Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1923-07-05

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety Washington. d. CO
The Turk, knocked out apparently
by the World war, has got to his feet
before he could be counted out. One
must look again TO his ancient LAND
that was dismissed more or less casu-
ally as Greek after the treaty OF
Sevres was written, and to his insti-
buttons. which will still play part in
world affairs.
The modern history of Asia Minor
began when the Seljuks invaded It,
emily few years after William the
Conqueror set foot on English soil.
A announcement of Mohammed saved
the Greeks from either displacement
or forcible conversion. The true be
levers paid no taxes. Hence the
Greeks of Asia Minor were as much
of an economic asset to the Turks as
were the slaves to our Southland be-
fore the Civil war.
The conflict of Greek and Turk of
1922 also has its roots in a practice
which would be even more revolving
to the Twentieth century than slavery
that is that tribute children" were
demanded of the subject race to fight
In the army of Islam. BY drafting
children of Christians the famous JAM
Earfes were formed and these picked
troops, under Mohammedan training,
were mighty In battle and efficient In
peace time as police.
The contribution of classic Greece
to world culture is universally recog-
nized: but the renaissance OF Greek
cities and towns during the Eight
zenith century even while Turkey con-
trolled is not so generally realized.
Smyrna. now again in the hands OF
Turks. had a famous school with
great library, and the city itself was
called "veritable home of civiliza-
ton and intellectual propaganda on
the threshold of ASIA" Avili, sea-
port to the north, frequently mentioned
In recent dispatches, has been called
the "Oriental Boston" Here the pas
sion for Hellas once induced the city
council to enact a law compelling
citizens to speak in Attic Greek, and
imposing as penalty recitation of
Homeric lines for talking any other
way.
Greeks Their Merchants.
When Greece revOlted in 1921, and
America was stirred by Daniel Web
ster's famous grafton on the Greek
cause. Asia Minor Greeks felt the fury
of Turkish massacres. Av1n was
RACED and Smyrna devastated but the
Greeks survived. The seacoast AREA
of Asia Minor. which was assigned to
Greek administration after the World
war and which the Turks have now
captured. was carved from the old
Turkish vilayets of Brusa and Adm.
In these two divisions the Greek popu-
lation is estimated TO have nearly
doubled within the past % years. I'M
til it approaches a million.
One element in this expansion was
the Greek aptitude for trade in con-
trast TO the Turks ingrOwn distaste
of commerce. 4 striking aspect of
many a town in western Asia Minor
is the single shop, with merchandise
as conglomerate as an old-time Amer
lean village country store. Invariably
this shop was kept by a Greek. Greek
peasants settled In many fertile val
ieys, and all over the land they erect
ed schools.
Pause a moment and examine the
stock Of one of the Greek-owned stores
of Asia Mlnor-either the lone EN-
porium of a village, or a lonesome
shop set by the roadside to catch the
passing crowd. Your up-to-the-minute
American merchant who aspires to
"auick turnover" has eliminated door
stems as one of those minor obstacles
which may be just enough to divert
q customer to an adjacent competitor.
Your Greek merchant of Asia Minor
has display. He sits cross-legged at
the entrance, smoking his inevitable
cigarette His merchandise COM
prises coffee. tubs of olives, tobacco,
blankets. garlic, bread, sweetmeats,
dried beef, salt, cheese and sugar
One other absence, beside Turkish
merchants, has been conspicuous In
Asia Mlnor-that is the women
where Christian mfngles with Moslem
he must adopt the latter's policy OF
feminine seclusion. Upon entering a
Greek home one might hook upon the
faces of It's women-folk, but the
casual traveller met only men on the
highways and encountered only men
at the khans, or inns, and should he
have observed female form In the
distance her face would be covered