TRANSPORT IN ASIA MINOR. 
By Sir William Mitchell Ramsay. 
Sir William Milchell Ramsay is the greatest living 
authority on Asia Minor as distinguished from 
Syria and Mesopotamia. He has travelled 
'icidely in that little-known region oj the world 
during the last ficenty years. 
MR. BELLOC'S articles on the War arc always 
instnu-tive ; and his calculations, repeated 
and rendered more precise from week to 
week, seem to be made on sound lines and to 
afford the healthiest standard for judging the history 
and the rate of the " Decline and Fall of the German 
Empire." As he has himself stated in frank words some 
time ago in replying to criticisms, there are errors which 
have to be corrected in subsequent weeks. 
In his article published on October i6th he speaks of 
" the mule-tracks of Asia Minor " as practically impassable 
for a (ierman force, and bases his argument on this assumed 
want of roads in the country. In the lirst place, he forgets 
the existence of the railway from the Bosphorus across 
Asia Minor to Syria and Arabia, with two breaks in passes 
which have been traversed by countless armies through- 
out history. The railway is well enough built for good 
service, though not fitted to carry trains at a more rapid 
rate than 20 miles an hour ; and there is a fair amount of 
rolling stock. The central line branches eastwards to 
Angora, and westwards to Smyrna, from which other 
railways radiate, and northwards to the corner of the 
■Marmara Sea and the Dardanelles, and south-east or 
south in several branches (the longest about 300 miles). 
In the same number Mr. Pollen speaks of this central 
railway with deserved respect ; but he even exaggerates 
it into an unbroken line from Haidar Pasha on the 
Bosphorus to Alexandretta. The break in the Taurus 
was complete at the beginning of tlie War, as I know ; and 
I doubt if the work has been completed. 
Mule-Tracks. 
In the second place Mr. Belloc dangerously mis- 
conceives the character of the roads. There are, indeed, 
plenty of *' mule-tracks," and I could show him photo- 
rgiaphs . of waggons on mountain paths of apparently 
impossible character ; but we took fairly heavy springed 
waggons over those paths without ever any accident worth 
mentioning. The light native springless waggon goes 
over the worst roads even more easily. But these are 
mouiitain roads. A great part of Asia Minor is a lofty level 
plain, .where yon can drive a waggon in ariy direction 
■along many lines and paths during dry weather: I 
.would engage to guide as many automobiles aS you plfease 
from the Bosphorus to Tarsus and on to the remotest 
.south-east corner of .Cilicia by the southern sea, during 
!the dry season of the year. The plateau with'ifs soft fine 
•soil, "absolutely free from stones, becomps a sea of liquid 
mud, like pea soup, after several days of rain ; carriages 
sink far above the axles, and cannot move. In; summer, 
liowever, there is no difficulty in driving an3nvhere on the 
plateaUj except occasionally. I would ask 12 days for the 
first automobiles, and take some sappers ; for all the rest 
8 days would suffice. The railway with its one break of 20 
miles requires 5 days to carry passengers over the same 
journey. Some prospecting would be needed, because the 
roads that I have looked for in travelling are roads for 
horses or horse-waggons ; and there are places where a 
motor-driver would follow a different line from waggoners 
(as they, too, would not always follow the horse roads). 
The real difficulties of the Central Plateau are not in 
respect of roads, but in respect of food and still more of 
water. Small parties can obtain food and water every- 
where ; but the supply of both is limited. The feeding 
of horses is especially troublesome, and the chopped 
straw mixed with a little barley, on which the native 
horses live, would probably kill horses accustomed to more 
luxurious diet ; but even this food is scarce, and travellers 
have often to carry two days' supply. Motor transport 
would avoid the ordinary traveller's greatest difliculty ; 
but, of course, petrol, etc.. are not ootainaiilc anj'whcre. 
Water sufficient for moderate-sized companies is never far 
distant. \'illages are dotted all over the plateau. But 
large companies would have tlieir line of route deternnned 
for'^them by the great natural fountains. The driest 
route across" the plateau from Eski Sheher in the north to 
the entrance to the long pass of the Cilician Gates on the 
south is the most level and the best motor-road in all other 
respects exce])t water. In the mountains north of Eski 
Sheher and south approaching the Cilician Gates. • tlie 
roads arc now excellentlv engineered, and well built, 
though there are places where sharp steep zig-zags would 
cause some trouble to motor cars, and would require 
care and i)erhaps some improvement. 
Supply of Men. 
Again, as to the supply of men, as I think, Mr. Belloc 
under-estimates. I am iiot able to judge about military 
value : out I know that men lit for the most trying Held 
labour and long hours and a hard spare life of toil are 
much more numerous than he allows. The Arab-speaking 
population is reckoned about 14 millions, and the Turkish- 
speaking about the same, if the Christians are included. 
Thev are slow to pick up drill, and would need time to 
lick "into shape ; but German sergeants can kick men into 
shape in a wonderful way, and can make use of even un- 
willing soldiers. The niilitary value of the different 
races Varies much ; but it is as needless to go into details 
on this subject as it is in respect of the lines of road. 
The value of Constantinople to the Germans would 
lie mainly in prestige. It would be a serious lilow to the 
Oriental belief in and respect for Britain. In a military 
way the occupation of the city with the small numbers that 
the Germans seem to be employing, diminished as they 
will be by the way, would not be very great ; but a strong 
occupation, with time to apply the resources of Turkey 
and even Central Asia, would be a very much more 
serious business. There is, however, now no sign of that. 
Every week puts it more and more decisively in the 
category of the impossible. If the Kaiser found a train to 
carry him to Stamboul, it may be doubted whether he 
would get one to bring him back, unless he returned within 
48 hours. 
The weakness of Turkey lies partly in the race hatred 
that separates even Moslems, partly in the dislike of the 
" Old Turks " for the " Young Turks." The Old Turks 
are an overwhelming majority ; but they have no leaders 
and no natural initiative ; they accept the existing govern- 
ment. The " Young Turks " have taken care to kill off 
all the leaders of the majority, and trust to the wonderfully 
patient submissiveness of the rest. We have as yet not 
begun to turn this weakness to our profit ; but it will tell 
in the long run, and might be expedited. 
Turkey's Economic Value. 
In his estimate of the economic value of Turkey 
to Germany, if the latter Power succeeded in occupying 
Constantinople, Mr. Belloc, in his last article is correct 
at the moment. The economic wealth of Turkey has 
been and is small. It can do little more than feed its 
own people, and most luxuries and some comforts arc 
imported. Its exports arc of small use now to Ciermany 
for the war. But give Germany even one full year's 
command of Asia .Minor, and it has to be remembered 
that German plans look far ahead ; the value of Asia 
Minor would begin to tell. Germany would not neglect 
the development of the country as Britain has neglected 
to develop the ancient wealth of Cyprus in 37 years of 
occupation. In fact, some grandiose German engineering 
plans are now beginning to increase the wealth of .\sia 
Minor anew. Its mineral stores lie unused in large degree ; 
but they are easy to tap. It was in the true sense the 
richest country in the world during the first six or se\-en 
centuries after Christ, more so than Egypt. The Arab 
wars did not destroy its wealth. It remained for the 
Turks to do that. At present this is not the place to 
enlarge on that topic, for I do not believe that Germany 
will be permitted to dominate Asia Minor. 
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