UNIVERSITY OF ILLINcff^^ULLETIN

Vol. XVI

Issued Weekly
March 10, 1919

No. 28

[Entered as second-class matter December 11, 1912, at the post office at Urbana, Illinoig.^'under the .\ct of
August 24, 1912. Acceptance for mailing at the special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act
ofOctober3. 1917, authorized July 31, 1918.1 ' ,.'•

Asiatic Turkey
Its Problems and Resources
BY

FREDERICK HAYNKS NEWELL
Professor of Civil Engineering

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Price 10 cents

PUBLISHED BY THE WAR COMMITTEE
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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ASIATIC TURKEY— ITS PROBLEMS AND RE.SOURCES
The Turkish Empire, with its great but only partly developed natural
resources and declining political strength, has long been regarded as
a tempting prize by the more powerful governments of Europe. It
would long since have been torn apart and its fertile lands divided, had
there not existed certain mutual jealousies which have served to bring
in turn to the support of the "sick man of Europe" one or another
powerful force — each hoping by the preservation of Turkish rule to
keep from its rival the acquisition of Turkish territory and ultimately
to find profit for itself. The great world war was unquestionably in
cited largely by the peaceful but effective penetration by Germany into
and through Asiatic Turkey. The unstable condition of European
policy was rendered even more dangerous by the rapid building of the
Berlin to Baghdad railroad pointing directly toward India.
Tho for the time being the German Empire has disappeared from
the map and Russia can no longer threaten England's supremacy in
India, the Turkish questions continue to have alarming proportions.
This is largely due to the fact that misrule — culminating in the inde
scribable massacres of the recent war — has convinced the awakening
world that the Turks can not safely continue as the dominant class and
that immediate steps must be taken to organize some forrrt of govern
ment which will permit the millions of people lately under Turkish
rule to enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and at the same
time facilitate the expansion of trade and commerce made possible —
and even necessary — to the rest of mankind by the natural wealth
of the country.
The continuation of the Turks as rulers in Western Asia is no longer
to be seriously considered; they must be replaced, but by whom? It is
hardly possible to conceive that any of the subject peoples can assume
effective control. Altho they have lived in adjacent villages or mingled
in the market places, there has been cultivated and kept alive by the-
Turkish government such intense racial and religious hatred that the:
possibility of their working together in the near future to form an effec
tive government is beyond belief. Moreover, it is a serious question
whether even in a few decades it will be possible to develop free institu
tions and effective autonomous government among these peoples who
for hundreds of years have acquiesced more or less hopelessly in the
rule of outsiders, and who have not had the opportunity possessed by
many of the nations of Europe to acquire the arts of self-government.
3

Is it not absolutely necessary for a generation or two that they be
under the control of some strong authority which will reverse the policy
of the Turks and which will seek to develop, ^mon'g them the habits of
mutual toleration and respect upon which free institutions rest?
But why should we here in America be concerned about these
matters? Why not let the governments of Europe settle these trouble
some problems among their neighbors or, if this can not be done —
simply keep hands off and permit the various peoples of Asiatic Turkey
to work out their own salvation, the more powerflil or aggressive forcing
a solution according to their ability?
Unfortunately perhaps for us, the most favored among nations,
the time in the history ot the world has passed when we can maintain
our splendid isolation. Our commercial and economic interests, as
well as the moral obligations growing out of the war, have become too
greatly involved to be ignored. Any struggle which originates in
Asiatic Turkey and which must necessarily bring in one or another of
European nations will deeply concern the whole world and injure
American interests which already are too vast to be thrown away and
which tend rapidly to increase rather than to diminish.
Americans have a peculiar concern with the affairs of Asiatic Turkey
and its future development, not only because the land is full of historic
cities and was the birthplace of the great religions of the world, but
more especially from the fact that in area, topography, climate, and in
engineering and industrial problems, it is similar to our own arid west.
There is a strong commercial attraction, as well as a fascination in the
land, a call for service, a longing to put to the test in Western Asia
some of the experiences acquired on this continent; a desire to show the
practicability of American skill and enterprise in reviving the historic
places and in putting to the use of mankind the great resources which
have lain dormant for centuries under Ottoman rule.
Civilization originated or reached its highest development in what
we usually consider as arid lands, not in the densely forested and wet
regions of Europe, Asia, or Africa, but in those parts ordinarily too dry
for the production of the common food crops.
Where life was simple and where the daily needs of food were met
by hunting in the forests or by fishing in the streams, man apparently
did not advance far beyond the satisfying of these needs; but in the
drier lands, where the climate was conducive to health and yet where
food could be procured only intermittently through the overflow of
4

