Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-14
TURKS WOULD SLAUGHTER
. GREEKS IN. ASIA MINOR
Would 'Turkify" That Part OF
World to Settle Greek
Question.
HELLENEs CONTROL TRADE
Are Most Alert and Successful BUSH
ness Men, Bankers, Farmers and
Mariners, and Number 2,OOO,OOO
Souls Under Rule of Sultan.

WASHINGTON. D. c., October 1S.-
News mas arrived from the East that
the Turks havo begun the systematic
or IN the same manner that they de-
stroyed the .Armenians. and for the
same purpose. viz: SO that at the peace
conference at the end of the war there
VIII be no Greek question so far as
the Turkish empire is concerned. The
inquirins American will naturally ask:
Minor? Why are they there? Why
should they be Destroyer"
Before the appearance of the Turk In
Asia Minor 1t was inhabited almost
wholly by Greek speaking population.
who formed the backbone Of the Dyzan-
tine empire. furnishing 1t with it's fin
and its best administrators from among
the .aristocracy. The Turkish hordes
settled In the interior. destroying the
splendid cities and farm life there, pre-
fcrring themselves the life OF pasture.
which better suited their nomadic
tastes. The Turk. however. never be-
came sailor or trader, hence the
seaports all along the coast OF Asia
Minor remained Greek, though many
Turks settled in them. Moreover. tho
Turk has been at war ever since he en-
tered Europe At the beginning of the
hftecnth century. and that fact. COM
bined with life low moral plane.
explain his steady decrease in numbers.
The Greek. on the contrary, especially
steadily increasing. To-day there arc
not less than 2.0O0.ooo Greeks in Asia
Minor. especially strong on the west
ern coast, but found also spread along
the northern and southern coast.
GREEKS ARE ALERT
AND MOST PROGRESSIVE
The Creeks are the most alert, eff
cient and progressive race of the mixed
peoples Of Asia Minor. Nearly all the
,f and commerce and whatever man
u n hal l,a lr
their only competition being the AR
menians. In Smyrna, the chief city of
Asia Minor. they number $4,000 of the
total population of $4,000 and control
the industrial and economic life of the
city. But 1t is not only in old cities
IKE smyrna that they show their abil-
Of Northwest Asia Minor is Avail. new.
~ ouilt in the third decade of the nine
Ieenth century on the site Of an old
s.eek town. 1t is a fine example OF n
targe, almost purely Greek and prae-
more than $4,000 inhabitants. a yearly
export business Of 10000 600 francs and
a shipping of 5000 vessels. 1t has
thoroughly modern business institu.
tons, as we'll as n Chamber of Com
mere nrerGe and agriculture and an agricul-
au Ta oanS' y striking evidence of the
aiert and progressive spirit of the
Greeks is given in the way in which
they nave followed the railroads into
.he interior. The cities that have been
from Constantinople and Smyrna and
the towns that have sprung up beside
mem men, nave rbecome centers of Greek In
tuence The Greeks have settled in
them In large numbers and control not
only the economic life of the towns
themselves, but Of the surrounding
country
GREEK ISLANDERS
ARE AGRICULTURAL
1t Is great mistake, however. to as.
fol
nave done, that tho Creeks OF Asia
Minor are only sailors and traders. but
s Are not n, bound a., to the soil; that they
country folk Consist only of Turks
The large Greek islands OF the Asiatic
coast. Mitylehe. Rhodes. Samos and
MOS ~ oss, ), nave ,,' dense populations living
raising and from silk culture Farm
Of lack of arabic land Hence many
land. where they settled in the fruit
lul valleys OF the Maeander. the Her
mos and the Sangarios. In this way
bewo ana ma sh,skiy populated settlements
Of the more scattered Turkish nomnIas
r ions; and an,, the higher fecundity Of the
S dre, settiers. combined with their in
ouStry. their frusality. their intellect
ual keenneSs and their community feel
ing. helped always by the rctroeres-
SION SION OF the Turkish population Itself.
iZing process more and more tn rho
country districts. In com pa rativeIv re-
G &c H. times there have come to light
Elements OF Greeks who speak Turiiuh
and conceal the fact that they ara
Christians and. for political rnasone
are reallS sa deyeiaS 81 OF Islam but who
nave Kept up their Greek national feel
ing. 'eei-
GREEKS SUPPORT MANY