Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-11-25
prepared by the National Geogra phic So.
ciety. Washington, d c.


y YRIA, where France has had a
small war on her hands in addi-
~ ton to the medium-sized war In
Morocco, has been described as
lacking : past'-that is, a crucible
OF events that would have served to
fuse her many races and religions.
Various parts of Syria have had noble
moments but as a whole it has never
been more than a subject land, with
out the unity or nationalism which
once burned so brightly in the breasts
of its Pnoenicians and IsraeIites, Hit
tites and Amorites
Syria closes the east end of the
Mediterranean and is bounded on the
north by the Taurus mountains. The
Syrian and Arabian deserts limit fur
Their settlement to the east and south.
But i'll connection with world com
merce it has always been closely re-
lated to the fertile valleys of the Nile
and the twin MesOpotamian rivers, and
its commercial life Of tomorrow can
not be divorced from that Of Mesopo-
tamia.
The Turk robbed Syria of greatness
for 300 years Then came De Lessons.
When he opened the Suez canal the
world thought that Syria would hence
forth be walltlower among the ma
tions.
But, while the world ignored her
and the Turk plundered her, SYRIA
knew that her day of glory was sure
TO come. East and West called to each
other across the land link of history's
chain and the Germans started the
railway that was as inevitable as fate
following as it does the greatest trade
route the world has ever known. How
Germany overreached herself is now
familiar to all, Various factors de-
layed the inevitable reopening of the
historic trade route across Syria and
Mesopotamia.
Much of Syria Very Fertile.
Good government and the nomad are
mutual enemies. Each has its day in
districts whose poverty or prosperity
depends upon whether water which
the abundant crops of the most fertile
valleys must have, is utilized or goes
10 waste.
Syria may seem on the whole DESC
late, but 1t is important agriculturally.
From the northern border of Pales-
tine, just north of Haifa, its narrow
coastal plain is extremely fertile, grow
ing cltrous and other fruits and gar
den truck. Around Damascus a mill
lion or more acres are under cultiva-
tion, much OF It irrigated, and produc-
ing abundantly. Many other irrigated
GASES contribute their quota to Syria's
agricultural yields, while in numerous
mountain valleys rain is sufficient to
make irrigation unnecessary.
The most extensive agricultural re-
glon lies where one might expect to en-
counter a desert, on top of the plateau
east of the northern continuation Of
the Jordan depression. This is the
Hauran plain where live the Druses
recently in arms against France 1t is
a level plain of chocolate-colored earth
formed from volcanic rock, and ex-
tremely fertile. 1t is some forty miles
in width and about seventy miles long,
extending in the north to Damascus.
The Hauran is the great grain coun-
try o. Syria. Under stable govern
ment conditions and with good agri-
cultural practices and implements, this
region could furnish more than enough
breadstuff for all Syria. Even under
the Turks the Druses of the Hauran
were fairly prosperous, and during
the World war the Turkish commits
sary paid good gold for Druse grain
probably a testimonial to the Druse's
ability often proved, to defend him
self
At the southeastern edge of the
Hauran, and at the extreme southeast
ern corner Of the French mandate ter
ritory as well, lies the Jebel ed-Druze
1.-THE mountain of the Druses-a great
plateau Of volcanic rock approximately
20 miles in diameter. This has
been a sort OF huge Druse citadel for
centuries, to which the pruses have
retired when hard pressed by their
enemies. This natural rampant with
its canyons and valleys and difficult
terrain. has been q thorn in the side