The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-11-06
prepared by the National Geographic So 'pers

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington D. CD
Unlike Babylonia, Assyria ana
Chaldea, which existed little longer
than during their periods OF great
power, Persia, once the peer of any
OF them, has maintained its entity
through an ebb and flow of fortune,
down to the present day And now
the World war may be said to have
caused the "rediscovery" of this his
toric country, though its recent align
ment with soviet Russia holds out
possibilities that It may not receive
from the Western world the rejuve-
nation that was promised.
Darius would fail to recognize as
his mighty empire the narrow limits.
OF modern Iran, Its borders now far
withdrawn from the waters Of the
Oxus and the Indus, from the shores
of the Mediterranean and the wide
spread Mescpotamian plains; but the
nucleus still Is there In territory, race,
language and customs.
Persia of today includes within
territory still three times the size Of
France, ancient Media, mountainous
Parthia and the province Of Ears,
whence sprang her first great dynasty.
Such monuments to the glory of the
great kings as the ruined capitals Of
susa, Persepolis and Ekbatana still
stand on Persian soil.
The majority Of the present inhabi-'
tants, although tinced with the blood
OF Greek, Arab, Turk and Mongol con-
Querors, are the lineal descendants OF
the original Iranian, or Aryan, popu-
. lation, and speak a language which
has for its basic element the ancient
Persian tongue.
Sultan Ahmed Shah, the one hun.
dred ffty-sixth king Of kings" sits
on the totterlng Persian throne, while
the future Of his kingdom rests In the
hands OF outside powers.
Vast Desert Plateau With Gases.
Modern Persia, with the exception
of the prosperous northwest province
Of Turkish-speaking Azerbaijan and
the semi-tropical region between the
Elburz mountains and the Caspian
sea, can be characterized as q vast,
mountaln-rlbbed desert plateau, stud
ded here and there with oases which
most frequently form ribbons Of fer
tile green fringing the desert at the
90 Ia taI In QlnnaS from
whose snow-clad SUBMITS comes the
life.givlng moisture.
The encircling mountain walls shut
out the rain from the central table
land. Rivers with sources but no
mouths flow half the year and lose
themselves In the parched desert
wastes.
The density of population is less
than that OF Texas. and more than
half the country 10 IN uninhnbited
Sahara, some Of II unexplored. Much
OF the remainder is suitable only fol
Incorporating part Of the year. thui
forcing upon fourth Of her ten mil
lion people q seni-nomadic existence
between the high. well-watered noun
taln valleys In the summer and th'
warm plains In the brief winter sea
son.
Some Of these tribes, like the kurds
rarely leave their mountain homes
where they exist independently OF
central government control. Others
like the Ghashgais and Bakhtlaris
sometimes by coercion and sometime
through necessity OF political alliance
are vassals Of the state, although the
pay allegiance only TO their chiefs
who arrange with regal authority 10
their followers the matters Of take
and military service.
Cities are naturally few and smal
there being but two or three Of NOR
than 100000 inhabitants. The lowe
mountain valleys and the GASES ar
the centers for both town and agr
cultural population, and the wonde
ful fertility OF these scattered area
snatched from the bllghting grasp Z
the desert. forms the basis for III
startling contrasts In the climate
this unusual country,
Water IL the chief concern OF Il
Persian peasant Wherever he ca
diver, the fow Of mountain strea
or build a crude cannl from a we
or sprlng, a small portion Of the de
srt becomes a paradise and he pro