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Show TELLS1 0?' PERSEQUTCON Twenty-four years a Presbyterian missionary in Syria, a quarter of a century cen-tury In the land of lpng ago, a score and more of years teaching Christianity Christian-ity to the ancient peoples of the desert, des-ert, exploring lands looming large and illustrious with relics and remains of an extinct greatness and glory these are the experiences of the Eev. Frank-lira Frank-lira E. Hoskins of Beirut, Syria, who j lectures tonight In the First Presbyterian Presby-terian church on "Travels lnEdomand Moab; or Between Egypt and the Promised Land." Dr. Hoskins is a classmate of the Rev. W. M. Paden, pastor of the First Presbyterian Pres-byterian church, and of E; B. Critch-low Critch-low of this city. The noted divine and explorer attended Princeton with the gentlemen named, and after graduation gradua-tion went to Syria, where he has been ever since. "Syria is under the rule of the Sultan Sul-tan of Turkey," said Dr. Hoskins today. to-day. "Beirut it's pronounced as if it were spelled 'Bayroot' is the most advanced city of the empire. It is located lo-cated at the extreme eastern end of the Mediterranean sea, and about 150 miles north of Jerusalem. Americans In Beirut. "With Tyre and Damascus, it takes the lead among all other cities 6f the far EaRt. There are perhaps "about 100 Americans in Beirut. The largest American educational institution outside out-side of the United States, the Syrian Baptist college, is located there.. "There are about 850 students attending at-tending the school, and they include 8yrians, Greeks, Moslems and Jews. In and around the city are perhaps 7000 natives professing Christianity. Of these, 1700 are communicants. "We endure great persecution and oppression at the hands of the Sultan and the Turkish Government. Foreign missionaries can own no land, and are not permitted to build. The only way we can get around these unjust laws is to condemn lands first, and explain afterward. By every means dlsplcable, and in some Instances barbarous, the Turkish Government .harasses Christians, Chris-tians, and. particularly the missionaries.' mission-aries.' "We publish a weekly paper in Arabic called the 'Neshera,' or tne Weekly Times,' of which I am editor. This undergoes rigid censorship by the Government. The Sultan has placed a ban on telephones throughout the empire, em-pire, and there is not a talking instrument instru-ment permitted in the land. "Beirut Has an excellent water system, sys-tem, controlled by an English company. com-pany. A French concern maintains a gas plant. These are about the on! modern conveniences we have But it is a delightful place, an extremely interesting in-teresting country. The climate is similar to that "of southern California, Califor-nia, and the fruits and grains are similar. simi-lar. We have rain for five months without a break.' The other seven are absolutely dry. - "For a long time medical students 'graduating from foreign colleges in Turkey were not recognized by the Government, and were not permitted to practice. This question has finally been settled after years of quarreling and fighting. j "From Beirut to Damascus the French control a steam railroad. A trollev line is now building in the latter lat-ter city, the oldest city in the world. The Turkish Government owns all telegraph tele-graph lines, and every message is carefully care-fully examined, and if necessary, censored. cen-sored. " Dr. Hoskins has, under the patronage patron-age of Princeton university, explored an immense territory in the Holy Land and in Syria. His important discoveries discov-eries and his adventures have been incorporated in-corporated in a book published by him, and which is known to almost every scientist and Egyptologist in the world. ' It is these experiences which he will tell tonight during his leeture, which is free to all. From this city, Dr. Hoskins Hos-kins will go East. , He is on a ono-vear ono-vear furlough to this country, and this is the first time in ten years that he has Vwen in a Christian land. |