Constantinople

Constantinople By Dr. Joseph M. Tanner Beloved city, the charm of Oriental life ! Through the cen- turies, one of the most picturesque and inviting cities of the world has lain in a state of weariness and helplessness. Now that the great war has brought its destiny into the balance, it is but natural that one should ask what is to be its fate? In the distance it lends an enchanting view, unsurpassed by any city in the world; but the nearby vision of its dirty streets, its cobble- rock roads, its motley inhabitants, its wandering dogs, brings the greatest disappointment. One cannot help the thought that a city so wonderful in the beauty of its landscape, so potent in commerce, so favorable in climate, should be the mistress of the world. What will become of this historic city, whose past is so full of interest, and whose future is so full of promise? It is on the great waterway leading from central Europe to the Mediter- ranean and the southern seas. About twenty miles north of the city, the shores of the Black Sea converge into a channel varying from one-fourth of a mile to a mile in width. This channel is bounded on each side by rolling hills, whose ever-green foliage make it one of the most charming waterways of the world. Where this channel, the Bosphorus, flows into the Marmora, Constantinople is located. The waters of this sea are in turn emptied by another historic stream, the Dardanelles into the TEgean Sea, from the iEgean Sea into the Mediterranean, through the Mediterranean by way of the Suez Canal into the Indian Ocean, and through the Straits of Gibraltar into the Atlantic. Through this great waterway past Constantinople, Russia might carry the wealth of her unlimited products to all the nations of the world. It taps the Austrian Empire, Rumania, Bulgaria, and Serbia, through the River Danube. Lying immediately east of Constantinople is the undevel- oped empire of Asia Minor, (which now luckily seems to be coming into the control of the liberal government of Britain), whose resources have barely been touched, and whose coming developments are the most promising source of future wealth that any undeveloped country in the world has to offer. Lead- ing down from the high lands of Armenia, in Asia Minor, along the great waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, one comes to the center of ancient civilization in the valley of the Meso-

692 IMPROVEMENT ERA potamia. Here the great kingdoms of Assyria, Babylon, Chaldea and Persia witnessed their rise, their grandeur, and their fall. It awaits only the hand of the engineer to construct dams and great waterways to make it one of the most inviting lands of the world, to rival the fertile lowlands of Egypt. Syria and Palestine lie dormant under the curse of an offended God. At the touch of modern husbandry these countries would spring into a commercial life that would rival the greatest nations of the world. West of Constantinople are the great plateaus of Macedonia, whose roadways witnessed the triumphant march of Alexander the Great. Out of the Balkan mountains, as well as out of Macedonia, the wealth of the West might be opened through the gates of this wonderful city. In ancient days it was the great commercial mart of the world. Into it, Europe, Asia, and Africa were constantly pouring their limitless wealth. From the Bos- phorus, up through the center of Constantinople runs an arm of water extending in the shape of a horn. Because of the gold that found its way into this arm of the Bosphorus, it is styled the "Golden Horn." On one side is the Turkish part of the city, called "Stamboul;" on the northern part is "Pera," the European side. Thus Occidental and Oriental life come in touch, and over the bridge which spans the Golden Horn, separ- ating these two parts of the city, there pass almost hourly as many as twenty different nationalities. What a motley citizen- ship it possesses! Vast wealth of the world might again be made tributary to this city of Constantine. It was early the home of Christianity. For more than four centuries it has been the home of the Mohammedan religion. Constantinople is in a way the freest city in the world. The government, it is true, is lax, but people are permitted to do very much as they think best, and there is a mutual tolerance of all these races respecting manners and habits of one another that is truly striking. There men may do very much as they please, and if a man were met walking on his head in the street, he would barely be noticed, so indifferent are the inhabitants to the peculiarities of one another. In the great war now raging in Europe, Constantinople is the goal of Russia and the hope of Germany. That Constanti- nople will continue in the lethargy of its past is unthinkable. If the Turk be permitted to retain this capitol of the Moham- medan religion, he will be more and more under the tutelage of German civilization and industry. If it falls to the lot of the now changed Russia, who can say what its fate will be? Russia might indeed make it the most beautiful city in the world, be- cause in that country the whole empire yields up its marvelous contributions to the demand of Russian pride. Every one who has lived there, who has been charmed by its indolent life, will