Evening journal., 1921-06-13
ALEXANDRIA
LONG MOB CITY
Caesar Attacked, Caracalla
Slaughtered There Many
Years 60
HYPATIA ALSO
RIOT VICTIM

WASHINGTON, d. c. Certain
cities have traits that persist. Re
sent rioting in Alexandria, Egypt,
seems only a latter-day echo of the
tempestuous city where Caesar was
fnobbed. where Caracalla once
slaughtered all youths old enough to
bear arms, and the pagan beauty,
Hypatia, fell victim to enraged
rioters"
With this introduction. a bulletin
of the National Geographic Society
points out that, though Alexandria
may be popularly associated with
disturbances, its infuenc&is is widely
diffused in more significant ways.
. THE Londoner, as he eats his
breakfast eggs; the New Yorker. as
he strolls past Cleopatra's Needle in
Central Park; the Philadelphian,
who sometimes rebels at the rigid
checker-board street plan; the wor-
Shipper in a Christian Church Of any
denomination-all owe something to
the city which, In Cleopatra's time,
was the commercial mistress Of the
Mediterranean.
"To explain; Until the war handi-
capped Mediterranean shipping.
Alexandria sent 100000 eggs a
year to London. It contributed one
Of its famous twin shafts of red
granite to Central Park. New York,
in 1881, the other having been re-
moved to London three years earlier
"Dimocrates Of Rhodes. friend OF
the Macedonian conqueror who
founded and gave his name to Alex
andria, laid out the streets in grid
iron regularity, thus setting a pat
tern which was copied the occidental
world over.
O. Finally Athanasius. known Ia
churchmene as the Father OF Or
thodoxy.' fought in Alexandria his
bitter theological battle with the
Arians and set forth doctrines still
embodied in the creeds Of man
denominations.
Land at Alexandria today and
you may catch a boat train TO press
on TO Cairo, as far to the southeast
as Washington. ID. c., is from VIII
mington, Del. This practice Of tour
lists. of ignoring a city Of 2300 years
of history and a present population
o, Of some 100000, became so genera
that, in 1912. hotel men urged thai
the boat trains be taken Off
This neglect was not without
reason. One does not go to the lanS
of the pyramids TO see a busy, mod
e. ern port city with solid business
blocks. shipping sugar, rice, grain
and, normally. cotton.
But Alexandria has a charm
Arab guides will fight for the chanc
to conduct the visitor to the city
one important relic Of its ancien
glory-the so-called Pompey's pillar
=. Standing on Alexandria's highes
hill, this red granite shaft beckon
the incoming ships as does the Statu
Of Liberty in New York harbor.
"The traveller who will defy tn
guides and forsake his guide-bool
- will reap the reward Of the adven
turous when he happens upon
Greek pastry shop where Leben'
.. TO be had. This custard, made fror
water-buffalo milk. is highly es
teemed by gourmets. Levantin
q women, attired in latest Paris fash
ion. lend an exotic touch to tn
cafes.
mo traces remain OF the Pharo
lighthouse, a wonder Of the ancien
world nor the famous library O
10000 volumes deposited therei
by the Ptolemies- The tradition O
Arab destruction Of this library
discredited. but the story Of Calip
Omar's edict, giving the reason 70
the destruction, will long be cited
illustrate a certain set Of som
human minds. After listening to
plea that the books be preserved
Omar, so runs the story. replied tha
II the books contained the Kora
doctrines they were superfluOus;
they disagreed, they were heretica
Hence, he argued. they should b
destroyed in either case"