Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-01-23
BY Charles Epson Clark.

~ ~ SPSOAA
Every one realizes that CONSTANT
nople offers a difficult problem to the
Peace conference, but few know that
Saloniki's fate will be fully as deli
cate a question, and depends on very
complex factors. The great Aegean
port has been coveted by Serbia, Bull
garia, Rumania, and even Austria; in
fact, Austria's resentment because
Serbia ; had apparently blocked he
path to Saloniki, was one of the chief
causes of the war. 1t is. therefore
necessary that the Peace commission
ers dispose of Sa1oniki in a manner to
satisfy both the Thessalonians them
selves and the Balkan countries for
which the city must be the port and
the entrepot, and vt is highly desirable
that we Americans should understand
the factors involved.
To Thessalonica the year 1892 was
almost as vital as to us Americans; 1t
marks not only Columbus expedition,
but the expulsion of the Jews from
Spain. Scores of thousands of these
refugees were welcomed by the Grand
Turk and distributed among the large
cities of his empire, where they be-
came the backbone of the professional
classes, the retail s~hopkeepers, the
wholesalers, and the artisans. Large
AOIIlDtIo VI IISlu SCtllCO Ill SdlOIlAnAS
they have preserved their language.
their worship. and their customs and
even today 65 per cent. Of the Thes-
salonians speak Spanish as their
mother tongue, and profess the
Hebrew faith. Less than one-third of
the population of about $4,000 is
Greek; the remainder is Turkish,
Serb, Bulgar, etc.
With their commercial talent and
their command of m Of The western
languages, these Spanish Jews made
saloniki the second city Of European
Turkey ana the chief seaport of the
Central Balkans. They established a
national library; they were just or
ganizing a communal university when
the Balkan wars broke out afresh;
the Party of Union and Progress had
its headquarters here; a Thessalonian
Jew was one of the three delegates
who announced his deposition to Alb
dull Hamid. After the fire of 1890 the
Jewish commercial and residence
quarters were rebuilt so we'll that the
soonest in Turkey outside of the capt.
tai.
Then came the Balkan wars, the
world war, and the fire of August 1S,
1917-and these Jews who had SO
successfully followed the advice given
by st. Paul to their ancient forebears
("study to be quiet. and to do your
own business, and to work with YOU
own hands") were confronted by a
series Of terrible problems, before
which they have almost lost heart.
Their city was first invaded by the
Greek troops, who got out Of hand
and looted one of the .synagogues
tearing up its "~seraphim;" then BY
the B%ulgarians. who, curiously
enough. were milder. We do no,
think of the Bulgarians az a toleran,
people. yet we must give them credit
for never having given their Turkisl
citizens aus for umbrage; In the
Bulgarian Sobranje sit Turkish depu'
ties, wearing the fez: but when thu
frst .Saloniki deputies appeared II
the Greek chamber they wefe greeted
with boots and their feszes snatchet
from their heads and torn to pieces!
The first steps of the Greek admin,
istration were unfortunate, also. 70,
the mid Turkish tariff WIS 4ubstitut
ed the high -p~rotective rekfme Q
Greece. and the ThemAIonian import