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BY GEORGIA F. ZOOK,
Professor of Modern European History,
State College, Pa.
Great Britain rules over millions of
Mohammedans in India, Egypt, and other
places. This explains why Great Britain
has generally pursued a policy of friend
ship toward the Sultan of Turkey, who is
the most powerful Mohammedan ruler in
the world. Upon more than one occasion,
notably in the Crimean War and In the
Russo-Turkish war of 1878, she raised her
strong arm in defense of the Sultan. Even
after the terrible Bulgarian atrocities In
1878, when the people of England were
nauseated at the idea of such friendship,
the English government continued to cul
tivate good relations with the Turkish
government. The English acquisition of
Cyprus and the later entrance into Egypt
tended to alienate. the affections of the
.Turks and they gradually turned to the
only government which could say that it
had not despoiled the Turkish empire of a
single square foot of territory, namely
Germany.
For the purpose of cultivating friend
ly relations with Turkey, Germany sent
one of her ablest diplomats. Baron von
Blberstein, to Constantinople. Through
his influence a certain number of German
military officials were detailed for the
purpose of training the Turkish army. At
first, they made slow progress but by the
time of the war with the Balkan allies,
Turkey’s army was supposed to be in a
state of good military preparation. As
matters turned out, the Turkish army was
no match for the Balkan states, but the
fact that it put up the stubborn defense
which it did, is largely attributed to the
military organization effected by the Ger
man officials.
German Emperor Visits Sultan.
During these years the growing friend
ship between Germany and Turkey was
cemented by personal visits paid by Em
peror William II to Constantinople in 1899
and again in 1903. The German Emperor
is the only ruler among the great powers
who has honored the Sultan in such a
way and in his enthusiasm, the Sultan
referred to the young Emperor as his
"only friend in Europe.” The Emperor
returned the compliment r>y promising his
protection to Mohammedans the world
over.
As a result of the 'first visit to Con
stantinople, the .Sultan handed over to a
German corporation the right of con
structing a railway from Asia Minor
across the mountains to the head waters
of the Tigris and Euphrates and so on
down these rivers to the head of the
Persian Gulf. This railway has common
ly been called the Bagdad Railway. It
was not until 1903, however, that the con
cession was put into definite form.
According to this agreement the rail
road was to he built in twelve sections of
two hundred kilometres each. The Turk
ish government was to furnibh the money
with which to build each section by issu
ing four per cent, bonds sufficient to
guarantee the expenses of construction
and operation. The Bagdad Railway Com
pany recognized that, the first problem
was to see that the bonds of the Turkish
government found a favorable sale In the
various money markets of the world. In
order to do this, the Germans offered to
allow French and English directors to
have a minority interest in the conduct of
the railroad. Popular feeling had run so
high in England and Russia against the
whole project so long as it was controlled
by the Germans, however, that the Turk
ish bonds ware boycotted in London.
Paris and Petrograd.
Further Complications.
The affair of the bonds was further
complicated by the fact that it was im
possible to issue them at all until the
Turkish customs on Imports were raised
from the geenral level of eight to eleven
per cent. This Increase would act as a
guarantee for the. payment of the bonds
without which the’r sale would be impos
sible. But: in order to do this, it was
necessary to obtain the consent of all the
European powers, because ever s’nee the
collapse of Turkish credit in 1875. and
the subsequent reorganization of their
finances by representatives of the great
powers, it has been necessary for Turkey
to consult the various European nations
before making any changes in her im
port duties. Germany, therefore, went
about Europe endeavoring to get the va
rious foreign offices to withdraw their
opposition to the increase in Turkish du
ties in order that the bonds might be is
sued and placed on the market. Aftei
five years, England, France, and Russia
gave their consent and the building of
the railroad, which so far had practically
been at a standstill, began to be pushed
with vigor.
And now, the reason for all this oppo
sition by Great Britain and Russia to a
project which would open up the vast un
cultivated areas of the Tigris and Eu
phrates valleys to their ancient fertility.
The day on which the Bagdad Railway
was opened Europe would have another
source of grain supply equal to that which
came from the Russian wheatfields. The
Russians would then have an active com
petitor for their chief article of export.
This consideration weighed heavily with
the Russians, but not so heavily as the
fact that, the railroad would enable the
Turks to throw- troops into Armenia along
the Caucasus border, a district which the
Russians have long considered legitimate
prey as soon as the digestive system' of
the Russian Bear proves equal to the
meal. Finally, it was agreed that any rail
roads constructed in Armenia should be
built by the Russians. They have very
carefully refrained from building any.
England’s Objections.
