THE BAGDAD RAILWAY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11686, 1 May 1916, Page 4

THE BAGDAD RAILWAY.

PURELY iUTftSY. .Mr Harold J. Shcpstone gives some particular? of the Bagdad Railway i*.i ni; arnVie in thr- "'•'Miilgato Monthly." It is, Ik- says, by means of this railway that/ Germany hopes to strike at us in Egypt, and, should opportunity arise, threaten India also:— •'lndeed, it is now clear to everyone that this remarkable lino was built for this very purpose—Vor the ultimate overthrow of the British Empire, This gieat railway, which traverses the rich districts of Turkey in Asia, was not planned for the development of the territory through wh'ich it runs, but solely with the object of rushing troops down upon the frontier of Egypt, and ateo to India when the time was ripe. One has only to take a map and follow the course of the railway to see that it lias been designed by a military nlind to attack one Power, and one Power only —Great Britain." At no point does it approach within a distance of 000 miles of the TurccRnssian frontier, though the station of Maan, on the Damascus and Mecca line, which is linked with the Bagdad section, is within fifty' miles of the Egyptian frontier. There are many populous cities in north-eastiera. Asia Minor and Armenia, but these have been purposely missed. A HISTORIC COUNTRY. Mr Shepstone goes on to show that no other railway passes through such historic country and taps such sacred cities. For hundreds of miles through Asia Minor the track follows one of tho most ancient highways in the world, the grand route between the Orient and Europe. Two interesting stations along the route are Konia, and Tarsus. The first named is ancient Iconiuni, a very old city, and said to be the first place to emerge after the Deluge. St Paul visited it twice, once in company with Barnabas, and the other time with Timothy. Tarsus, once on the sea, but now several miles inland, is the centre of hj, great cotton-growing district. It is famous, of course, as being the birthplace of St Paul.