rivers, there man was forced to be provident, to look ahead far enough
to plant and care for the crops which would yield a return only after
weeks or months. As he advanced higher in the scale, the overflow of
rivers obliterated his landmarks and forced him to make practical
applications of the principles of geometry; the need of the regulation of
overflf w led him gradually to develop engineering practises or a knowl-
e.'.iic' of hydro-economics which marks the beginning of the work of the
civil engineer!
In the Biblical tradition as to the origin of the human race the land
of delight, or Paradise, was placed in what is now known as Mesopo
tamia — down on the Euphrates, the great stream whose waters before
the dawn of written history were regulated or divided into the four
rivers or, as we would now term them, canals, which irrigated the great
area, at present largely marsh, to the south and east of Baghdad. Here
were located the vast city of Babylon and many other ancient centers
of wealth and empire; while near Kerbela, according to Arabic and
other traditions, was the home of Noah and his contemporaries.
However we may regard these legends, there is no question but
that canals of antiquity, built thousands of years ago by engineers
whose names and nationality are unknown, furnished water to millions
of acres of highly cultivated land supporting a great population, the
ruins of whose cities are to be seen on every side, and whose culture and
traditions have had great influence on the past and have been handed
down even to the present day.
While the ancient lands of Babylonia are most alluring from the
magnitude of the canals and structures (such as will be built in the near
future), there is an infinite variety of interest and opportunity through
out Asiatic Turkey. This area embraces the widest possible range of
topographic conditions, from the snow clad peaks of Ararat rising to an
altitude of 17,000 feet to the Dead Sea depression more than 1200
feet below sea-level. In this respect it is more extreme than our own
arid west, where the highest peaks in the Rocky and Cascade moun
tains do not attain much above 14,000 feet and the lowest depression,
that of the Salton Sea, is about 300 feet beneath the level of the ocean.
A striking resemblance between these two widely separated countries
is afforded by the climate. The greater part of Asiatic Turkey is arid
or semi-arid. The surface .is broken by high mountains, whose steep
slopes or summits wring from the clouds the rain or snow fall which
gives rise to innumerable small streams. These descending with rapid
5

fall are usually lost in the parched, valleys. Sometimes in flood these
rivers penetrate to considerable distances from the mountains and may
even force their way to the ocean; but for the most part their waters
either sink into the thirsty sands and gravels around the edges of the
valleys or disappear in marshes, salt lakes, or sinks, similar to those of
Utah, Nevada, and eastern Oregon.
Throughout this part of western Asia as well as the western United
States, the possibilities of progress are found in the occdrrence or ab
sence of the most valuable of all minerals, that is, water. Without it
the lands, even where the soil is very rich, are worthless; but where
water can be had in proper quantity and of good quality, agriculture
and other industries can flourish and have flourished; a high degree of
prosperity has been reached, checked only by devastating wars or
destroyed by the long continued misrule of the Turks.
In considering the reconstruction of Asiatic Turkey, the restoration
of its ancient cultural conditions, or the extension of industry, the first
and foremost undertaking, after a fair and stable government has been
assured, is the conservation and use of the water supply, scanty in most
places but abundant in others.
Before any considerable development of the water resources can
take place, it will be necessary to build highways and railroads — the
conditions here being similar to those encountered in our own arid
west, where the first step in utilizing the public lands was the building
of railroads and the construction of roads over which could be moved
economically the labor and materials needed in the building of dams for
storing floods and in the excavation of canals, tunnels, and other works
needed in the conservation of water. Care must be taken, however,
to locate and build these railways where they will not interfere with
the future building of reservoirs or the development of water power.
The water power resources of the country as a whole, particularly
in Armenia near the headwater of the Tigris and Euphrates, are
large, and the first operation toward construction work pertains to the
study of these water powers and to the consideration of how these may
be used practically in the building of other needed improvements.
Fuel is expensive, and altho coal mines do exist, the coal is not available
at points near where most of the heavy work must be undertaken.
Petroleum is known to occur in many localities, some of which have
already been acquired by the British; but the use of fuel oil for produc
ing power in large quantities should not be encouraged if water power
can be employed. 6

