The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-01-04


cia, one of the most important re-
gions of Asia Minor. from which
French troops are being Withdrawn
as a result Of the much discussed
agreement between France and
Z, Mustapna KemaI Pasha. dictator OF
Asiatie Turkey, is the subject OF
the following bulletin from the
Washington, D. c., headquarters
of the National Geographic Society:
..If an artist. an engineer, far
n1er and a mining prospector were
sent to find the most desirable re-
gion in ASA Minor they probaolX
would come nearer to agreeing on
/ Cilicia than on any other section.
saws the bulletin. I'm hardly any
portion Of Europe or America mas
nature been so generous as to TINS
relatively small area at the eN-
,reme northeastern corner Of the
/ Mcditerranean and though man
has not made the most Of his op-
eortunities on the material side by
turning potential into actual riches.
it is only question Of time-and
perhaps of world politics-urtil he
will.
.sAlong most of the southern
coast Of Asia Minor the lowlands
form a very narrow strip. Near the
extreme northeastern corner of the
Mediterranean. however, at the
| southern. base Of the Asia Minor
paninsula, the sea plain broadens
out; forming a fairly level region
; more than rs miles long and from
90 TO so piles broad. at The seas
! corner the highlands close in
again. and the coast through Syria
and Palestine for 500 miles to
/ Egypt is rugged except for occa-
| sional narrow strips. Cilicia. there
/ fore. is a sort of coastal oasis.
Back of the Ciician plains rises
| the senicircle OF the Taurus Noun
| tains from whose heavily wooded
slopes timber has been taken for
ages TO meet the needs Of treeless
Egypt and celahVely treeless Syria.
(; From the. Taurus flow numerous
i streams the year round watering
!; the fertile plain and making pos
sible extensive irrigation whenever
the necessary dams and canals
shall be- furnished. Even under
| the bightipg rule OF the Turk and
with the handicap OF semi-nonla-
die, semi-agricultural popnlace.
which has, LET much. Of the country
becme swampY, C;liciha as pro-
duced good crops OF rice, maize,
sugar-cane, fruits, tobacco and cot
ton. lts climate. and soil are es-,
pecially good for the production Of
the latter crop.
! Some of the streams flowing
! from the high Taurus offer excel
lent opportunities for power de-
yetopment, and in the mountains
is much untapped mineral wealth.
The Taurus are famous for their
scenic beauty and they have been
g practical. boon through the cen
turies to. the city folk who have
dwelt in the Cihciar. plains sim
the beginning Of recorded history.
Villas We're constructed among the
i foothills and in the pleasant VAL
leys that. extended upward into the
mountains in both the Greek and
| Roman areas. In this favored re-
gion the Germans planned 20 Gre
ate q great base for the realization
of their dream of expansion into
the East.
Saneless De Lcsscps of the Past
The Taurus have formed in their
time one Of the most important
military frontiers in the Old World.
They were practically impas3able
except through a deep gorge known
as the Cicilian Gates. For a long
tine the road, capable Of use only
by beasts OF burden, ran in q mar
row stream. bed But moro than
! 900, years before Christ some name
less De Lesseps constructed
roadway through the defle for
wheeled vehicles. a work which
probably changed the whole
course of history in that part Of
the world. Cilicia became the half
way house for commerce between
!; Egypt, Syria, Arabia. Mesopotamia
and even the Far East on the one
hand. and the. Greek and Roman
worlds on the other. Almost ex-
actly over this great caravan route
the famous Bagdad Railway has
been constructed in late years max
ing Cilicia again an important way
station. British soldiers, prisoners
Of the Turks, performed much of
the labor in constructing the diff
cult section of the road through
the Taurus.
Whether conquest ebbed east
ward or westward Cilicia was sure
to be in its path. The Persians
held the country 1000 years before
Christ. Xenophon and Cyrus pass
ed that way. Alexander came
through the gates to Cilicia in 33$
e. c. aud defeated Darius on the
plain Of lssus. After his death q
Greek kingdom sprang up there.
Rome set UP her standard in Gill
cia in 1913 Z. c. to remain for sey-
eral hundred years. Tarsus. the
; home Of st. Paul. was the principal
city Of Cilicia in Roman times. II
was made free city by Mark An
) thony: and there he was visited by
Cleopatra-s
''1he. Arabs had their inning at
J the ownership of Cihcia, retaining
control from the seventh 10 the
tenth centuries. During this pc
riod Byzantium held sway beyond
tho r.. ,,r,,r ard 1l,o (,;l;1.;a N n.n-