New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-06
Smyrna, Once Great
Commercial WI art
OF Asia, Dead City
No Cargo Boats Have Entered
Harbor for Months; War
of Greeks and Kemalists
Blasts Hope for Recovery

SMYRNA, Aug. To- (By MaiD.-
Smyrna, once the greatest commercial
mart in Asia, is now like city dead.
There is little to show that it is the
base of Greek army of 100000. For
months no cargo boats have entered
the harbor Business throughout Asia
Minor is paralyzed. Americans con-
troll the little trading that exists.
There are three reasons for this stop
page Of business. One is the war, an
other is the hopeless rate Of exchange
(the Turkish pound is worth about 65
'cents), and third Is lack of demand
for foreign goods.
AS there seems little likelihood of
an abatement Of the war between the
Greeks and Kemalists, local merchants
mas commercial supremacy. Many of
them have left the place for Italy,
England and America, where they hope
to find greater prosperity.
The city itself is so primitive and
unattractive that one wonders why it
has been such bitter bone of conten-
ton between the Greeks and Turks for
so many centuries. But of course it
is the rich agricultural lands within
the province of Smyrna that both sides
covet. This area, which the Turks
call the pearl of ASIA" is one of the
most fertile and produces some of the
finest fruit in the world. Smyrna figs
and raisins are household terms. The
country also yields the finest leaf to-
bacco known. The yearly exports to
America amount to millions of dollars.
The Treaty of Sevres placed Smyrna
under Greek administration, with the
proviso that after five years the pop
ulation might express its preference
for either Turk or Greek CONTROL
Although it has population of up
ward of 100000 and is considered by
both Turks and Greeks as one of the
most modern cities in Asia, Smyrna to
the visitor is disappointing and unat-
tractive. It's narrow, winding, crudely-
odor. Its drainage system is deplor-
ably inadequate. It's transportation and
lighting facilities, too, are woefully
defective. There is only single tram,
and that consists of single track,
one-horse line along the water front.
Then Smyrnas hotels are sad af-
fairs. The most modern of them is
forty years old. None Of them would
do credit to the smallest town in the
United States.
When King Constantine came here,
the best accommodation the authori-
ties could get for him was small
eight-room terra Gotta house that any
farmer in America would own. The
King and his ministers were not here
two days before they were almost
driven out by bugs and mosquitoes.
The city has few places Of amuse-
ment There are two or three indif
ferent moving picture theaters and
numerous coffee houses. All over the
Near East the coffee house" is an
institution. Here the population sits
all day slipping Turkish coffee, drinking
oozo "a drink that tastes like aniseed)
and talking politics.
The natives as n rule are primitive.
indolent and superstitious. They carry
conversation beads" to beguile the
time; These they finger and tumble
by the hour. The visitor might mag
inc the holders of the beads were at
prayer. Even the horses wear these
curious conversation beads. But in
these cases they are used to keep away.
as the natives believe, the "evil eve"
from tile animal.