The Tomahawk., 1919-11-13

~HE most important feature
about .Mosul, which Is begin
ming to show the beneficial ef-
fects of British control, is its
geographical situation. Mosul is the
meeting point Of roads and caravan
routes from everywhere. They wind
In through the mountain passes and
over the rocky highland from Diar-
bekr and Bitlis, across the great des-
ert from Aleppo and over the sands
from Persia and Bagdad. Its very
name, indeed. from the Arabic AL
Mousil, ''the place Of connection" tells
It's story. And as with roads and car
avan routes, so 1t will be, some time
again in the future in the matter of
railways, when the famous Bagdad
line 10 completed, says the Christian
Science Monitor. At present Ger.
many's great effort falls short Of Mo-
sui BY many miles in the west and
in the south, and the "ramshackle
city," 40 1t has been irrevsrently
called, still depends for its communi-
cations on the road and the caravan
route a. It has done through the ages.
OF Ill the cities In the Turkish en-
pire. % one writer has well safd Of It.
perhaps Mosul is the one that has
been least touched by western civili-
yatien. Built on ground that once was
I suburb Of Nineveh, 1t stands on the
western bank Of the Tigris, looking
across at the mounds which are all
that remain Of the glories Of the CAPT.
tai Of ancient Assyria. Nineveh has
a history that stretches throughout a
period. nearly two thousand years
long, ending with the fall Of the en-
pire Of Sennacherib about the year
COO b. G. From that time until Lay
ard unveiled the palaces Of Ashur-
banipal and Sennacherib, and un-
earthed the literary chamber contain
Ing the famous deluge tablet the ru-
ms Of Nineveh for $500 long years
have slept undisturbed. AZ for Mosul
Itself, it is particularly mentioned In
all history since the Arab conquest,
and it is a checkered history indeed,
for It suffered pillage at the hands Of
Tamerlane, was besieged BY Nadir
Shah. and endured q host Of other W.
cissitudes. ~ ....
MosuIs Many etorks. -.
The old town, with it's strangely
narrow streets, even for the east, IL
surrounded by half-ruined wall, built
In modern times - q protection
against the Shammar Arabs. Every.
one remarks on the narrow streets Of
Nosul, On its white. crumbling houses,
on the gypsum dust which falls con-
stantly from the walls over everything,
and upon the storis. Indeed the
storks OF Mosul are apparently its
most remarkable feature.
Discussing the matter one authority
tells how, In the cool Of the evening,
the citizens Of Mosul share their
housetoDs with innumerable storks,
who build their ragged nests on the
highest places "in utter disregard of
the laws Of gravity" Four great pre-
posterous specimens Of the species
stood, In the early morning. On wall
beside the room where he was, he con-
tinues, and he dimly realized that
they were performing their morning
toilet. They took no notice Of him.
But q loud noise Ike someone rattling
q stick In u wooden bucket attracted
his attention. Then somebody else
With another bucket made 4 similar
noise In q different key, and he won
defed what in the world could they be
doing 70 the buckets. Then Il daWned
upon him that half the population 0f
1Go0m must b rattling buckets, Tor
tie sound came from Tar and near,
Aint q loud according 10 distance,
and In q hundred different keys Then
emo loud rattle close beside him.
within nine feet ok hims" be says,
aSeood solena otoef. tie toilet over.
hae attitude Of Rzaceful valance On o.