The New York herald., 1922-06-18

I'VE came from the oldest city
n OF history, Damascus, in
- Syria, John Smith is his
name. But that is not the way he
pronounces it. On the window of his
shop in Washington street it is writ
ten In two languages-English and
Arabic-"Hanna Haddad." and below
the translation-"John Smith"
Twenty years ago Haddad landed
at a North River dock with many
awkward bundles and not a word of
English in his vocabulary. His figure
was trim and straight in the i'll fitting
Occidental clothing for which he had
exchanged his Syrian boomers. On
his curly black hair he wore a cap
instead Of a fez. Yet he did not feel
strange or out of place. From some
remote Ph9necian ancestor, who went
down to the sea in ships from Tyre
and Sidon and sailed out through the
Straits of Gibraltar into the unknown
ocean at the edge of the world and
sailed back again after discovering
England and and the lands Of the
North Sea, Haddad lad inherited the
spirit of adventure and taste for
travel.
Quickly the Syrian Is
At Home in America
Rather he felt himself already
part of Americans though he had
found Eis own level, the place where
he belonged. America was a refuge
from religious persecution. He and
his people were Christian Syrians who
came to escape Moslem domination
and bitter religious feuds. America
was melting pot. His people fitted
in with the scheme of things. for tie
Syrians are not pure strain, but a
fusion of Greek. Turkish. Jewish.
Arab. Phpnician and Crusader blood
The background of tradition and
Inheritance behind Haddad is fascinat-
ing to consider. Ancient myths Of the
first Babylonian empire underlie
many of the religious customs of Syria.
Although the Assyrians are not in the
direct line of ancestry, yet when
NinevaE' was the capital Of the world.
before Jonah disembarked from the
whale and phophesied against the city
Syria, to the westward, must have
come under it's influence. The Arame-
ans of Damascus establishes the first
overland trade routes and the Phnni-
clans Of the coast cities of the south
were the first sea traders. TIE Greek
element entered when Alexander the
Great extended his borders to include
Asia Minor. In the Holy Wars Syria
was a much Travelled highway be-
tween Europe and Palestine, and
many q crusader paused on Ills home
ward way to save the soul Of some
beautiful pagan and remained to colo
nize the slopes of Lebanon.
And now Babylon is fallen and Nine
vah is buried In the sand. But Da-
mascus is still humming with trade
and barter with its cosmopolitan popu-
lation, still the metropolis at the edge
of the desert. Damascus is celebrated
in Arabian and Semitic history with
IeSolu tiidL Soes DdCk o,oVV years
In the Jewish section of the city they
still show where st. Paul was let down
from the city wall in a basket. Mo-
damned journeyed to Damascus once,
but would not enter. He looked down
into the beautiful city from a hilltop
and said: "A man should have but
one Paradise, and that in the next
life, not in this" The house Of Naa-
man the Leper, captain of the kings
hosts, still stands in Damascus. Abra-
ham was acquainted with the city. 1t
is said that the founder was Adam
himself, who staked out claim on
this ground when he was evicted from
Eden.