The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-13
'SALON|KI CHANGED
 COMPLETELY THE ALLIED OCCUPATION
Is Much More Sanitary, But Thousands Still Live i'm Tents and
 Caves

Saloniki March 1.-The war has wrought great changes in this ancient ThessaleniAn metropolis Local mer- chants have grown inordinately rich from sales ko the 500 coo British. French and Italian soldiers quartered here for four years. Every line of business has undergone Extraordinary expansion. Oc- cupation by the allied troops has brought ab but great civic improvements in the city and its environs. The Sa- loniki area which heretofore has been one of the dirtiest and most insanitary in EuropH has been made at least habitable. New sanitary methods have been intro oduced by the British and French. Disease breeding swamps and drainage has been improved Miles of new roads have been built. Number less stone land wooden buildings have been constEucted and a score of mod ern hospitals established. Hundreds of miles of telegraph and telephone lines have been installed, and acres of arid soil have been converted into productive gardens.
 only for The disastrous fire of August. .1917, which caused $20O. .000, ,0O0 damage. thee ity and it's surroundings have been revolutioniked. No steps have been taken by the Greek government since the great fire to rebuild any of the devastated area. The fquestion of un dertaking St is one solely of labor and material. The funds are available for the work. Most of the 50,000 persons made homeless by the fire are now liv ing in tents and huts on the hillsides, or in the cellars and ruins of burned buildings where they live almost like rats. No ray of sunshine enters their wretched cellar abodes. They sleep on straw and live almost entirely on back bread and vegetables. All are poor They lack proper clothing, shoes and all the ordinary convenienAes of life The American Red Cross is helping them.
 At one time the center of learning of the ancient world, Salonik today has little to show in the way of schools 1- brsries or academies. Nothing except a few broken columns remain of it's ancient stadium, senatey hippo6rome or templesA The few school buildings and churches are now filled with ref ugees. The best buildings have been converted into hospitals. The splendid theatres that existed in past centui ies have been displaced by cheap moving picture houses. The only structures of merit that have stood the ravages of weather and battle are two triumpnai
 
 on the main street, which forms a part of the highway to Constantinople. The most picturesque features of the Macedonian capital are it's great deten- sive walls, and the numberless Turk ish minareqs that rise from almost ev- cry part of the town These walls pre- sent today Ia really formidable defense to thee ity The mhiarets, though lit tie used today. are reminders of d time when the Turkish empire embraced the whole of Macedonia and forced it's re- lgion on aIll that came under it's au- thority
 On Salonjkis principal street on the waterfront the American flag is alway s conspicuou% identifying the home ana office of George Horton. the veteran American consul genJral who has spent 25 years ir the consular service. MT. Horton is considered almost native of Macedonia, for he not only speaks the Greek language fluently but his wife is a Greek woman.