Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-15
CREATES
STATE
Section of Asia Minor
Aroused by the Drastic
Changes in Europe.

Anatolia. which. in Greek. means
rising. is literally living M to its
name The leaven which, during the
past two or three years, has been
working such drastic changes in
countries in Europe and Asia. is
throwing this portion of Asia Minor
IN ferment, with the result that an
Independent government has been
formed. newspaper dispatches state.
Anatolla, which lies between the
Black and Mediterranean seas. and
touches Armenia on the east and
Syria on the south. is the home of
some 100000 Turks" says a bulle-
tin from the National Geographic So
ciety Even though Mohammedan
Turks. these people have suffered al
most as much at the hands Of their
own governing officials as have the
subject Greeks and Armenians
Origin Of the Turks.
The original Turks in this area are
descendants of tribes. which have
drifted in from Central Asia. but into
Anatolia's crucible have poured
streams from many sources-Turan-
warrior tribes, nomads and mer-
chants, many of whom have lost their
names and traditions. In fact, most of
the earth's animate creatures have at
some time passed over it. The molten
products of the centuries are nomads,
who often change a wandering life
into one Of agriculture. living in
houses built Of bricks Of clay dried
in the sun.
The principal wealth Of Anatolia
lies in its agriculture. Portions of the
land are easily worked and fertile.
the tract from the Sea Of Marmora
to Trebizond being particularly rich.
Other parts are rocky or are inter-
spersed with salt tracts.
Due to the paucity of popula ton
numbering scarcely twenty-five per-
sons to the square mile. and to the
fact that the inhabitants are imbued
deeply with the fatalfsm and suave
imperturbability of Mohammedanism,
which to the American mind seems
about 80 per cent laziness. two-thirds
of the tillable area Is covered with
sprigs and useless weeds.
Lack Transportation Facilities.
When the natives bestir themselves
and raise the common grains. grapes
and olives. cotton. tobacco and poppy
seeds which the land is capable OF
producing. there are not SUFFICIENT
transportation facilities to take care
of the harvests. The Germans saw
the possibilities Of these regions and
were planning. when they shipped
railroad ties. steam tractors and agri-
practical steps toward the realization
of their dream. Now travellers from
the near east tell US that soon the
locomotive. the motor truck and the
airplane will open up Anatolia in
new way. binding 1t to the world
commercially. politically and geo
graphically, as the historic bridge
land between east and west
cat present the farmer tackles his
soil with a primitive pillow drawn by
weak oxen. leaving to the point OF
the plow, unassisted by any effort Of
his own, the responsibility for sub
soiling. Then he usually incloses his
field with a hedge and abandons it
until harvest time. satisfied in the
belief that his crops will be protected
by the whitened skulls of camels and
oxon which he fastens on the inside
Of the hedge.
Village Folk Of Same Type.
What is true of the agriculturists
is more or less true Of the village
folk. In towns Of about one thousand
persons there is not single bust
ness house. The people exc out
living from scratching tho soil, and
ton to purchase even the most In
significant articles they must travel
to one OF the weekly markets.
'These markets form one Of the
most characteristic and interesting
features of life in the near east,
means by which the people obtain the
articles which they need and dispense
with the cost Of housing industries.
Certain days Of the week are set
aside for trading special articles. On
these days the populace barters what
ever it can spare for whatever 1t
needs, very little money being used
in the transactions.