Norwich bulletin., 1918-11-07
ERASiNG THE FOOTPRINTS
 OF THE TURK
fSpecial to The BuiietinD

Washington, D. C., Nov. ,. Ths magnificent victories of inc British forces under General Aiiehby in tht Holy Land give timely interest to a war geography bulletin issued today by the National Geographic society The bulletin. which iE based on 6 communication 10 the Society from William H. Hall, says:
 ''Where Turkey joins to Egypt is Palestine. No spot on esr;t i'll all the world bears such memories fer Sd many and such a variety of peoples as the rugged mountain slopes, mar row valleys, and half desert wastes of Judea ami Calilee. Betrshe5a, He bron, Bethlehem. Nazareth, Jerusalem --the mere mention of these naFnes tells the story Of Abra harn and Moses and David. of the prophets of Israel and of the Son of Man.
 Kings and priests and people come from the north and the south, from the east and the west. Ind bring the the memories that cluster v / 1t these sacred shrines.
 "Tn Syria was the one green spot of Tufkey--the Lebanon Mountains In 1880. because Of n1assa ereB, the European powers insisted that these mountains be made autonomous. And since this date this litth district has been a living demonstra tton of what good government will produce and oi what the people of the land are ca . pablo of becoming.
 "The steep mountain sides have been terracel to height of 4.o00 feet and planted to olives, figs and vines Taxes have been low, aa:ety to per son and property secured. good roads built and kept in repair. The people have constructed more eon1fortable homes and have sent their sons tc schools and colleges.
 "The story of the achievements oi the Lebanon and it's sons during these sixty years of autonon" N culd be a thrilling narrative in itself. Now thai autonomy has been taken away, tht Lebanon is rrostrate in fssnine.
 Practically the whole Turkish Elm pirc is Of the same surface eonfigura- ticn--high mountain ranges along thu sea coast, with elevated niain an( plateau in ;he interior. These innel plains are generally fertile. FeinE con stantly renewed by soil washed fron the surrounding mountains. Wher' rain is sufficient, or where water cal be obtained for irrigation, they pro duce fine crops Of grain.
 "In ancient times tho mountains l were everywhere covered with for 1 ests. The cedars of Lebanon not onl! furnish timber for the building ot 1 Soiornons Tanple in Jerusalem, bu the kings of Egypt annua)ly fieatec 1 large rafts of logs from the Syrial ] coast to supply the demands of tn 1 cities of the Nile. This constant de n1and from foreign lan6s, togethe I with the lack Of any system of refore 1 station, has practically denuded tn 1 mountains of the whole land
 l Once more to cover the mountain and hills with pine and cedar and cal
 would be a simple task if carried oi ! systematically The chief enemy to 1 herds of goats, which every sprin, roam over the whole country and de
 your every green thing. The littl
 seeding trees suffer especially.
 "The population of the Ottoman 1 Empire, not including Arabia, Is abou 1 1s,0oO, 900 or was before ihe war. Il 1 giving statistics on any subject re
 garding Turkey one speaks in approx 1 innate terms, for only estimates cal l be given as no thorough census taken or other statistics s$stenatical ] ly gathered. Among the various race 1 this total was distributed as follows Turks 1900. .oN0; Syrians, and Arabs
 4.50e,O0o Kurds, 100000 Armenians
 2,000,o00; Greeks, 1,S00.o0a; Jew:
 504, 900; other races, 500. .A9t.
 "Al of these peoples can trace thei 1 history back to the period when fahl and legend blend with the beginning ef hisanxse 3saets. Aza7 aA sxcsPt xls