The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-12-04
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS,
(The Religious Rambler.
ARTICLE WI.

~ y NGNN ~
CopyriEht. 1917. ~ The Enis Service
Bdku-On in this troubled corner
Df Russia, where races impinge and
you DO nor even have 10 scratch "a
Russian 20 Ind Tartar there is
an Ominous rumbl.ng among the
divergent peoples that has H. roots
IN religion. For here the Moslem
Iluesticn crops our In unexpected
orce To disentanEle religion from
politics IN his remote section Of
Iarth rs not easy, but / shall con
Inc myself, 50 far as possible, 10 the
Former aspect OF conditions.
Baku, 10 will be recalled, Is the
benter of The great oil fields of Rus
sia. and IL is surprisingly modern,
prosperous and alert city, Here,
imid a most motley population, one
binds American oil-drillers who
would gladly exchange all the ro'
finance OF the stored east for one
glimpse OF Texas This IL one OF the
I-ate cities OF Russia. and OF the
Orient Hither the merchants from
Samarcand and Tashkend and Kash'
gar bring their goods, and pious
|Afghans, cnroute TO Mecca, are n
Familiar sight on the streets. So
hear the raw OF life is Baku. and all
his section OF earth. that nobody
remarks the fact that "a considerable
Share OF The population wear rows
|of real or imitation cartridges as
he most conspicuous ornament OF
Iheir dress Sombrc Persians, with
black Astrachan caps. black boards.
lind long skirtcd black coats rub ell
BOWS with Monaghan tribesmen
rom the desert, and the immense
ambskin hats OF the people OF the
-aucasua suggest 10 the American
hat all the drum majors in creation
,re holding a fancy dress convention
here. Outwardly, it all seems an
die show, a harmless commingling
)f diverse and backward races.
Really, tho. there are only two
major groups here. and they are in
Ready antagonism. one group com
orises the Tartars, as the Moslems
ire generally termed hereabouts,
Ind the other takes In the Christians
-altho there are sinister reports
current that one Christian nation.
he Georeians. have made a compact
With the Tartars against the Armen-
ans.
DID Grievances Coming 10 the Front.
This place used 60 belong 20 Per
lia. a fact which the Pcrsians never
forget, or permit their neiehbors to
oreet The new STRINGS OF human
~ by the doctrines OF democracy
are having strange and yexatious
Consequences IN this tangled corner
Df the earth, where SO much OF
rouble has originated for humanity,
rom the days OF Gcnghis. Khan.
Iramerlanc and the Turks u IS
Xbhysically impossible for the doc
rines of self government 20 be
worked out simply, because of the
romantic persistences of ancient ma.
ionalities.
In this part OF Russia, for in
stance. no one national group has n
majority OF the population. The
'orsians once ruled here but so
$50 did the Armenians and a little
urher 20 the west the Georgians
naintained. until somewhat more
han a century ago. an independent
kingdom lesser tribes and groups
occupy The same territory Each
wants independence and selfEovern
nent. SO In all Of yeasty Russia
here is no more sinister Torment
han hereabouts Each OF these ma.
ions also has a grudgo against the
I'D Russian order which conquered
pr ruled them
Add 90 these grievances the under
ting Gntagonisms OF religion. fresh
" stirred into dame, and YOU have
ONE idea Of the intricate situation
here. For in this part OF the world
aobody for an instant thinks OF di-
Forcing roliRion from politics. a
hans religious classification Is the
lame for which be will fight Thus.
he most skiuWl surgeons knife
ould scarcely articulate the Per
ians loyalty 10 Mohammedan.
SIN from his loyalty 10 his
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