In what has been said above, reference has been had mainly to the
great inland country. The lands bordering the Black Sea on the north
or the Aegean and the Mediterranean on the west are, as a rule, low
and humid, having a rainfall adequate for the production of mostcrops
and a genial or even hot climate contrasting strongly with the cooler,
more extreme temperatures of the plateaus and mountains which make
up the greater part of Anatolia and Armenia. These fringing lands
not only differ in climatic conditions but are inhabited by peoples quite
unlike those living inland. Here the problems of engineering impor
tance include not only the building of railroads and highways, but also
the dredging out and improving of harbors and the draining of lands,
particularly those near the mouths of the streams. which come from the
highlands. While irrigation is essential to agriculture throughout the
greater part of the remaining area, its counterpart — drainage — is
needed in the coastal region.
Included with Asiatic Turkey and until the present time forming part
of it, altho quite distinct in many ways, is the Arabian desert covering
the greater part of the peninsula which juts far to the south into the
Indian Ocean. The interior is little known; few travelers have pene
trated the wilderness sparsely occupied by wandering, hostile tribes of
Arabs, "the People of the Camel," but enough is known to indicate
that there is' a limited water supply which in a few localities was devel
oped centuries ago, most of the works being now in ruins. It is quite
possible that a thoro geological exploration and the sinking of deep
drilled wells may reveal the existence of artesian or other water, as has
been found to be the case in portions of our own so-called American
desert. The construction of wells is one of the first undertakings to be
considered in this vast area.
Fringing the Arabian desert on the northwest between the wilderness
and the Mediterranean lies a narrow strip of country of intense concern
to all peoples, namely, Palestine, for centuries the home of the Jewish
race. Altho a relatively small spot on the map, it possesses extraordi
nary interest. For the greater part it is semi-arid; only a small per
centage of the land is suitable for cultivation; but these lands, if supplied
with water, can be made highly productive and capable of supporting
a larger population than that now living within the country. It
possesses little or no mineral wealth, and its value from a commercial
standpoint may be said to reside almost entirely in the tourist or pilgrim
traffic.

Palestine and the peninsula of Sinai are cut off from the Arabian
desert to the east .by one of the most extraordinary of natural phenomena,
the depression of the Dead Sea. This has been formed by the dropping
of a long slender portion of the earth's crust, thus forming a steep-sided
valley at the bottom of which the Jordan river runs from north to south
and loses its water in the lowest point, now occupied by the Dead Sea,
more than 1200 feet beneath the level of the Mediterranean. This
long narrow valley forms a formidable obstacle to travel, especially to
the construction of railroads and highways directly from the Medi
terranean into or across the Arabian desert toward Baghdad.
Because of this condition, namely, the deep narrow valley and the
broad desert, travel and trade have been confined largely to the sea
coast; in going from the highly cultivated lands in Egypt to the densely
populated area in the vicinity of Baghdad the caravans have crept up
northerly along the Mediterranean to a point west of the upper end of
the valley of the Jordan and then turning easterly have cut across to the
Euphrates, avoiding the more direct desert route. There are known
to exist, out on the desert, the ruins of ancient places, which indicates
that water has been had and possibly may be had again. It is believed
that the lines of travel may be shortened and made more direct by the
discovery and development of underground water supply.
The greatest of all undertakings, however, as far as the food supply
and the future prosperity of Asiatic Turkey are concerned, is the com
plete irrigation and drainage of the vast plains and low land? between
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers extending down to the Persian Gulf.
Here have dwelt at various times millions of people; here were construct
ed and operated for centuries large canals, not only those leading from
the Euphrates but others taking water from the Diala and other streams
issuing from the Persian highlands to the east. These great works of
ancient times have been neglected and many of the canals have become
filled by drifting sand or, occupied by the unregulated mountain
streams, have lost their character as artificial channels and appear as
creeks or rivers.
Shortly before the outbreak of the great world war, the Turkish '
government employed Sir William Willcocks to begin an examination
with a view to restoring some of these works. Fortunately operations
had progressed to such a point that when the British occupied the
country in 1917, they were able to put into use a hundred of the smaller
Arabian canals and get under cultivation approximately 300,000 acres
of land. The corn, rice, and other foodstuffs produced on this land

