The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-08-05

(Prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. d. CD
s9 HE greatest engineering enter
prise undertaken in the Near
East during modern times is to
be performed by American en-
@LneerS near Saloniki, Greece.
Much of the Great Plain of Saloniki,
&or Plain Of the Vardar) lying to the
west and to the north Of the city, is
Nike the Rnman campagna. country
of swanps and frequently overlooked
Land. For centuries this over-moist
Begton has been the source of malaria
due to the millions of mosquitoes
which 1t breeds. Yet that portion of
she plain which is dry Is of wonderful
fertility, producing grain, cotton, and
tobacco to perfection. The enter
prise Will consist in draining the
awampy regions and protecting the
plain from overfows by controlling
several rivers, this work to cost be-
tween sixteen and seventeen million
dollars In addition the course of the
Fardar river will be bodily shifted at
a cost Of an additional ten million dol
lars, to protect Saloniki harbor from
Sitting.
By the undertaking, the Greek gov
ernment will itself become possessed
of approximately 10000 acres of land
now submerged which, it is estimated,
will be worth S27,O0O,0OO; while 9TH
er lands will be benefited by about
S11OO0,OOO and will swell the taxes.
The Saloniki plain has been famous
through the ages. This level region
was the heart of Macedonia, and there
Alexander was born. The devastating
Macedonian phalanx there learned its
revolutions. At Phillppi, near by,
Caesar and Pompey fought their i'm
portant battle. Xerxes crossed this
plain with his huge army of Persians
to strike at the Grecian city states !;
later Mithridates travelled the same
road to meet the Romans. Saloniki
city, then Thessalonika, fourished dur
ing New Testament times. Paul la
bored there and had to flee for his
life. The Byzantines, then the Vene-
tians controlled the port; and finally
1T fell TO the Turk and remained under
his heel for four centuries.
SalonikIs Fine Situation.
The city stands on rising ground at
Che head of long gulf shaped very
much Like what the classicists call a
Phrygian cap, or what is perhaps more
familiar to us as the liberty cap of
the French Revolution. This gulf,
bending to the east in such way
that Its inner recesses can never feel
the disturbances Of the open sea, Is
formed by that peninsula of Chalcidice
whose three long promontories of kas-
sandra, Eongo and AthOs are the most
salient feature of the northern
Aegean. The longer western shore Of
the gulf sweeps In a curve Of over a
hundred miles from Saloniki to the
zip of the peninsula Of Thessaly.
For the greater part of their course
these spreading coasts are both high
and admirable to look upon. But the
&icular notable because above it tow
er the three classic peaks Of Olympus
{8s0O feet), Ossa or Kissavos. as it is
now known (6,400 feet), and Pelion or
Plessithi $500 feet).
AS regards approaches from the
land, Saloniki Is also happily placed.
The city faces west and south, toward
Macedonia and Thessaly looking out
at Olympus through the gate Of the
inner bay. The immediate edges of
sAe bay are fiat, having been gradually
leveled by the three rivers that pour
Into II. But at no great distance from
che water the final spurs of the Rho
dope mountains make an amphitheatel
which rises east of the city into three
peaks of 5000 feet each.
On the north the hill of Daoud Baba
reaches q height of 1,500 feet, whence
tbs ground drops away into the plain
Of the Vardar.
It is not surprising that city SO
admirably placed, whether for defense
or for communication. enjoying the
temperate climate of the northern