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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph from Charles K. Moser 



SOLDIERS OF THE DESERT 



These Arabs are devout Mohammedans, but their country is only nominally under Turk- 

 ish suzerainty. Not long ago the world awoke one morning to hear that a new nation had 

 been established — the Kingdom of Hejaz. The Grand Sherif of Mecca had revolted against 

 Turkish rule, and with the help of men like these had thrown off the Ottoman yoke. 



Of course, no complete and thorough 

 survey has ever been made of the mineral 

 wealth of Turkey. But German maps 

 (and who has studied Asia Minor more 

 thoroughly than the Germans?) mark de- 

 posits of coal, copper, iron, silver, gold, 

 and lead, with many of the lesser min- 

 erals, such as chrome, emery, manganese, 

 mercury, rock-salt, and sulphur. These 

 are not noted on the map in scarce and 

 isolated localities, but the various de- 

 posits occur with such frequency as easily 

 to explain the German zeal for cultivat- 

 ing friendship with Turkey. 



The American missionaries resident in 

 the country give unanimous testimony to 

 the mineral deposits. An American pro- 

 fessor in one of the colleges writes : "The 

 copper deposits at Arghuni Maaden are 

 wonderfully rich and extensive. The 

 mine now being worked contains 70 per 

 cent of copper, of which about one-half 

 is recovered by the crude method of 



smelting in use. Ore containing 30 to 50 

 per cent is thrown away as useless and 

 mountains of such waste surround the 

 mine." 



An American doctor states that "the 

 mineral resources of Konia are certainly 

 very great. There are silver mines, lead, 

 and some gold ; there are mercury mines 

 a few hours from Konia, while chrome, 

 cinnabar, lead, emery, manganese, and 

 rock-salt are found in the province." 



THE MOUNTAINS STILT LULL OF 

 VALUABLE ORE 



The president of one of the American 

 colleges in Asia Minor reports : "In this 

 region there are known to be deposits of 

 silver, coal, and copper. I once asked an 

 old Greek up among the mountains about 

 his mining experiences, as we were pick- 

 ing our way together among the slag of 

 some abandoned silver mines. He told 

 me he had spent years under ground. I 



