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Show YV71 F J rm Where Last: -taN View of Saloniki Harbor. SALONIKI Is one of those extraordinary extraor-dinary spots where East meets West, where man's latest Inventions Inven-tions are seen side by side with the simple Implements of centuries ago, a land of many people and quaint customs. War has brought Saloniki Into the limelight, and In years to come many of those who soldiered there will feel that they have added a strange experience to their lives. It has always al-ways been the fashion to criticize military mil-itary administration ; still, however slow war office machinery may be, .It usually gets you somewhere in the end. It may not, of course, be the place you particularly wanted ; but you get there just the same and make the best of it, writes a,Brltlsh officer In the Christian Science Monitor. I nver thought of i going to Saloniki, but one fine morning orders came for my dispatch, and in due course to the Orient I came. Of the country I was bound for I knew little or nothing. It was a part of the Levant, most of the European powers had a post office there, and I had heard something of the wily Levantine Le-vantine and his ways, that was all. I was quickly to absorb a good deal more Information, for the moment you land In Saloniki It thrusts Itself upon you with a Joyous shout and many smells. Pearl of the Orient. It was midday when we entered the harbor, perhaps one of the finest In the world, and, taking Into account Its natural possibilities, little wonder that Saloniki Is the Pearl of the Orient. The first Impression Is good, nothing could be finer or more picturesque than the general appearance of the town. Countless mlnprets rise above the houses, and an occasional group of tall, stately poplars give the necessary neces-sary tone of green to relieve the white mass of buildings. The town slopes up from the sea front, the old citadel In the Turkish quarter behind making a good background and helping to remind re-mind one that this, until recently, was a part of the Ottoman empire. Behind Be-hind the town again stretch the seemingly seem-ingly endless ranges of hills, tier on tier, devoid of trees and with signs of habitation few and far between. The harbor Itself is a fine picture and affords an excellent setting to the whole panoramic effect. , Few types of craft are not represented there, from the modern battleship flying the tricolor tri-color of France, to the quaint, gaudily painted vessel, rigged with a single triangular tri-angular shaped sail, high out of the water at the prow and stern, a relic of the days when jthe hardy Phoenician mariner made Saloniki his port of call. There are British, American, Italian and Russian traders lying side by side, and a little way out a white hospital ship, which, in more peaceful times, flew the house flag of the Union" Castle line. Picture all this ufider a tur-qilolse tur-qilolse sky, and the result is not un-pleasing. The military landing officer is soon on board and after a few words with the O. C. troops, we commence the disembarkation dis-embarkation ceremony. Yes, the best Impression of Saloniki is to be had from the deck of a transport and for choice the boat should be outward botind. Groups Talk on Street. As we land we get a closer and better bet-ter view of the nearest buildings and the strange crowds of people. At Saloniki Salo-niki the quayside belongs to everybody every-body ; just as the boats of all nations come to anchor in her harbor, so do men of every race, caste and station come to rest on the waterside. Along the front are shops of all kinds, one or two of the chief hotels, and the continental conti-nental style of cafe la present in force. The shops are mostly of the open j kind ; that Is, you are expected to do business through an open window while you stand on the pavement. Tou will, of course, be in the way of all pedestrians, pe-destrians, especlully as there will be sure to be one or two Interested spectators spec-tators of your deal ; but then, to stop the traffic, either on the king's highway high-way or on the sidewalk, is quite permissible per-missible in Saloniki. Two friends meet in the street, they stop, exchange salutations, and an animated ani-mated conversation ensues. They take up a great deal of room ; but every one respects the unwritten law of the Orient and our two worthies continue their discourse, heedless of time and place, as only your true Oriental, can be. This sort of thing would be entirely entire-ly out of place in a western laud. Should we attempt It, our fellow men would resent It, and we should become exceedingly unpopular. All this may seem rather a small matter to dwell upon ; but It Is really one of those peculiarities pe-culiarities which make a great impression impres-sion on the new arrival. In course of time we grow accustomed to It, and usually find ourselves respecting the law of the East. As we pass from the landing stage on our road to the base camps It is borne home to us that the Inhabitants are of many and varied races, and if further proof were wanting the clamor of many tongues would at once confirm con-firm It. Bearded, sun-tanned fishermen, fine fellows, who would add luster to any stage production of "Slnbad," spruce, well-dressed clerks and merchants mer-chants and hosts of ragged, nondescript nonde-script rascals mingle together on all sides. Turkish women with yashmak and quaint trouserings, all complete, move side by side with Greek ladles, arrayed In the very latest vogue, and heedless of the passing throng strides a tall Grt;?k priest, umbrella In band, with his flowing black robes and his ample locks crowned by the quaint headdress of his creed not unlike an inverted tall hat. Crowds of soldiers of course are there, . khakl-clad English and Serbs, Frenchmen, prominent In their new blue uniforms, sage-coated Italians and Russians In their tightly-belted blouse tunics. Add to all this motley crowd swarms of partially clad children, whose never ceasing cry is "penny, Johnny," and you have some idea of what a Saloniki crowd Is like. Include the noise, smell and indescribable dirt and you have Saloniki complete. Familiar Traffic Officer. The roadway Is packed with traffic, too. Slow moving bullock carts hold up the flying motor lorries and the horse and mule transport of the allies' comes and goes In a never-ending stream. Leaving the English quay, wei come to a large open space, the June-' tlon of four of the principal thorough-: fares, and here the press is worse than; ever. This is Piccadilly circus, for wherever the English soldier goes he, dearly loves to christen places afteri familiar spots in the home country. It1 may be a communication trench or It may be a road or street, It Is all one to, him and a name it has. In the middle of all this Is a tall khakl-clad military policeman. With a wave of his arm he holds up the stream of traffic to. allow al-low our column to pass. There Is something very familiar In that majestic majes-tic action, It is done so naturally, there : is no shadow of doubt in his expression expres-sion as to the signal being Instantly obeyed. Our soldier policeman Is In his element, his present Job Is not new, l(ls child's play for him, this handling of a few lorries and a swarm of noisy Orientals aftr the traffic in Piccadilly over the sea or It may have been the Marble arch for his name and number will be found In the roll of honor of the London police force. He has done a bit of soldiering since he left England and now he is once again (he guardian of the public, a power to be reckoned with. |