The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1922-05-03
OUR TIES WITH TUNIsIA.

"A visit to fruit store with its
dates. oranges. lemons and almonds;
the singing of Home, Sweet Home:
the theological ackground Of the. ser
vices at anv Christian church-these
are some of the links that bind an
American, though he may be unaware
of it, to desert-fringed Tunisia.'
With this introduction the National
Geographic Society issues from IT.
Washington, D. c., headquarters
ulletin on the regency of Tunls' one
of the three North African countries
which the French contemplate placing
under a single administrative control.
"In Oak Hill Cemetery in Washing
ton lies. uried John Howard Payne
the homeless actor and author oi
Home, Sweet Home whose first rest
ing place was in the City of Tunis.
where he died while he was American
consul at the Tunisian capital. A.
tomb like that erected to him in Wash
ington marks his former grave In
Tunis
Africa's "Farthcst North y +
"Agriculture is the chief industry
of the region, about the size Of the
State of Mississippi, which lies be
tween the Mediterranean and the Sa-
hara, and projects farther north than
any other point in Africa. Citrus
fruits almonds and Distachio nuts
form large proportion Of its exports.
Cork and henna are other important
products.
Some 10 miles from Tunis are the
ruins of Carthage, cradle of Christian
theology where St. Augustine, most
influential of the fathers Of the early
Latin Church, taught rhetoric and
produced important dogmatic writ
ings. The practical lady traveller who
assured her companions that the site
Of Carthage was bound to come back
because it afforded excellent sites for
hotels and such splendid opportunity
for golf course between it and Tun!s
was more accurate in geography than
imbued with reference The harbors
which Appian described still are to be
seen; the rest Of the city has sue
cunbed to Catos edic, 'Delenda Es'
Carthage
Once Rivaled Rome .'.s.
THE present thriving City OF Tu-
mis-, however, is reputed to be older
than Carthage, one-time rival Of Rome
both in Importance and corruption.
Indeed, to. the Roman world the. lit
toral of Tunisia was Africa. The very
word Africa is a Latinized form of
the erber name for this region, 1fri-
ga The gypsies Of Africa, the Ber-
bers, still are to be found in Tunisia,
practically unchanged and unchange-
able as when they 'defied Roman
power and Augustinian persuasion.
Even today Tunisia is an unconquered
country, since France assumed a pro-
tectorate upon native invitation.
., '"Tunis might be called a: :roefed-over
city. Many Of its. streets are wholly
or partly arched over, and its
famous bazaar is vast market place
under cover. The women folk of the
city are striking to the first time visi-
tor, whether they be rotund Jewesses,
with pantaloons and funnel-like hats,
or ladies Of the Arab harem, complete
ly obscured by clothes, or the bronzed,
1.-the figures Of Berber girls. The at
T tire Of the men often is more colorful.
Their love of colors, especially OF
lighter and more delicate shades, gives
chromatic impression of an Ameri-
can city's Easter parade. ..~
"A physical curiosity of Tunisia
are the salt lakes, on the edges OF
Sahara, which, at a. distance, have
the appearance of placid sheets Of
water, or ice-covered ponds, if ones
imagination could free itself from
thought of the blazing sun. Closer
inspection discloses dred' mud, en-
crusted with salt. For several
months i'm the year rainfall converts
these glazed areas into impossible
marshes.