Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1924-08-22

ciety, Washington. D. CO
The report from the Near East that
Transjordania-situ as the name
indicates just beyond the Jordan river
from Palestine-is finding its indie
pendence less valuable than it's peo-
pie had thought it would be, brings
this bit of desert land momentarily to
world attention.
Transjordania Is now country-a
mere fieck of desert and trouble on
the world map. 1t is so new that few
persons more than 500 miles from its
borders know where or what the king
dom is The Versailles pastry max
ers, like many cooks, had some dough
left over after the world molds were
filed, and this was one of the odd
cookies.
Theoretically, 1t Is an independent
Arab kingdom. Actually, it belongs
in Britain's pantry. The Arabs can
call it theirs, but they must not nib
BILE 1t or permit any other nation to
Transjordania and Kerak, the former
to give western ears an inkling of it's
location, and the latter to soothe
Mohammedan tastes.
When the leaders of the powers
which rule the world sit in council, it
seems quite easy to create new king
doms. Take a river, mountain
range, few pencil lines and different
shades of ink on the map, and the
task is Accomplishments far as the
statesmen are concerned. New maps
are printed and school children are
studying them before the people in
the country itself realize what has
happened.
Transjordania was among the cas-
lest. 1t served a purpose. Lying
just east of the Jordan river, only
a few miles from Jerusalem, it Is a
buffer between the British mandate in
Palestine and the Arabs of the des-
ert, and at the same time an irritant
10 the French mandate In Syria. 1t
was nodded with the confidence Of
enduring for ages.
Resembles Arizona City.
Amman Is the capital of the new
kingdom. That name alone might
suggest that more than new shade
of ink on the maps and the discus
sions of distant statesmen are neces-
sary to give kingdom permanency.
1t has been a capital for a"es.
The Ammonites, descendants of
Lot, called it Rabbath Ammon when
they ruled there. The creek which
divides the village keeps its old name,
Nahr Amman. Og's giant iron bed
was trophy in Rabbath Ammon.
Centuries later this city was the
capital of one of the Greek republics
of Decapolis; Ptolemy Philadelphus
built an acropolis and renamed the
place Philadelphia. The Romans and
Crusaders came and it was one of
their capitals. Others followed, until
now 1t has new rulers.
Amman resembles Bisbee, Arizo.,
with its two main streets of Tomb
stone canyon and Brewery gulch--a
creek in the valley with houses, shops,
and footpaths struggling up the hill
sides.
The main street winds around the
base of the big hill which once was
crowned by the massive Greek citadel
now a pile of ruined walls, fallen col
umns, and broken facades. In the
center of the town, near the mosque,
itself ruin of the past, is the pro-
scenium and arch of the later Roman
| theater.
Farther along, the road curves
across the stone bridge, passes in
front of the broken stone benches OF
the old Roman amphitheater, and dis
appears into the solitude of the
| desert.
The coping of the little bridge has
been polished by the thousands who
! have loitered there since toiling backs
first lifted the heavy stones into place
Under the moonlight the amphitheater
stands out white and gaunt, conceal
| ing the scars of time. Croaking frogs
and banks of distant dogs are the
only sounds. belated Bedouin gal
Tops across the bridge, fading into a
/ lengthening shadow in the distance
Goats now are herded in the gal.
| Ieries through which the gay crowds
! passed to watch the sports of Roman
days. In front of the Arab coffee
shops marble columns from the Greek
acropolis lie in the road for benches
on which dusty Bedouins sit to smoke
and gossip.
The empires Of the past which
chose Amman as capital built well
but they and their rulers are gone
and forgotten. The mighty powers
which ruled It are a memory, but it
life goes on just the same. Now 1t Il
chosen again. the kingdom has beer
baptized with new name, and th'
maps reprinted az il II all ware naz