were of inestimable value in maintaining the British army and in re
ducing the transportation of supplies from overseas.
With a stable government assured the time will not be far distant
when storage reservoirs and power development should be planned at
the head waters of the Tigris and Euphrates. All of this work should
be controlled in accordance with the superior uses in irrigation of the
water lower down in Mesopotamia and Babylonia. Endless troubles
are likely to arise if an attempt is made to include under one government
a portion of the headwaters of these streams, and under another the
lower portions where the waters are employed in agriculture.
Irrigation is not by any means confined to the regions watered by
the Tigris-Euphrates and their tributaries. Here, it is true, are the
largest canals and the greatest extent of nearly level land capable of
being utilized in the production of crops. To the north on the plateaus
and in the valleys of Anatolia and to the west in Syria the artificial
watering of agricultural fields has been practised from time immemorial.
There are innumerable small irrigation systems utilizing the water of
mountain streams, as at Damascus, Aleppo, and other important cities,
making possible the maintenance of a large population and diversified
industry through the ability to obtain foodstuff in the near vicinity.
Most of these irrigation systems have deteriorated through lack of
helpful governmental control and oversight; the efforts of the culti
vators have not been properly directed nor have they been encouraged
or even permitted to make many needed improvements. The entrance
of the Germans into portions of Asiatic Turkey marked a new era, in
that the irrigation possibilities were appreciated and various enterprises
entered upon, the most notable being in the vicinity of Konia, the
ancient Iconiun, the former capital of the country. Here the outlet
of one of the large lakes behind the mountains west of Konia has been
controlled and a suitable canal provided to carry the water to the edge
of the desert southeasterly from Konia. This has permitted a wide
expansion of agriculture, and the success here illustrates what may be
accomplished' elsewhere.
The agricultural products of Asiatic Turkey are as varied as the
climate, and range from the highly valued tropical and semi-tropical
fruits, dates, oranges, figs, and the like, to the more bulky but essential
field crops of the plateaus and mountain slopes, such as barley, wheat,
and corn. There has always been a considerable export trade, especially
of dried fruits; and the country as a whole has produced more than has
9

teen necessary for the sustenance of its inhabitants — this being due in
part to the low standard of living. There is a possibility of notably^
increasing the agricultural area in all parts of the country especially
through the conservation of water and the development of irrigation;
but the largest gains will come through better agricultural methods,
notably from the use of artificial fertilizers.
Grazing, on the open sheep and cattle ranges, covers by far the
greater part of the land surface, as is the case in western America. In
both of these countries it is highly probable that on account of the
scarcity of water the tilling of the soil will not require at the utmost
more than 5 per cent of the area of the country, while over 80 per cent
of the land, if utilized at all, must necessarily be devoted to grazing.
In this classification as grazing area may be included the vast deserts
where, tho feed for cattle or camels is scanty or even entirely absent
for months or years at a time, yet, following one of the rare rains, there
springs up a sparse growth which is utilized by the wandering herds.
This desert or semi-desert country, like that of, New Mexico and south
ern Arizona, will be more completely utilized when, as stated above, it
has been possible to search out the sources of water and dig or drill
wells to furnish a supply for the animals, which with such water resour
ces will be able to graze over considerable tracts of scanty herbage.
Forests occupy perhaps 10 per cent, more or less, of Anatolia and
Armenia; they are confined to the rougher higher country, the elevated
table lands and mountain slopes. Much of the woodland is open, with
scattering trees and shrubs, and might be classed either as grazing land
or as forest, the conditions being similar to those in our own country
where many of our great national forests contain relatively few large
trees and are valuable chiefly for grazing purposes. Nevertheless,
this tree growth should be encouraged, as it has great value in fur
nishing timber in a country where this is greatly needed and in favoring
water conservation. The destruction of the forest growth by unregu
lated grazing, particularly by goats, has greatly reduced the prosperity
of the country.
The known mineral resources, while valuable and attractive, are
not so large as might be anticipated in a country of this extent, being
far below those of an equal area in the United States. As in our own
arid west, the absence of large deposits of coal is particularly notable.
There are, however, a certain number of coal mines, which have been
¦worked for many years and which under better political organization
¦will undoubtedly be more largely utilized. 10

