RESOURCES OF TURKEY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5288, 7 March 1878, Page 3

RESOURCES OF TURKEY.

Ths area of Turkey in Europe is 158,090 square miles, with au estimated population of 9,609,0<h>, giving an average of 61 to the square mile. In Asia her dominions cover 724,183 square miles, with an estimated population of 16,325,000, and a density of only 23 to the square mile, so that the entire territory of the empire embraces au area of 882,273 square miles, carrying a population of 25,994,000. Turkey is consequently rather sra dler than South Australia, and contains three millions fewer inhabitants than Great Britain and Ireland. But, as The Times observes, “ the resources of nearly the whole twenty-five millions (of the Turkish population) are available in a contest although as a set off auainst this it must not be forgotten that the Sultan recruits his armies from the Mohammedan races exclusively, these constituting only two-thirds of his subjects. We are reminded, however, that the adult males of fighting age belonging to these two-thirds must be ample for an ind.- finite period of reoruiting;thatthewholopopulationof the United Kingdom during the great wars at the beginning of the present century was only about sixteen millions, and that of France twentysix millions; that Prussia only numbered eighteen millions before the battle of Sadowa; a ;d that the Northern States of the American Republic, with a population of only twentyfour millions, kept an army of a million of men in the field during the civil war; while the seceding States, with only eight millions to recruit from, had at least half arnillion underarms. Hence, it is contended, there is no probability of Turkey having to succumb to her opponent for want of ihen to fight with. Her ability to prolong the-conflict will depend upon her financial resources, and it is important, therefore, to inquire what is the extent of these Here, again, the results brought out will prove a die igrecaole sui prise to the partisans of the hag-aud-haggage policy, who condemn a whole nation’ for the vices of its rulers, and imagine that Constantinople is Turkey, which is as great a mistake as it would have been to pronounce that London was England, and that the mother country was sick unto death, when Charles tiie Second was a pensioner of France ; and when, as Macaulay tells us, “ scarcely any rank or profession escaped the infection of

the prevailing, immorality, and those persons who made politics their business were perhaps the most corrupt part of the corrupt society.” The entries of shipping in Turkish ports - are 6,000,000 tons annually, while those in Russian ports are- only 4,000,000 ; but th-n the policy of the latter country is protective, while Turkey levies Customs duties for revenue only. Her foreign trade ;is computed'by, J%e Times writer to be nearly forty millions sterling per annum, I .and this leads'him, to - remark that ” a state of twenty-six .-millions, which has a surplus of twenty millions to exchange for foreign products, rau-t have cv-nsiderab'e resources to falT back upon for purposes of defence. If its people choose to go without some for eign products which they buy in ordinary years, they may have a good deal to spend iii the equipment of their armies.” Ami in a war like' this, -which inflames the religious ardor as well as the patriotic feelings of the Mohammedan population of Turkey, these men are capableof making heroic sacrifices, and of cheerful!r enduring great privations.The yearly revenue of the Turkish Government is set down at £22,000,000, one half of which is derived from tithes' and a sheep tax ; and the cost of administering the aff irs of the country is so low as to indicate,that it is one of the most cheaply governed nations in Europe. - . : .