England’s objections to the Bagdad
Railway were somewhat more diverse.
She realibzed that the project would mean
the complete economic domination of
’ Asia Minor and the Tigris and the Eu
phrates valleys, and that this would prob
ably lead, as in so many instances it has,
to that part of Turkey’s becoming noth
ing but a German colony. In any case,
the terminal of the railroad at the head
of the Persian Gulf might easily become a
■, German naval station and as such, a men
i ace to England's domination of India.
Furthermore, the railroad would enable
Page 10
BAGDAD RAILWAY LONG
A BONE OF CONTENTION
Doctor Zook’s Second Article Shows Complications That
Have Arisen Over the German Built Rail
road Across Asia Minor.
TRENCH AND CAM P
the Sultan of Turkey at any time to
threaten to arouse the sixty million Mo
hammedans in India against the English
government. Considering all these ob
jections and the fact that the increase
tn Turkish customs from eight to eleven
per cent in order to float the Bagdad
Railway bonds, would fall upon the’ Eng
lish especially, since they imported more
than one-half of tho Turkish Imports, one
Englishman exclaimed bitterly, “not
often” has there “been a nearer parallel
in real life to the case, of being made to
pay for the razor to cut one’s own throat.”
Great Britain’s Efforts.
< Great Britain therefore persisted in her
opposition to the railroad even after she
had agreed to the raising of the Turkish
customs. Lord Curzon, the Viceroy of In
dia, succeeded In making a treaty with
the local Sheik of Koweit in which tho
latter agreed not to allow any but Eng
lishmen to build a railway through his
dmlnion. This was important because
Koweit was commonly regarded as the
only suitable terminal of the railroad and
the Sheik of that place disclaimed the
owing of any allegiance to the Suitan of
Turkey. As proof of its independence, ho
showed that neither he nor his predeces
sors had ever paid any taxes to the Sul
tan. Here, indeed, has been a bone of
contention. Germany maintained that
Koweit belonged to Turkev and that she
would build the railway to the sea at that
place. On the other hand, England con
tended that she held exclusive rights in,
that district and that the Bagdad Railway
should never reach the sea at Koweit.
How many people knew that that little
ragged village of Koweit at the head of
the Persian Gulf was such an important
place?
As the Germans pushed the railway
steadily across the Taurus Mountains
they became more insistent on their po
sition. One finds the Vossiche Zeitung
making the following statements regard
ing the Koweit affair: “If England does
not withdraw her opposition, the great
line will be carried over England’s head to
Its naval terminus on the Persian Gulf,
and again, “if England persists in her de
mands Germany will know how to act
despite England.” The Frankfurter Zei
tung expressed itself as follows: "Eng
land must get out of the way or be swept
out of the way.” The Landowne is no less
belligerent on Great Britain’s aide;
“Dtere we have figured as the first of
peoples, (in the Persian Gulf) we cannot
accept the permanent position of a bril
liant second.” Surely these mutterings of
war as they' rumbled back and forth
across the North Sea did not conduce jo
better International feeling! Indeed »one
of the most vexed questions in the rela
tions between Germany and England since
1899 has been tho matter of the Bagdad
Railwa.y»
Great War Prevents Agreement.
From recent disclosures It seems certain
that Great Britain and Germany were in a
fairway. to end their differences over the
Bagdad Railway when the present Inter
national conflict broke out. In June, 1914,
Sir Edward Grey and Prince Llchnowsky
drew up a treaty in which it was pro
vided that the Germans should complete
the railway to the City of Basra, about
sixty miles from the Persian Gulf. Goods
were to be transported from Basra to the
sea by opening the channel of the Eu
phrates river to a Turkish navigation
company' in which the Brit ish were to hold
forty per cent, of the stock. The British
were also to be allowed to have two mem
bers on the managing board of the Bag
dad Railway Company. And thus this
question seemed in a fairway of settle
ment just at the moment when the ill
feeling and hatred existing between the
English and German people for which it
has so largely been responsible burst into
violence and bloodshed.
—Courtesy of Penn State Collegian.
OURCOLORS
Ahead! our banner led —dipping
Up—now down.
Over the masses of men, streaming!
It has the red! From a Maine lad,
And a Carolina corporal one in assault.
Who had dyed our flag a rich crimson,
We’ll remember the day,
And the way' they led!
The colors gay,
And the flag ahead!
The Blue of sky has tinctured our banner,
Caught from ether,
Lapping yonder—
And the ermine white,
Light, to the oppressed’s night!—■
Bars, stripes, stars —commingled,
Prized in our
Far isles hoist it. ,
Far peoples look to it.
The wronged seek it—
The world’s insignia of the Dawn.
