Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-03-06
BY GEORGIA r. ZOoK,
Professor of Modern European History,
State Coiieua pa

JTeaL Britain rules over mllllOnS OF
Mohammedans in India, Egypt, and other
places. This explains why Great Britain
has generally pursued policy of friend
ship toward the Sultan of Turkey, who is
the most powerful Mohammedan ruler in
the world. Upon more than one occasion,
notably In the Crimean War and in the
Russo-Turkish war of 1878, she raised her
strong arm in defense of the Sultan. Even
after the terrible Bulgarian atrocities in
1875, when the people of England were
nauseated at the idea of such friendship,
the English government continued to Gull
tivate good relations with the Turkish
government. The English acquisition of
Cyprus and the later entrance into Egypt
tended to ALLEVIATE the affections of the
Turks and they gradually turned to the
only government which could say that it
had not despoiled the Turkish empire of a
single square foot of territory, namely
Germany
For. the purpose of cultivating friend
ly relations with Turkey, Germany sent
one of her ablest diplomats. Baron Won
Biberstein, to Constantinople Through
his influence a certain number of German
military officials were detailed for the
purpose of training the Turkish army. At
first they made slow progress but by the
time of the war with the Balkan allies
Turkeys army was supposed to be in q
state of good military preparation. AS
matters turned out. the Turkish army was
no match for the Balkan states but the
fact that it put up the stubborn defense
which it did, is largely attributed to the
military organization effected by the Ger
man OFFICIALS
German Emperor Visits Sultan.
During these years the growing friend
ship between Germany and Turkey was
cemented by personal visits paid by EN-
peror William III to Constantinople in 1899
and again In 1868. The German Emperor
( is the only ruler among the great powers
who has honored the Sultan in such 81
way and In his enthusiasm, the Sultan
referred to the young Emperor as his
"only friend in Europe The Emperor
returned the compliment ny promising his
protection to Mohammedans the world
over.
stantinople, the Sultan handed over to a
German corporation the right of con-
STRUGGLING a railway from Asia Minor
across the mountains to the head waters
of the Tigris and Euphrates and so on
down these rivers to the head Of the
Persian Gulf. This railway has common
" been called the. Bagdad Railway. It
was not until 1893 however. that the con-
cession was put into definite form.
According to this agreement the rail-
road was to be built in twelve sections Of
two hundred Kilometres each. The Turk
ish government was. to furnish the money
with which to build each section by issu-
ing four per cent. bonds sufficient to
guarantee the expenses of construction
and operation. The ,Bagdad Railway Com
pany recognized that the first problem
was to see that the bonds of the Turkish
government found q favorable sale in the
various money markets of the world In
order to do this, the Germans offered to
allow French and English directors to
have minority interest In the conduct of
the railroad. Popular feeling had run so
high in England and Russia against the
whole project so long as 1t was controlled
by the Germans, however, that the Turk
ish bonds were hoycotted in London.
Paris and Petrograd.
Further Complications.
The affair of the bonds was further
complicated by the fact that it was Inn
: possible to issue them at all until the
rfesl1
from the geenral level of eight to eleven
per cent. This increase would act as
guarantee for the payment of the bonds
without which their sale would be impos-
sible But. in order to do this, it was
necessary to obtain the consent of all the
European powers, because ever since tho
collapse of Turkish credit in 1875. and
the subsequent reorganization of their
finances by representatives of the great
powers, it has been necessary for Turkey
to consult the various European nations
port duties. Germany, therefore. went
about Europe endeavoring to get the va
rious foreign Offices to withdraw their
opposition to the increase in Turkish du
ties in order that the bonds might be Is
sued and placed on the market. After
five years, England. trance. and Russia
gave their consent and the building of
the railroad. which so far had practically
been at a standstill, began to be pushed
with vigor
And now. the reason for all this oppo-
SlJiOn by Gfe9C BflIatn ana EtuSS1a TO q
project which would open up the vast UNI.
cultivated areas of the Tlgris and Flu.
pirates valleys to their ancient fertility.
The day on which the Ragdad Railway
was opened Europe would have another
source OF grain supply equal to that which
came from the Russian wheatfields. The
Russians would then have an active com.
petitor for their chief article of export
This consideration weighed heavily with
the Russians but not so heavily as the
fact that the railroad would enable the
Turks to throw troops into Armenia along
the Caucasus border. district which the
Russians have long considered legitimate
prey as soon as the digestive system of
the Russian Bear proves equal to the
meal. Finally. it was agreed that any rail-
roads constructed in Armenia should be
built by the Russians. They have very
carefully refrained from building any.
England's Objections.
Engiand's objections to the Bagdad
Railway were somewhat more diverse.
She realibzed that the project would mean
the complete economic domination OF
pirates valleys, and that this would prob
ably lead, as in so many instances 1t has.
T.