White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-08-25

Prepared by National Geographic Society
Washington, d. C.-WNU Service.
RAQ, where American explorers re-
Gently discovered complete his
i toric township, dating from the
early fourth millennium, is the
modern name for the traditional Gar
den of Eden, historically known as
Mesopotamia. Many historians hold
that somewhere in Iraq-in the valley
of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
Is to be found the cradle of civilization
Upon the breaking up of the
Turkish empire following the World
war Mesopotamia became Brit
ish mandate which was erected
into the Arab kingdom Of Iraq with a
Mohammedan prince from Mecca upon
the throne. Such is the latest form as
sumed by the Phoenix among nations.
In the last six thousand years Baby
lonian, Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian,
Greek, Roman and Saracen civiliza-
lions have flourished in Mesopo-
tamia, each rising from the ashes Of it's
predecessor.
The great irrigation works which,
throughout the centuries, had kept the
Tigris-E uphrates valley green, rich and
flourishing were destroyed by invading
Mongols and allowed to decay by heed
less Turks. The Garden Of Eden be-
came treeless desert, except for a
fw date palms along the river banks.
Do Do oil
into decay and seemed fast approach
ing the fate which had overtaken Or
and Babylon, where jackals howl
above lonely waste.
Then followed rebirth during the
throes Of the great war. Once more
boats crowded the swift and treacher-
GUS reaches Of the Tigris. Once more
the bazaars of Baghdad and Basra and
Mosul hummed with world traffic.
Marauding desert robber tribes were
kept in perpetual peace by airplanes
humming over their remote villages.
Sanitary regulations and electric light
ing made town and country both more
safe and more healthful. Ice fac
tories and soda water establishments
helped alleviate summer days of 100
degrees in the shade. Levees were
built to keep the flooding rivers within
their banks and slowly bit by bit work
was begun on repairing irrigation
works and building railroads. Thus
was modern Iraq born.
The new kingdom under British man.
date embraces the valley Of the Tigris-
between the Arabian desert
on one side and the Persian uplands
on the other. To the northwest lies
the French mandate of Syria and to
the north the Kurdish highlands Of
Turkey. Southwark stretches the Per-
sian gulf, the country's salt water
outlet to the wide world. Within this
strip Of territory are barely 100000
people where once flourished popla-
ton denser than that of modern Bel
GUM.
What Baghdad Is Like.
There are three principal cities:
Mosul, Of oil fame, is in the north;
Baghdad, the capital in the central
part; and the important port Of Basra
in the south. OF the three Baghdad
perhaps Is most famous
From the deck Of Tigris steamer
Baghdad looms up boldly, it's splendid
skyline Of domes and minarets remind
ing one Of some Midway" of Worlds
air memory. An odd pontoon bridge
the two parts of the city,
by the yellow Tigris. On
he west bank Is the old town, inclosed
by date and orange groves. From
here the Baghdad-Mosul railway starts
IN its long run across the trackless
desert. East Of the river, on the Per.
sian side, is new" Baghdad. with it's
offices, barracks, con-
,ulates, prisons, etc.
Beyond, as far as the eve can reach
n every direction. stretches the vast.
lat. treeless empty plain Of Mesopo-
amia-a region once more populous
han Belgium.
The traveller Is padded ashore from
he steamer in "goOfah." queer,
oraclelike craft in use here since
onah's day. A goofah Is woven from
willows about six fet in diameter. Is
ircular and shaped, and Is
Dated outside with htumen. Some
ay Moses was cut adrift in one of
hese goofahs.
Old City Mostly In Ruins.
Another strange craft at Baghdad is
ne "kelek." Kurdish invention. The
elek is raft made Of inflated goat
fins, held together by poles and COW
red with platform of straw mats.