Copper and the more precious metals occur in a few locaUties, and
•gold mines have been worked from time immemorial. The legendary
wealth of Croesus was derived from the auriferous streams in western
Anatolia. Petroleum is for the present the most important of the raw materials.
It has been known and used from earliest times, the pitch of Hit being
employed in making water-tight boats and for embalming purposes.
Reconnaissance of the oil fields and localities where oil may be dis
covered has been conducted by agents of the Standard Oil Company
and by British officials. The results have not been made public, but
enough is known to lead to the. belief that extensive deposits may yet
be revealed by deep drilling. The oil fields on the extreme southeast
in or near Persia have been largely developed by the Anglo-Persian Oil
Company. The utilization of the oil from this field was one of the most
important factors in aiding the British in the advance of their' army up
the Tigris River to Baghdad. In fact it may be said that the control
¦of these valuable deposits of oil is one the great factors of international
importance and of future commercial success.
The above enumeration of the resources of the country, the com
parison of present conditions with possible improvements, and prospec
tive gains to individuals or to states, emphasizes the danger which will
continue to threaten the peace of the world if this vast country is left
in its disorganized and helpless form as a tempting bait, to arouse the
predatory instincts of men in control of corporate or national forces.
The many diverse races or religions held together in one empire by the
ruling Turkish class are each clamoring for independence and are
asserting the claims of nationality. This condition has been recognized
in the proposed covenant of the League of Nations as reported to the
Peace Conference, February 14,'1919, in Article 19, paragraph 4, where
the following provision appears:
"Certain communities formerly belonging to the Turkish Empire
have reached a stage of development where their existence as indepen
dent nations can be provisionally recognized, subject to the rendering
•of administrative advice and assistance by a mandatory power, until
such time as they are able to stand alone. The wishes of these commu
nities must be a principal consideration in the selection of the mandatory
power." This brings up the question as to whether in fact — as opposed to
theory — these communities are so located as to permit their segrega
tion geographically as separate states, or whether the nationalities are

so intermingled as to render the "unscrambling" as difficult as it has
been found to be in the Balkans.
The country as a whole is usually considered as falling into certain
divisions as follows:
1. Armenia, on the northeast. This is made up of high plateaus
and snowy or forest clad mountain masses from which issue the great
rivers. Here the agricultural conditions and possible industries are
quite distinct from those of other portions of Asiatic Turkey. This
country might be more or less arbitrarily outlined and set off as the
home of the Armenians, but even here they are in the minority, being
outnumbered by the Kurds and other peoples who occupy the land.
2. Anatolia or Asia Minor proper. This lies farther west and is
composed of somewhat lower and more arid plateaus. It is the home
of the Turkish peasantry, which is-here the predominating class and race.
3. Mesopotamia and Baylonia stretch from tlje foothills of Armenia
toward the south and east to the Persian Gulf. Here is the land of
extreme heat — a country needing irrigation but capable of supporting
an immense population. It is now held by Great Britain; the Arat
tribes and town dwellers appear to be content under British rule.
4. Arabia with its great desert — the home of the Bedouin — with
its fringing sea coasts and sacred cities of Mecca and Medina has appar
ently been promised recognition as an independent kingdom of the-
Hejaz. 5. Syria stretching from the Mediterranean coast to the valley of
the Euphrates and overlapping into Arabia has been largely within the-
sphere of French influence and is quite distinct in its cultural develop
ment. As part of Syria it is customary to include the small, but very
important, country of Palestine, where it is proposed that the Jews
may have a national home, tho at present the Jews are in the minority
in that country and most of the land is owned and has been occupied
for centuries by Arabic-speaking people.
6. The Greek islands and cities fringing the coast are distinct im
climatic and industrial factors from the rest of the country, but are not
easily separated from the moi-e typically Turkish lands by any well
marked geographical feature.
While it is relatively easy to point to a general map and say that
this is Armenia and that Arabia, yet it is practically impossible to draw
a sharp line or to select any natural boundary which can be agreed upon
as definitive. This is peculiarly the case as between the sea coast
12

