Lecture on Arabia

Dr. S. M. Zwemer, fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London, delivered an illustrated lecture last evening in Peabody Room, Phillips Brooks House, on "Arabia: the Country and its Future."

Although it is the popular opinion that Arabia is largely a desert, there is on the contrary a large amount of arable land, which can be successfully developed if the Arabians are given proper opportunities. They have always been sailors and ship-builders, and in this age of commerce their experience should give them success in this field.

In northwestern and southern Arabia lie the greatest agricultural districts from which wheat superior to that from America is exported to London, and date orchards where over 500,000 tons of dates were raised last year. As long as the Arabs remain nomads, however, the future of Arabia will be dark. The wandering tribes destroy the railroads, break up commerce and rob the citizens. The Turkish government is offering rewards and free land as an encouragement for them to settle down and cultivate the soil.

Both Turkey and Great Britain are trying to absorb independent Arabia and the Bedoin tribes. Turkey at the same time is killing Arabian commerce by her misrule, and high tariff. Her power, however, will probably be overthrown in the near future by a general revolt of the Arabian tribes. The whole future of Arabia rests on the question whether or not she will exchange her present religion for Christianity. English and American missionaries are trying to solve this problem, and if they continue to equal the splendid devotion of the pioneers in the work, they will undoubtedly solve the problem successfully.