Shops .porch, boulevard —waves of color,
The patriot’s display,
For the hero’s marching way!
That flounting yard of cloth.
To each age its lesson has taught,
Stained in the blue, red. white,
Saratoga. Santiago—hand wrought!
May our flag lead.
In charge—in onset!
In all that peace can breed,
For the world’s need!
Our colors!
—SAXE CHURCHILL STIMSON.
In Southern Woman's Maragipe.
USING THE HAMMER.
A British gunner who had success
fully passed the blacksmith's examina
nation, was home on leave, wearing
the hammer and pincers on his arm.
was accosted by a civilian, who asked
him the meaning of the insignia.
“I am an army dentist,” was the in
genuous reply.
“I see,” said the civilian. “Os course
the pincers are for extracting the teeth.
But what does the hammer repre
sent?"
"Well, you see, some of the chaps are
a bit nervous, so we use the hammer
to chloroform them.”
AN ALLY OF THE HUN
Are You Playing Into the Hands of the
Germans?
By WINFIELD SCOTT HALL, M. D,
Northwestern University.
CHICAGO.
There never has been a time in the
history of the world when fighting ef
ficiency has meant so much as it
means today. Wars of the past have
been fought to bolster a decadent dy
nasty, to establish a fanatical prop
ayanda, to secure the trade of a con
tinent, to. defend freedom of strag
gling colonies, to win religious rights
or to free a subject people. But this
war is to secure political, economic and
religious independence and self gov
ernment for every nation large and
small in all the world.
Insolent, arrogant autocracy has mar
shalled all of its armed forces ad
mobilized all Its resources in a last
effort to subjugate the world and levy
tribute upon all mankind. Autocracy
represents the powers of darkness and
its measures of frigbtfulness are those
devised by the evil one. Christ stood
for freedom and right and justice.
All of the forces of evil, military and
social, are for serfdom and autocracy;
while all. of the forces of right, military
and social, are for freedom and demo
cracy.
The military forces of autocracy are
physical forces which can be accurate
ly estimated and effectively checked
with physical means. But the social
forces of darkness —prostitution and
disease —make tbair attack in the
plane of mind and spirit primarily and
can be met and checked by mental
and moral means only.
In the first year of the war hundreds
of thousands of soldiers and sailors
were retired for a short or long period
from the trenches or from training be
cause of venereal disease. If those
hundreds of thousands could have
been hurled at the Teuton line the
history of the war would have been
vastly different. Who knows but
that victory might have been won for
freedom and democracy before now.
But the insidious menace from behind
the lines, proved to be the most effec
tive ally of the Huns. The military
forces of the Huns were turned back
at the Marne. They will never again
advance toward citadels of Freedom.
Have the social allies of the Huns —
the forces of social darkness met their
Marne? May it not be that the Marne
for those insidious enemies is now be
ing fought in the training camps of
the soldiers and sailors of the United
States? •
The United States will have in
France this summer an army of at
least five hundred thousand men—
sound, healthy, equipped, armed, muni
tioned, trained, brave, chivalrous, and
clean —these to be followed by other
hundreds of thousands. Such an ar
by is unconquerable. Our army must
4iave the smallest percentage of ven
ereal disease in all the history of the
modern warfare. If this can be ac
complished our righteous cause can
be won in a few months. But we must
first win this fight at home.
The Forces of Darkness-
These forces are prostitution and
drunkenness. The two work hand in
hand, each helps the other and they
both help the enemies of freedom and
democracy. The results are seen in the
ravages of several disabling diseases,
the most serious of these being tho
venereal disease, syphilis and gonor
rhea.
Syphilis is a blood disease that is
most insidious and innocent in the pro
gress of its early stages but at the last
■it is as loathsome and repulsive as
I leprosy. It is far more disabling be
| cause it attacks the nervous system
and usually makes one more or less
I helpless. Furthermore, this dread, dis
ease is transmitted to the next genera
tion scourging the innocent victims
with a “scrofulous” condition that is
very much wors- than death could be.
A young lady from Canada, telling
of the sorrow that was breaking her
heaYt said: “My lieutenant went away
a year ago so stalwart, so well-train
ed, so fine. There were two or three
months of intensive training behind
the lines; then, th§ trenches. He came
back a few weeks ago—a wreck. It
wasn’t a Boche bullet that stopped him,
it was an unspeakable, destroying dis
ease of the blood. Os course, I can
never marry him. Oh! If only he had
died in action! Such a death were a
hundred times better for him and for
all of us than this living death.”
Yes; with syphilis it is not the man
who catches it from a prostitute who
suffers alone. It is the home folks —
parents, fiancee, and offspring—and
the country, and society.
