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Show SMYRNA CITY OF LURID HISTORY Along with tho bombardment of tho forts of the Dardanelles thero has been going on another attack on Turkey, Tur-key, although tho world has heard little about it, declares tho Boston Globe. A French fleet has been bombarding bombard-ing Smyrna, with what result the latest lat-est dispatches must be examined to discover. Ten times has Smyrna fallen, and each time risen from ruins to renewed splendor and prosperity as the foremost fore-most city of Asia Minor. By virtue of its commanding situation at the head of a sheltered thirty-mile gulf, the gateway to the Interior and a terminal ter-minal for caravan and railroad routes of Asia Minor, tho little city clustered cluster-ed around tho baso of Mount Pagus has been a gem sought for the crown of each successive ruler dominating ! the Orient from the dawn of history. Today or rather six months ago ' it would not be described as an Ori- J ental city, but as a modern metropolis. With a population of 250,000, it has ' become a commercial center as cos- ' mopolltan as an American city. More than half of its people arc Greeks; tho rest are Turks, Jows, Armenians and people from Western Europe. The English and French colonies col-onies have played a large part In its recent commercial history. Smyrna's export trade, in the neighborhood neigh-borhood of $1,500,000 yearly, has been largely with Great Britain. Hundreds of steamships in a year como Into Uxe : narrow land-stead off the modern quays, and take on tobacco, figs, raisins, rais-ins, silks, tanning and dyeing materials. mater-ials. Smyrna rugs and carpets, so-called, so-called, come from the Interior through Smyrna. The imports at Smyrna, cotton and linens and woolens from England and Gormany chiefly, average ?1,000,000 annually. Two hundred miles southwest south-west of Constantinople, It Is one of the logical way stations for traffic through the Mediterranean to tho Black sea ports. In all but Its government, Smyrna is now a predominantly Christian city.. A new government building and n TlfT7 rollmnfl nrfl .1r.ra rP (fa vrxsivif .. .... ...... wuu u. a'&uu . 413 1 (.I.&1II. progress. The fine quays are backed by a line of good buildings. The streets are narrow, but well kept and adequate. .Tho city boasts good schools, of which tho International College Is tho best known, and missions mis-sions of all denominations have headquarters head-quarters there. Smyrna is one of the cities which claim to bo the birthplace of Homer, which Is not cvidonco of particular distinction in tho Eastern Mediterranean, Mediter-ranean, but it indicates the ago of the city and something ot its proud position. Poetic tradition says that Smyrna was founded by an Amazon of that name who had previously conquered Ephesus. Tho city, whatever its origin, ori-gin, has from the beginnings of recorded re-corded history preserved an unbroken identity of name. |