Evening star., 1922-09-21
AS|AM|NOR FOCUS
OF W0RlD|NTEREST
People and Their Daily Life
Depicted in Geographic
Society Bulletin.

People and their daily life in Asia
Minor, that historic bridge land be-
tween Asia and Europe which again
focuses world interest since the Turk
ish army has taken Smyrna, are de-
scribed in the following bulletin from
the National Geographic Society's
Washington headquarters:
The modern history of Asia Minor
began when the Seljuks invaded it,
only few years after William the
Conqueror set foot on English soil, a
announcements of Mohammed saved
the Greeks from either displacement or
forcible conversion. The true baliev-
ers paid no taxes. Hence the Greeks
Of Asia Minor were as much or an
economic asset to the Turks as were
the slaves to our own southland be-
fore the civil war.
|'Tribute Children" Demanded.
1.-THE conflict of Greek and Turk of
1922 also has it's roots in a practice
which would be even more revolving
TO the twentieth century than slavery
that is that tribute-chiidren' We're
demanded of the subject race to fight
children of Christians the famous
janizaries were formed, and these
picked troops, under Mohammedan
training. were mighty in battle and
efficient in peace time as police:
The contribution of classic kireece
to world culture is universally recog-
niZed, but the renaissance of Creek
cities and towns during the eighteenth
century is not SO generally realized.
smyrna, now in the hands of Turks.
had a famous school with a great Ii
brary, and the city itself was called a
'veritable home of civilization and in
tellectual propaganda on the threshold
of Asia Avili. seaport to the north.
frequently mentioned in recent dis
patches. has been called the Oriental
Boston, Here the passion for Hellas
once induced the city council to enact
law compelling citizens to speak in
Attic Greek. and imposing as PEN
atty recitation of Homeric lines for
talking any other way.
Area Of Greek Administration.
When Greece re2olted in 1921. and
America was stirred by Daniel Web
cause. Asia Minor Greeks felt the fury
of Turkish massacres. Avili was
razed and Smyrna devastated, but the
Greeks survived. The sea coast area
ct Asia Minor which was assigned to
Greek administration and which the
Turks have now captured. was carved
from the old Turkish vilayets of Brusa
and Adm.
In these two divisions the Greek
population is estimated to have nearly
years. until it now approaches a million.
One element in this expansion has
been the Greek aptitude for trade in
contrast to the Turks ingrown distaste
Of commerce. A striking aspect of
many town in western Asia Minor is
the single shop with merchandise as
cOnglomerate as an old time American
village country store, and invariably
this shop is kept by a Greek. Greek
peasants settled in many fertile valleys
Il
schools. In Smyrna itself more than
half the population is Greek, and in
lesseninG numbers the Greeks have
penetrated the coastal plains. but the
plateau which forms the interior of the
peninsula Is the stronghold of the Turk.
Eliminates Store Front.
Pause a moment and examine the
the loan emporium of village. or a
lonesome shop set by the roadside to
catch the passing crowd. Your up
to-the-minute American merchant
who aspires to quick turnover has
Eliminated doorsteps as one of those
minor obstacles which may be just
enough to divert customer to an
adjacent competitor. Your Greek
merchant of Asia Minor has done
away with the front of his store; his
stock Of goods constitutes his display.
He sits cross-legged at the entrance
smoking his inevitable cigarette. His
merchandise comprises coffee, tubs of
olives, tobacco, blankets. garlic,
bread, sweetmeats, dried beef, salt,
cheese and sugar.
"One other absence. beside Turk
1sh merchants. is conspicuous in Asia
Minor-that is the women. Where
Christian mingles with Moslem he
must adopt the latter's policy of fem
mime seclusion. Upon entering a
Greek home one may look upon the
faces Of its women folk. but the cas-
ual traveller meets only men on the
highways and encounters only men at
the khans. or inns, and should he
observe female form in the distance
her face will be covered before he
can distinguish her features. A mans
club in Anatolia would have all the
popularity Of riding and hunt club on
a Texas cattle ranch.
Congestion OF Travel.
Travel ia congested on many a
Turkish road which seems extremely
remote to western eyes. Accustomed
as Is the American to automobile
dotted highways, he would marvel at
the traffic jams of heavily laden camel