Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-17

iMMl century Venetian traveller,
U\III wrote about a fountain of
oil which he saw on his way
to China. 1t discharged so great a
quantity as to furnish loading for
many camels. 1t was good for burning
and was used in the lamps
This was the oil that the Germans
now hope to control through the break
up of Russia. The gusher which Marco
Polo described was situated in eau
casia. near Baku. on the Caspian. Dur
ing the last century many other gush-
ers have been exploited and the Trans
caucasian oil production has been sec
ond only to that of the United States.
The Germans plan to control this
oil supply. Through their vassal. Tur-
key. they have compelled the disor-
ganized Russian factions to cede back
to Turkey the districts of Batum. Kars
and Kara band. These were absorbed
by Russia in the course of her ex-
panSlon and as a consequence of Tur-
keys weakness. but Germany is not
concerned with sentimental regard for
restoring to Turkey any of the terri
tory which she lost through her con-
tinued misrule. 1t is the resources of
the region that concern Germany.
The cession of these districts to Tur-
key. if ultimately made effective. means
that all oflthe Caucasian region comes
under German sway; and there are the
manganese ore deposits as well as the
oil and also agricultural products as
a war prize.
The Caucasus was one of the half
dozen big administrative districts into
which the Russian empire was divided.
It's area was approximately $4,000
square miles. 1t was subdivided into
CiScaucaSia and TranScaucaSia. The
latter comprised about four-fifthS of
the whole area.
The region extends from the Caucasus
to Asia Minor and Persia on the south
and from the Black sea to the Caspian
100000. The largest city is Tifiis. the
capital and distributing center, with
more than. 100000 Inhabitants. Baku,
on the Caspian. has more than zoo, 900
Batum and Poti, the Black sea ports.
have $4,000 and 1900, respectively
Then TranscaucaSian railway system
comprises 1000 miles. The trunk line
is composed of two branches from Boti
and Batum, which come tsether like
the prongs of a fork and runs through
kutars and Tif1is to Baku. where the
steamship line across the Caspian con-
meets with the Middle Asia line. There
is also a line from Tifiis south to the
Persian border. Much of the trade of
central Asia and Persia is dependent
on these lines. though the caravan
routes are still followed.
The immediate Importance of Trans
caucasia in the commercial sense re-
lates to the Black sea commerce. since
it is by that means that Germany eX-
poets to utilize the products of the re-
gion for war purposes. Events may in
terfere with this program, but there
can be no doubt of the value of the re-
gion to Germany as a source of war
supplies if the demoralized transporta-
ton system can be restored. 1t will be
equally valuable as a source of peace
supplies in world trade competition, pro-
vided Germany, through the instrument
tally of Turkey, or through other
means, is able to keep control of it.
In the: economic sense TranScaucaSia
has an even greater value than the
Ukraine The manganese deposits are
of high quality. The ore is very rich.
In the past the Transcaucasian mines
produced a quantity equal to the COM
bined output of India and Brazil, which
are the other two principal sources.
About one-half the worlds supply was
obtained in Transcaucasia.
Export figures were not reliable in
dices of the production for a given
year, since large quantities were car
ried from year to year. but the ex-
ports ranged from 100000 to 100000
tons annually. The Chatauri field,
which is the principal one, is estimated
by biologists to have a reserve of
1.000,000,00O tons. 1t is f1fty-f1ve square
miles in extent.
The principal producing district is
is about 125 miles from the Black sea
ports. The bulk Of the shipments OF
manganese are made through Poti.
Germany always-has- been the largest