The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-10-14
Roads and Stores and People OF
Asia Minor


People and their daily life in Asia
Minor. that historic bridge-land be-
tween Asia and Europe. which
again focuses world interest siace
the Turkish Army has taken Smyr-
ma. arc described in the following
bulletin from the National Geo
graphic Societys Washington. D. C-|
headquarters.
The modern history of Asia Mi
nor hogan when the Seijuks in -a9ad
it, only a. few years after Wittia1i1
tie Conouerer set foot on ,Eng..::sh
soil, \ pronouncement OF Mohan-
med saved the Greeks FROM sither
displacement OR forcible corve:--
sion. The true believers D7tid no
taxes. Hence the Greeks Of Asia
Minor were as much OF, ,ane. ssononiic
asset to the Turks as were G;e
slaves to our own Southland oe-
fore the Civil War.
Tax Payable in ChilGresa.
The conflict OF Greek and Turk
of 1922 also has its roots in prac-
tice which would be even more, re,
voting to the twentieth ceEtury
than slavery-tfat is that tri,,uee-.
hildren' were demanded of the sub
ject race to fight in the armies of
Islam. BY drafting children OF
Christians the famous janizaries-
were formed and these picked
troops. under NIohamnedan train
ing, were mighty in battle and eff
cient in peace time as polio.
...The contribution Of Classic
Greece to world culture is unive:-
sally recognized: but the renaissance
of Greek cities and towns du.,ng
eighteenth century is not SO gensr-
ally realized. Smyrna, now1n ia nds
of the Turks had a famous .scaeoi
with. a great library, and the CITY
Itself was called a. ..verifabl.e ..enae
OF civilization and intellectual prop
agaEda on the threshold OF .Asia.
4Avili, a seaport to the north, fre-
quently mentioned in recent dis.
patches has been. called the 'cri-
entail Boston Here the passion
for. Hellas once indueed the. city
council to enact q law comp eling
citizens to speak in Attic Greek,
and imposing as a penalty. rec i1a-
ton OF Homeric lines foe talking
any other way.
Area OF Greek Administration
when Greece revo1ted in 1921,
and America was stirred by Daniel
Wesbster,s famous ORATOR. or the
Greek cause, Asia Minor Greeks felt
the fury et. Turkish lnassacres. AWE
was razed and Smyrna devastated
but the Greeks survived. The sea
coast area Of Asia Minor which
was assigned to Greek administra-
tion and which the Turks have uow
captured, was carved from the old
Turkish vilayets Of sBrusa and Aid
in.
"4n these two divisions the Greek
population is estimated to have
nearly doubled within the past 25
years. until it now approaches a
million.
"one element in this expansion
has been the Greek aptitude for
trade. in contrast TO the Turks IN
grown distaste Of commerce. A
striking aspect of many a town in
Western Asia Minor is the single
shop, with merchandise as con-
glon,erate as an old d-tiine American
village country store, and inyari-
ably this shop is kept by a Greek.
Greek peasants settled in mary fer
tile, fields, and all over. the land
they have erected schools, In
Smyrna itself moe than half the
population is Greek, and in lessen
ing numbers the Greeks have pen
etrated the coastal plains, but the
plateau which forms the. interior
of the peninsula is the stronghold
of the Turk.
The .Corner Grocery" of Turkey
Pause minute and examine
the. stock of one of these storas-----
either the lone emporium Of a VIII
,age, Or a lonesome shop SET by the
roadside to. catch the passing .rowa..
Your up-to-tfe-minute American
merchant who aspires to Quick
turnover has. eliminated door steps
rs one Of those minor obstacles
which may be Just enough to di-
vert customer to an adjacent COM
petitor Your Greek merchant of
Asia Minor has done away with the
front of his store; his stock of
goods constitutes his display. He
sits crosslegged 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.
Zone other absence, beside Turk
ish merchants. is conspicuous in
Asia Minor-tllat is the women.
Where Christian 1ningles with Mos
lem he must, adopt the Iatter's po
iicy Of feminine seclusfon. Upon
entering a Creek home one may
look upon the faces Of its women
folk, but the casual traveller meets
only men on the highways and en-
counters only men at the Kans. or
inns. and should he observe fe-
male form in the distance her face
will be covered before he can distin
guish her features. a mems club
in Aratolia would have all the
popularity Of riding and hunt
clllh IN a TeNaS ranch