The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-02-02

prepared by the National Geographic So
clety, Washington, d. c.
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
Scvres was written, aad TO his insti-
t%utions, which Will still play Il part in
world affairs.
The modern history Of Asia Minor
began when the Seljuks invaded it,
only q few years after William che
COnqueror set foot on English soil.
A prOnOuncement of Mohammed saved
the Greeks from either displacement
or forcible conversion. The true be-
iievers paid no taxes. Hence the
Greeks Of Asia Minor were as luch
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 Il 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 fiSht
in the army Of Islam. BY drafting
children Of Christians the famous JAM
zaries were formed and these picked
troops, under MOhammed0n training,
were mighty In battle and efficient in
peace time as police.
The contribution Of classic Greece
80 world culture is universally recog-
nized; but the renasccnce 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 hanuS Of
Turks. had q famous school with q
great library, and the city itself was
called n "vcritable home of c~iviliZa-
ton and intellectual propaganda on
the threshold Of Asia" Avili, q 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 q law compelling
tltiLClIS W SICuh ia 'iCCh, uhu
imposing as a 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. Avili 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, un-
til 1t approaches Il million.
One element in this expansion was
the Greek aptitude for trade in con-
trast to the Turks ingrown distaste
Of mer A striking aspect Of
many q town in western Asia Minor
is the single shop, with merchandise
ms conglomerate as an old-time Amer
fcan village country store. Invariably
this shop was kept by n Greek. Greek
peasants settled in many fertile val
leys, and all over the land they erect
ed schools.
Pause q moment and examine the
stock Of One Of the Greek-Owned stores
OF Asia Minor-either the lone nj
porium Of a village. or a lonesome
shop set by the roadside to catch the
passing crowd. Your up-to-tlle-minute
American merchant who aspires to
''Quick turnover" has eliminated door
steps as one Of those minor obstacles
which may be just enough to divert
a customer to nm adjacent competitor.
Your Greek merchant of Asia Minor
has display. He sits cross-lesged 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 Minor-that Is the women.
Where Christian mlngles with MOslem
he must adopt the latter's policy Of
feminine seclusion. Upon entering a
Greek home one might look upon the
faces of its w~omen-folk, but the
casual traveller met only men on the
highways and encountered only men
mt the khans, or inns, and should he
have observed n female form in the
distance her fcce would be covered