cities inhabited largely by Greeks and the interior towns occupied
almost exclusively by Turks. In no one locahty is there a predominance
of people of a sufficiently high degree of experience in self-government
to permit the carrying out of the broad rule of self-determination. For
example, a place may be known as a Greek city and be characterized
by Greek culture and yet the total number of Greeks may be so small
as to render it impracticable for them to control the vast majority of
Muslims. Moreover, any suggested division emphasizes the dependence of
one part of the country upon the other. In trying to parcel out the
the land in this way one state or governing body will be given practically
exclusive control of the petroleum or other mineral wealth and another
of products whose manufacture is dependent upon the use of these
minerals or fuels. In a country of this kind the very diversity of
topography and of mineral and agricultural resources emphasizes the
fact that any attempt to divide or cut off these provinces from each
other only intensifies the struggles for existence which must take place
if the people — for ages accustomed to one government — are grouped into
many small states.
Moreover, the population in each of these smaller areas, as indicated
above, is at present not sufficiently homogeneous or experienced readily
to adopt self-government. There is no one dominating factor or large
number of people of the same characteristics or religion to form a safe
working majority. For example, the Christian communities almost
everywhere would be in a minority; if their ideals of self-government
should be enforced, those of their more numerous Mohammedan neigh
bors must be neglected or suppressed.
In considering any division of the country according to nationalities
it is important to emphasize that in Asiatic Turkey nationality is not
so much a matter of ancestry or race as it is of religion. If, for example,
the Armenian ceases to be a Christian and is converted to Mohammedan
ism he is no longer considered as an Armenian but as a Turk, and so
on through the category. The Turks, at least the ruling classes, are
not of Turkish descent except to a remote degree, as for generations
the mothers of the Turkish rulers have been Christian captives or
purchased slaves. Moreover, the different nationalities or religions are
mingled together in nearly every important city, each having a con
siderable proportion of the various warring sects of Mohammedans, of
Christians, and of Jews. 13

In spite of these difficulties it is generally assumed that there must
be a division of the Turkish Empire into separa:te states; but in framing-
new constitutions the natural obstacles as well as those interposed by
discordant races and religions must be given full consideration. There
is need of more complete information and reliable statistics c6ncerning
the actual number and location of the various peoples who may be
regarded as having proper national aspirations. The figures now
available are contradictory and misleading; nevertheless, they .indicate
that, if Armenia is to be devoted primarily to the Armenians, then this
minority ultimately must have full authority and power to hold in
subjection the majority of the population who, tho perhaps not quite
so high in the scale of civilization, are yet recognized as of sufficient
intelligence to become citizens.
If the Greek cities are to pass under Greek control, there must be
provision for protection of the interests of the non-Greeks who now
form the majority of the population. In the same way there must be
a system of treaty arrangements securing to the citizens of adjacent
states the enjoyment of the use of water which arising in Armenia or
Anatolia is needed for cultivation of lands in Mesopotamia, Syria, or
near the Greek cities. Furthermore, the inhabitants of the lower
lands should be assured of their rights to store or control the floods at
the head waters even tho these are in the adjacent states. There must
be ample provisions not only for freedom of commerce, but also for
religious toleration and the pursuit of happiness. These things not
having been permitted by the Turks, their conception in these regions
where strife has been so long encouraged is almost unknown.
While the opinion of the world will probably not tolerate the return
of the Turks to power and is inclined toward the division and subdivision
of the country into smaller nationalities, yet there is little doubt that
the general future prosperity and well being of all would be more readily
secured by having the entire area held as a whole under the control of a
single mandatory power broad enough and strong enough not only to
prevent internal strife, but more than this to build up the attitude of
mutual toleration and respect among the closely intermingled but
mutually antagonistic peoples.
Assuming that the unity of the country cannot be preserved, it
becomes apparent that steps should be taken to the end that an agree
ment satisfactory to all concerned may be arrived at allowing large
bodies of people to be shifted from one state to another, the land being
14

3 9002 08954 0588
exchanged or purchased, thus permitting the scattered Armenians to
be brought together within Armenia and the Kurds, in part at least,
to be moved to communities of their own.
While the difficulties involved in any of these proposed adjustments
are great, yet it is believed that wise statesmanship based upon a full
knowledge of the country, its people, and its laws will be able ultimately
to overcome them. The crying needs of the natives, the depth of
degradation and despair to which they have been subjected, and the
contrast offered by the natural opportunities which surround them
should inspire unselfish effort and confidence in ultimate success. Look
ing beyond the immediate toil and trouble involved there can be seen
the vision of great achievement. Already the British in Babylonia
have shown what can be accomplished in two years of just and intelli
gent control. Their success may be considered as a forerunner of that
which may be achieved throughout the length and breadth of this land
in securing permanent homes, prosperity, and happiness to its recently
oppressed inhabitants.

IS