Norwich bulletin., 1917-08-02
THE WAR PRIMER By National Geographic Society.
eeoraians of Transoaucasia-Th


 news that a political party in Transcaucasian Georgia has started a movement for the autonomy of this district of Russia brings into the focus of world interest one of the most his toric divisions of the great Slav. ern- pire" says a war geography bulletin issued by the National Geographic so- ciety. ans in the Causaus region, comprising fully half the population. They are the great aristocrats of the coun- try, and with every reason Tor theif pride in ancestry. some ethno1og1sts than the Egyptians. while their own legends declare that they are the de- scendants of Thargamos, Ereat-gra nd son of Japheth, son of Noah. Other traditions trace their origin 10 the Egyptian so diers of Sesostris who are supposed to have reached this region and intermarried with the aborishes: Still another legend says that some of the Crusaders, becoming lost in the mountain wiids. have left their i'm print upon the handsome Georgians of today.
 The Georgian women have been famous for centuries as the foremost beauties of the near east and the men are the greatest dandies in the world The latter are tall and athletic. the natural sIenderness Of their waists much accentuated by the custom of wearing their bets so tight that the use of their legs Is hampered, giving a peculiar jerky character to their carriage. The women as a rule have large eyes, delicate complexfor1s, small hands, and abundant black hair which is worn in braids down the back. and is usually yelled. The men. especially the lower classes, are much addicted to the fiery wines produced in the country, and it is said that the regu ar
 - GzN1 1A borer used to be half gallon of this intoxicating beverage.
 While thievery is almost unknown among the Georgians themselves, there are highwaynen in the mountain fast nesses who make it extremely unpleas- ant for unprotected travellers. inas- much as the bandits have a habit not only of depriving their victims of their valuab.es but of their clothes IS well. And there are said to be numerous iri- stances where parties of men and women travelling in coaches have been ordered at pistols point to divest themselves of all rainent and been forced to make their way to the near est village in Adamic garb.
 The home of the Georsians Is a region of many tongues. the priests declaring that it was in this land that the Tower of Babel was begun. They speak of it as the Babylonian Steeple. Even in the days of the Roman re- public the language difficulties of the region were notorious. and P iny. quoting Tinosthenes. says that there necessitating the employment of 130 interpreters by the Roman admins trators.
 Just as England had Golden Age under Elizabeth, Austria under Maria Theresa, and Russia under Catherine the Great, the Georgians enjoyed thsir greatest culture and prosperity during the reign of a woman-Queen Thamara (11S4-1212). This gifted sovereign married Russian prince and thus initiated the MuscoVite country's inter est in Gergian affairs. an interest which in the last year Of the 18th century when George XIII resigned his throne in favor of Tsar Paul. Three claimed Georgia a Russian province. Prior to this conclusion to Georgia's existence. however the coun- try had been subdivided and at one time as many as 26 princelings were ruling simultaneously. Today the title of prince is very common throughout the land. and this fact has given rise 1 10 jocular saying among the Rus | sians that every man among the Geor | sians is prince |
 For many years the Georgians l seemed to be quite content under their | new masters in St. Petersburg, and | he elder Dumas testified to the fact | hat the Georgian is a light-hearted 1 slave, gay even in servitude.' In more | -ecent times however, the people have | manifested a certain restlessness and | he Georgian papers have been foster ng old traditions and encouraging all [ to break away from Rus iianfzing influences. This tendency las been quickened from time to time y1the shortsighted policy of the tsar's representatives who endeavored to sup press the natural exuberance of the people, as, for example, the Georgian's | delight in singing while working in the II ie.ds. This particular restriction wcs II oon abandoned, however. for 1t was discovered that with the imposition of II ilence upon the 1aborers all work agged."