from Germany as well as
those from other countries.
In making a number of <recommen-
dations for the rejuvenation of Tur-
key economically, he said that one
essential was a far-sighted credit sys-
tenn, with special reference to the
needs of farmers and other small bor-
rowers. Railways and highways must
be built extensively, agriculture ra-
t;onalIy reformed by means of expert
ment stations and model farms. A
Typographical survey of all sections OF
the country available for agriculture
must be made, he said, to serve as ba-
sis for a wide-reac11ing system of ir-
ligation In the foreign trade the
Oriental system of long credits should
be abolished, he declared.