The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-11-06

pers. Certain or tneSe regions are
said to be among the most fertile in
the world, producing In abundance not
only the finest of wheat and barley
but grapes, apricots, peaches, nectar
ines, pomegranates, figs and melons
which are unsurpassed among the
fruits Of the temperate zone. Cotton
and tobacco thrive, and roses, as well
as other flowers, gloriously deserve
the frequent association Of their
names with that Of Persia.
Now Has Chance to Develop.
The day is at hand as one Of the
by-products Of, the war, when Persia
has the opportunity to begin to learn
from British experts, not only how
to reclaim more desert land by build
ing better aqueducts and by throwing
barrages across mountain gorges to
store the surplus Of the spring fresh
cts, but how to establish closer com
munication with the outside world
and to develop her great potential re
sources.
Lacking In the energy, Initiative
and cooperative spirit necessary to
develop their country themselves, the
Persians have suffered from the jeal-
GUS rivalry Of their neighbors. and
from q secluson forced by nature, but
belied by their central geographical
location, in all the recent history-mak
ing disturbances In the Near and Mid.
die East.
In spite Of her position as YER
liable Asiatic Belgium, Persia is
strangely cut off from world inter
course by those same natural bar
rers which so affect her climate.
At the opening Of this century not
q single highway suitable for wheeled
Z conveyances pierced the mountains to
the plateau. A few foreign officials
and infrequent venturesome travellers
made their toilsome way by caravan
over tortuous passes to the Persian
capital or to other Persian cities. ant
the Persians themselves for the most
part stayed at home. But about 1906
a government subsidized Russian com
pany opened a post road, as a mill
tary-commercial venture, which
climbed from the Persian port OF
EMAIL. on the Caspian sea, to th'
capital city, Teheran.
Five years ago three or four post
carriage routes and narrow-ysug
railway running Ave and half mile
from Teheran to suburban shrin'
were the only competitors Of the pic
turesque but slow-moving caravan.
Tshsran'S Fine Location.
No one knows how long there ha
been a city where the present CAPT
tai of Persia stands. II has not oil
ways been called Teheran, nor has l
always been In the same spot; but
3 city has existed In the locality as 10
a back as Persian history reaches
4 Such a suitable site could hardly b
h overlooked. II is at an altitude o
r nearly 1900 feet, at the foot Of tower
. ing mountains, at the junction Of thre
i great Asiatic caravan routes, nea
Q mountain passes, and beside an ampl
l. supply Of water. Favored In thes
g ways, II has accumulated populstio
l. Of more than 100000 since the beglI
ming of the Nineteenth century.
>. The latitude Is that Of Cape Ha
=, teras. The three summer months ar
{ exceedingly hot and dry. but II on
5, wishes the luxury Of summer resol
5, Il Is at his door.
3 Although occupying an ancient sit
e. Teheran Is modern city. II hs
y been the capital Of Persia only a II
5, tie more than century, and has bee
,r an important metropolis for mu,
3 shorter time than that
In journeying to Teheran from u
II, Caspian sea, so sudden is the tra
re sitlon from desert 10 city that befol
rr one realizes that the journey Is
re an end he fnds himself clatterir
4. across the stone causeway over Il
r. moat toward the most surprising
s, gateways, a great multlcolored facaC
Of overlaid with gar mosaic OF gilste
he ing tiles and topped with numesol
Of mlnarets ornamensed In the san
fashion.
he Teheran Is one Of those numero
IN cities between the Near and the y
m East which cnlls for modification
nll Klpling's oft.Quoted line: for he
IS. East and West have met, but ha
10 not mixed.