The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-25
Ferghana: Russia.s Listening Post
in the Heart Of Asia.

ing TO become leader of Asiatlc
neoples, and her recent Evidences
of friendnness toward the Turks.
arounse interest in Ferghana, the
country which was the Russian
empires deepest southeastern
wedge driven into Asia. A bulletin
from the Washington. ID. c.. head
quarters Of the National Geographic
Society deals with this Country OF
deserts and oases, towering noun
tains and picturesque valleys, where
the territories Of Russian, Chinese
and Briton almost meet.
.eFerghana, formerly Kokan, has
numerous bids to fame" says the
bulletin. sbut among them two
stand out. It's northern valleys
constituted the heart of Russia's s
cotton producing country, and It's
borders south and east marked the
terminal noraine, SO to speak, OF
the great Slav glacier which had
moved slewly down through Asia,
bringing its deposit Of Russian do
n1inions and culture, until It hung
over both India and China.
Is asRnssian Kashnlir
sThe southern portion Of Fergs
hama is "a sort Of Russian Kashmir,
a country of high p1ateaus ard
towering peaks, deep valleys. pic
turesque wales and sparkling lakes
II is, ila, fact. the reverse. to Kash-
MRS aobrerse, Tor it lies just over
The mountain divide from that bet
ter known synonym for rugged
beauty so close that a Fitan--or
a Big Bertha might huri a missile
.srom Russian to British territory-
Only d narrow strip Of afghan
kind, reserved because of the long
sealousy and dipl lornatic struggle
between Britain aH6s the old Rus
sian Empire. lies between. In
places it is as narrow as twenty
miles.
This southern portion OF Ferg-
hanagis the PaTair, roof Of the
world 4 Once Russia finally got
s = - -. 2 x :,
possession OIL IN 1850, siie uieM .s..
even tighter about " ,lne c.oah,soI o.
secrecy that nature had all aleHg
maintained It beeanSe generally
known that excelie nfi1al ary roads
were reaching out from northern
Ferghaaa through gorges and over
lofty passes into the Pamlr, over
which artillery could be taken 70 Ine
very threshold OF British ind1a. But
few persons other than trusted 1m-
IpSriallsls We're permitted TO ira
verse these paths which RUSSIAN
,dreamers hoped Would some DAY
lead their empire still farther south.
Northern Fershalia Fertile.
While the soutnern end OF Ferg-
hama is a country OF rugged noun
tains and plateaus, the fertile vai-
=leys ofas nortnefn emu cons.isaee, 2
ele.s $50 e,,1,as. ,,r. ~, tho
al1o 1sls, a.'s - s, : ,sara lad ont
Nafh. s1o" aass, ss1.on: ~" 49, - - -
over 5let.ise pia.iis .ils's e ts 49,. -
eIsSailus, p1s N ~ r,+s,,
.iaue tsll..e.i..l .es.. = sr,,s+s. 30 = aftar
spoe y 80, s.l. ). :. .s.as;a,,s - cot
sais 1sss "a 80. ,,,.s,srnaa IN these
-, 49, ..a;;a,,sso,.;,,s, T,,r1sastan Gases
,ee ,aiaa .ssssyt,anIa marswas ereat-
=. .ssN 3 4,,.,, +,,e,. ~ Inaia ar Esynt
80. ,,,1,, "a that of the
s..la s1sS., So, ~.
oM.eu z. 4s.sa.s ..ss.s,sa 49,, ;ts ,,eie,,hor-
=. : :, ,sass go, - cantral, Asia there
...ss .ss s,ass sso,,btasIv ). verv early. de-
,..,,,,, ..s,, :, .,,.- oe .cri1izatiei, even
+,,o,,s -, t,e.. may. not, have been. as
s,,,,aa studa,ts have asserted. the
s,.5,1e, ~ 4,,e. ,,,J1nan race. And
,s,.e,hst,, 4t,ere t,,e art of irriga-
t;s,, 100 rra ,et;ee5. az earlu, as any
- ~. - t,,amor1a
"AAe =.
ssu : ms =
Like aal otner regions Oh zen,
traI Asia Fershana iele eae 'a neef
OF os;ie:ng's Mann dha eulsi -, ,anes
IT was oserrun zoo iroin Sii.i'ese
Turkestan which hes agalns. IT 70
the east. When Mohammeoa1iis'l,
arose TO power, It was eoiiq qe.ei es@ GU
By the Arabs and It's people nave
since been followers OF the prophet.
Russlan DOMINION came Stow
to FerSnana. theI' INC Aiiaiiaee Ak "
kekan. After the more western tern
portions OF the Irans-easPian re-
sion and Turkestan had lailen.