AMERICAN JOURNAL Photo by E. L. Harris TAMERLANE’S TOMB AT SAMARKAND Vol. Ill JANUARY, 1926 No. 1 FEDERAL-AMERICAN FINANCE BY JOHN POOLE Who s Who in Washington in 1935 n HAT’S only ten years from now—not long, for the time passes swiftly by. The then leaders—the outstanding success¬ ful men of 1935—are but in the making today. Who will these men be? They are the younger men of today who are getting ready for tomorrow’s opportunities. They are setting up a money future—saving out of today’s earnings—build¬ ing capital of their own. Men who show selfmastery— men who know how to use and take care of their own money—have no trouble in borrowing additional funds from their banker when they need bank assistance to go into business. Your boy has a chance, but he needs help and encouragement from you now. Take a banker’s advice and give all your children bank accounts. Who knows but what your boy will be one of Washington’s leaders? ANY ONE MAY OPEN A SAVINGS ACCOUNT WITH AS LITTLE AS A DOLLAR AND GET A “MONEY BARREL” SAVINGS BANK FEDERAL-AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK 1315 F STREET W. T. GALLIHER, JOHN POOLE, Chairman of the Board President THE VOL. III. No. i WASHINGTON, D. C. JANUARY, 1926 Samarkand By ERNEST L. HARRIS, Consul General, Vancouver WHEN Alexander the Great conquered by a huge dam across the river Murghab. So Bactria he found in Maracanda a city, well cultivated was this whole region, at that the origin of which was lost in antiquity. time, that the crops produced equalled those The archaeologist who walks over this field of grown upon the lower Euphrates. ruin today is not long in coming to the conclusion The Turkestan of today contains five interesting that beneath the ancient Arabian cemetery, on the provinces, namely, Khiva, Boukhara, Samarkand, outskirts of Samarkand, there awaits the digging Fergana and the Pamir. These were geographi¬ explorer buried treasures which would add much cal divisions even before the gradual extension to our scanty knowledge of a race of people of Russian power from 1865-1895. Russia has which inhabited this whole region prior to the constructed a single line of railway extending from advent of Philip’s son. It is one of the most Orenburg southward to Tashkent through the interesting places in the world, especially from heart of Central Asia, tapping the rish districts of the standpoint of the student of history. Samarkand, Boukhara and Mervc. From the Where Klitos died by Alexander’s hand, latter point the railroad turns northward and The Moslem’s creed holds undisputed sway; skirts the Persian frontier until it reaches Kras- Into the soil of hoary Samarkand, novodsk, a port of the Caspian Sea. In this wav Famed Timour’s tomb is crumbling in decay. one of the oldest and richest countries in Asia has been opened to the commerce of the world, The derelicts of man bestrew that waste— and, primarily, Russia has been able to take ad¬ A scene of stern and solitary gloom: vantage of such raw products as cotton, wool, And time unerring moves in reckless haste leather, carpets, rugs, minerals, etc., and utilize Engulfing all in one eternal tomb! them in the development of many new industries Syr-Darja, or the Turkestan of today, is a land which were formerly entirely dependent upon old in the history of human events. As far back foreign countries for manv of these materials. A as 450 B. C., Herodotus, the Ionian historian, branch railroad has also been constructed ofif the has much to say about the people who inhabited main line to Kokand and Andischan, the principal the regions of the trans-Jaxartes. Beneath the trade centers of the Fergana. Another branch Hellenic ruins of Old Merv are fragments of extends southward from Merv to the borders of architecture which prove that ancient site to be Afghanistan. one of the oldest settlements of mankind. Under The great Registan is the show place of Arabian dominion in the seventh century A. D. Samarkand. It is one of the most genuine this city was one of the most flourishing in the Saracenic structures in existence. Nor Cairo, Orient and rivaled Bagdad in progress and Damascus or Constantinople have anything to civilization. The surrounding oases were watered compare with it. Not even the Dome of the 1 # ’ »prE^MERICAK p OREIGN gERVICE JOURNAL Rock at Jerusalem is in the same class. The From out the slender minarets a call, Registan, with its four outward leaning minarets, Shrill and impressive on the noontide air, is the embodiment of all that is best in whatever Warns faithful Moslems to assemble all. has been created by Saracen-Arab architects, and Unto the hour of reverential prayer. this sweeping statement stretches back over four¬ So called the Muezzins: “God is most great! teen hundred years’ history of the Moslem creed. ’Tis better far to pray than ’tis to eat! The word “Registan” signifies “market place,” On earth Mohammed is Allah’s Prophet! just as the Greek word “Agora” means the same ’Tis better far to pray than ’tis to sleep!” thing. And