Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-10-18

tected and ayerse 10 war. All these
factors combine TO make the Kurds a
race Of plunderers. NO race" says
the famous geographer Reclus, meth
or Baluch, Bedouin. nor Apache. has
developed the marauding instinct to a
higher degree than have the warlike
Kurd tribes"
Hate Their Neichbors.
In the northern portion Of Kurd-
iStan. Kurds. Armenians and Turks
are jumbled together in the same re-
gion. These three peoples have little
love for one another.
The Kurd hates the Turks because
they have often worSted him I'm bat
tie. because they tax him heavily
whenever they are able, and because
they curtail his opportunities for
fighting and plundering. lie deSpiseS
the Armsnlans because they are Chris
tians, and because they can be robbed
and ill-treatCd almost with impunity
when the Turks give permission. Yet
I'm spite of this he has sort of sym
patty for them, because they, too, are
oppressed.
The Armenian hates and fears both
the Kurds. who plumber him, and the
Turks who Cypress and prosecute
him. lie also deSpises both races be
cause they are not so clever as he.
II is only by exerting his superior
wits in business or I'm tlattery Of his
rulers that he can manage To maintain
his position. II Is not strange that his
character reflects the conditions I'M
der which he lives.
The Turk, in turn, despIses the
Kurds because many Of them are only
half-hearted or heretlcal Mobamme-
dams. and because they are simple, I'M
sophisticated folk. He fears them, al
so. because they are wild. lawless peo-
pie. who make the M. OF the tax
gatherer a burden ana who rob
Turkish official with great glee II they
find the opportunity. The Turk de-
spiSes the Armenians, because as he
would somewhat unfairly put II. they
are cowardly Christian dogs" He
hates them because he knows that
they are far quicker and keener than
he. far better business men, and far
better educated
In the edge of Persia, again, the
Kurds are racially distinct from their
neighbOrs. and have rarely been sub
misSive TO the central government.
The chief caravan route from Irak
through central Persia lies through
their region. and often they have com
pletely dominated this highway. TAX
ing toll as they chose from the cara
vans.
Picturesque Costumes.
They are In reality semi-barbaric,
nomadic tribes that live on their
fiOcks and by hunting in these wild
mountain valleys. They have their
own national costume, which is per
haps the most picturesque in all
Persia.
Almost always armed to the teeth,
these tribesmen look particularly ro-
mantle when dashing down a boulder
strewn hillside on their sure-fOoted
ponies: the CLEAN of a rifle slung
over a shoulder; flowing purple tur-
ban loosely bound around a huge
black felt hat: broad, cOlOrful scarf
about the waist, half hiding two or
even three bandoliers and above
which projects hits of a knife and a
locally-made revolver or perhaps a
German automatic Mauser: baggy
trousers. caily taSseled anc en-
broidered Saddle-cloths, and a osrtain
air OF bravadO withal that vivldly re-
calls an Oriental. a more brilliant
Velasquez. or those gallantly-
heroes SO naively shown in old Per-
sian miniatures.
The Kurdish women are generally
somber in dress. but do not hide the
beauty OF their faces under wells as
strictly as the Persian women.
Credulous, fierce, and intractahle as
the Kurds are. they are nevertheless
people of true strength OF character
They have been n menace 10 the de.
velopment OF constitutional govern
ment In the countries IN which thel
live. They themselves are ruled part
" by the patriarchal system. partly b,
the clan system. and partly by IN,
illus Polenski, Rhinelander, Wis;
est side, phone 1888. 1927.
FANTFD-To buy kitchen range.