Bad as syphilis is, gonorrhea is
hardly less disabling and hardly less a
menace to wife. Further details may
be omitted here.
The Remedy.
Every constructive social force must
be mobilised to meet this evil: These
forces are being mobilized now and are
already in the field and in action.
Through its national war work coun
cil the association is doing the most
notable piece of constructive social
welfare work that the world has ever
seen.
Soldiers and sailors —red blooded,
virile, hard-muscled young men are
(incident to their call to the colors) up
rooted from the protected envlronmnt
of home, church and select social c'rcle
and transplanted into a wholly new and
, strange soil. Social lions at home per
; haps, they find that the new envi-
■ ronment they have no social standing
i —no entree. As one sailor boy put it
i the other evening: “A sailor finds
! himself here about as welcome as a
I weasel in a chicken coop. The only
I open doors lead to drink and the only
; welcoming hands are those of street
■! women. Why! a fellow with his
! month's pay in his pocket coming up
j against that stands about as much
i chance as a celluloid rabbit in the
| bonfire.”
I That mental attitude, quite natural
and not altogether unjustified in the
early stages of our mobilization, is no
longer justified. The local Y. M. C. A.
secretary produced the weekly bulletin
jof events, social functions, entertain-
■ ments, classes, lectures, concerts, din
, ner invitations, in the aggregate nutn
: baring into the hundreds and we show-
I ed the young man that he need only
I accept one of the many invitations ex
tended by the best society of the great
neighborhood metropolis to get his
entree. If he were courteous, chival
rous and fine he would surely be in
vited to come again, and week by week
j he vgould feel that he was making real
’ social advance.
This splendid, organized work of the
I near-by cities, led usually by the city
j association, with which churches,
j women’s club.", schools, and various
i societies co-operate is a most import -
(ant factor in the social equilibration
i of the boys in khaki.
i The camp association gives the boys
I stationery, pens and ink and suggests
1 that he write home. The association
is doing everything possible to keep
the home ties firm, this also helps to
steady the boys socially.
It is the plan of the camp associa
tion to furnish entertainment of some
kind —movies, concerts, lectures, etc.,
etc., every evening. Afternoons when
the boys are off duty—Wednesday and
Saturday—they may get foot ball or
basket ball or volley ball equipment
and the association furnishes compe
tent leadership through experienced
physical directors.
This complete, wholesome occupation
of the time of a soldier or sailor Is al
matter of the greatest importance to .
hold the boys steady and keep them I
happy and contented —that is essential ’
to the morals of men and to the morale
of troops.
In all the camps the men are being
instructed in the physiology and hy
giene of a clean, sound sex life- The
relation of such a life to military' ef
ficiency is being clearly set forth.
While this instruction is under the
direction of and provided by the Y. M.
C. A., it • evidently meets the full en
dorsement of the higher officer of the
army and navy because, these talks to
the men are being made official in
many camps and the men are being
detailed by battalions and regiments
to receive the instruction.
We believe, therefore, that the dark
insidious allies of the Huns —venereal
disease and drunkenness—are to meet
this winter in the camp Y. M. 0. A.
their "Marne,” which will turn them
back so that they will no longer men
ace the cause of Freedom and Demo
cracy.
We believe that our soldiers and
sailors are catching the spirit of this
warfare and that they will keep them
selves in a high state of military ef
ficiency. and that they will return,
I after their victory over the Teutons,
; clean, healthy and sound, to enter upon
j the building of a million new homes
I into which will be born sound, sturdy
! sons and the healthy fair daughters of
the next generation.
WHY f
'Tis hard to be forgotten by one you can't
forget,
'Tis harder still to kiss the rod —and
smile;
• For to suffer is the lot of man and
yet.
We murmur against it all the live long
while.
I wrote and waited and waiting still
Foresbaw my letters fate. So to the
of you
Must I humbly bow and try to kill
The dreams you faded while still so
new
Nor am I the first nor yet’the last
To taste the bitter that follows sweet.
j For in the future, as down through the
past,
i The ghost of dead hopes too oft we shall
meet.
I But as I sit in lonesomeness unbroken
j There cames over my soul wonder with a
sigh,
Why not give me answer or a token
Os why you kindled fire but to watch it
die.
F. H. S.
Field Hospital No. 111.
RICOCHETS
“BAB” Reidenbach, of the 107th Field ,
Artillery has gotten out an interesting
booklet of quips and pictures written and
designed by himself. The title is “Rico- >
chets froift Camp Hancock,” located at
Disgvsta, Georgia,
March 6.