I doubt if in the days of old, when The mausoleum of Tamerlane is fast becoming the market place of Athens drew to its forum a ruin. It is still covered with an imposing blue such intellectual giants as Pericles, Herodotus, cupola, which is the best preserved part of the Socrates and Plato, if it would have been possible structure. A mullah is at hand to conduct one to have seen a more interesting or colorful pic¬ through the tomb, and you soon descend into the ture than the one presented any day in the great crypt, where lies the sarcophogus of the Mon¬ square of the mosque, whose foundations were golian despot. It consists of two polished pieces laid by Tamerlane. of nephrite blocks—a very rare stone—and is sup¬ The Registan is the heart and soul of Samar¬ posed to be the largest of its kind in existence. kand. The muezzin and student of Moham¬ Close by, engraved in a block of jasper, is the medan theology dominate the place. During the geneaology of Tamerlane and a record of his fast of Ramazan it is especially interesting. deeds. When at noon time the priests ascend the mina¬ Old Samarkand is rich in other monuments, rets and in unison call the faithful to prayer, a which date from the best periods of Moham¬ scene of religious fervor is presented which is at medan architecture. The most of these buildings once striking and instructive. The students come consist of green and blue bricks, together with out from their cells round about and superintend tiles, which glitter in the sun and present extraor¬ the ceremony. With measured tread the wor¬ dinary exteriors. The colors have been mar¬ shipers enter—perhaps a thousand in number—• velously preserved, especially in the minarets and and with rythmic genuflections go through the doorways of the mosques. ritual of their faith. Allah Akbar! Not far from the Registan stands the mighty dome and minarets of the mosque which Tamerlane reared in honor of his favor¬ ite wife. Report has it that the interior was renowned for its magnificent decorations. There is not much to be seen of all this today. In the cen¬ ter of the courtyard stands a colossal Koran pulpit. In the center of the pulpit is a hole for childless women to crawl through. When this is done in the presence of a mullah, who blesses the cere¬ mony, the defect of sterility is supposed to be overcome. Upon the pulpit these mir¬ acles have been inscribed. An inspection of the tablets did not reveal that any wom¬ an from the Christian Occi¬ dent had ever made a pil¬ Photo by E. L. Harris grimage here in order to take SCHIR—DAR MOSQUE, SAMARKAND the cure! 2 'J'HE^^MERICAN ^ OREIGN <^ERVTCE | JOURNAL Anyhow, there the mosque stands, and like the any time after the above-mentioned safe is opened tomb of Cecilia Metella, the wealthiest Roman’s in the morning and before it is locked in the evening.” wife, it was reared for a Mongolian queen: The cost of the premium for insurance of all Behold Timour’s love or pride! of the above risks was £3.0.0d. This insurance, at the Consulate in Liverpool, is apart from and in addition to a collective INSURANCE ON CONSULAR fidelity guarantee agreement as to employes FUNDS handling office receipts. By L. J. KEENA, Consul General, Liverpool BLUE, RED, OR GRAY? I have recently taken out, in my favor, a type of insurance which may he of service interest in From ALLAN DAWSON, V. C., Rio de Janeiro view of the personal responsibility of a consular SIR: Im very seke. I kend come to R officer for all fees collected by the office of which Im not very sterong to come done to R Sir he is in charge. baut wene i fal cood i wall come done to R The policy was written by a local company to se you sir. I bang trong fetse* baut wena i (The Liverpool and London and Globe Insur¬ fel cood i come done. ance Company, Limited) and the pertinent para¬ *“Bang trong fetse,” perhaps “been throwing graphs read: fits”? Money in Transit from the bank for the pay¬ ment (estimated) of wages from the time the money is received (amount) at the bank by messenger and/ or employe until delivered at the insured’s premises, whilst there and until paid to employes, provided that if any be left over when the premises are closed same is secured in locked safes and/ or strong room, not, however, exceed¬ ing the amount of two hundred pounds in respect of any one claim, whether in con¬ nection with any one drawing from the bank or otherwise £500 Money in transit to bank for lodgment therein, from the time the money is dis¬ patched from the insured’s office in charge of messenger and/ or employe until paid into the bank, not, however, exceeding the amount of two hundred pounds in re¬ spect of any one claim whether in/ connec¬ tion with any one payment to the bank or otherwise 19,500 Total £20,000 If the amount of cash transferred to and from bank is less than the total above stated, in the year covered by the policy, a rebate will be paid the insured, and if the total amount is in excess of £20,000 a proportionate additional premium will be due the company.