Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 April 1915 — OPENING OF DARDANELLES MAY HAVE WIDE REACHING EFFECTS [ARTICLE]

OPENING OF DARDANELLES MAY HAVE WIDE REACHING EFFECTS

Development of Indicated Operations Seems to Purpose Expulsion of Turks From Constantinople—Allies in West End Need Oil and Grain, While Russia Desires Southern Ingress to Her Territory for Her War Shipments.

New York.—The Herald’s naval correspondent writes: The most striking characteristic of this great war is the rapidity with which its main interest centers first in one part of the world and then in another. Something like eight thousand miles separated the scene of the battle off the Falkland felands and that oft the Dogger bank, while on land attention is riveted at one time on the Belgian coast or the campaign in Lorraine, and at another in the Carpathians or on a life-and-death struggle in Poland. This week the minds of both naval and military watchers of the conflict have been directed to the "Dardanelles, the gates of Asia. There another phase of the world-wide war is opening, the effect of which no man can tell. Each of the contending empires in the conflict possesses an advantage which in a measure compensate one the other. While Britain holds the command of the sea, Germany has the Interior position on land, which enables her to strike alternately heavy blows on either front She also has been able, with the assistance of Austria and Turkey, and aided by the geographical conditions, to drive a wedge between the communications of her enemies which extends from the North sea almost to the Indian ocean. The movement in the Mediterranean indicates the determination on the part of the superior sea power to cut that wedge In two.

against the modern materials of war, so those in the straits will be overwhelmed by the mass of explosives hurled upon them from the long-range artillery of the battleships of today. When the' forts in the straits were planned ships were dependent upon the wind and they carried guns which could not compare in power with those mounted tn the land batteries. When Vice-Admiral Duckworth took a British squadron through the straits in 1807 his vessels were assailed with huge shots, some of them weighing 800 pounds, but even these heavy missiles did little damage. Today the British ships will throw shells filled with high explosives, each more than double the weight of the shot thrown at Vice-Ad-miral Duckworth’s ships, and the destruction wrought by such missiles will be immeasurably greater. Moreover, it is unnecessary for the ships themselves to approach near enough to be injured by the shore batteries, even if the guns in these have been somewhat augmented from German sources. It is already announced that the forts at the mouth of the straits, about two miles apart, have been crumbled into atoms, and those in the narrows, further up, can be similarly treated at ranges at which the ships’ themselves will be comparatively immune. There remain other obstructions in the shape of mines in the but that these have been located by the British submarines is

The strategic importance of the straits between EuYope and Asia has been recognized from very ancient times. It was on the Chersonese, the peninsula on the western side of the straits, that the Turks got their first foothold in Europe. It may very well be that if it now falls into the hands of Great Britain its occupation by British troops will mean the uprootIng of the last vestige of Ottoman rule .in the northern continent. There are at least indications of the development of a far-reaching operation from both ends of the Sea of Marmora, having for its purpose the expulsion of the Turk from Constantinople. There are other objects of first-class importance to be obtained from a successful attack on the Dardanelles. Now that the Archangel route is closed by ice, communication between Russia and her allies has almost entirely ceased. There is no outlet for the Immense supplies of corn and oil of which they are in want and which she could furnish, and, on the other hand, the only source of supply of the munitions of war, which she cannot manufacture herself, must be brought over the long and difficult road from Vladivostok and Harbin. The opening of the Dardanelles and the Bosporus must have, therefore, an Immediate and important effect both in the western and eastern theaters of war. Nor can ft be doubted that a substantial gain of this character to Germany’s foes would directly Influence the nations which hpve been for so long hesitating about entering the war. All the Balkan States would be affected considerably, and while Greece could scarcely stand still with Russia at the gates' of Constantinople, Italy might well feel that this-sharp stroke removed the last doubt as regarding the side with which she should be acting. Of the operation Itself, although the Dardanelles have long been regarded as impregnable, it fe more than likely that as other fortresses have failed tn maintain their security

certain, and their remora! should b»‘ no difficult task. Once the*passage is clear for the ships of war, and these are off/ Gallipoli, the remainder of the business is simple. With the numbers and composition of the Turkish garrison in the Gab lipoli peninsula the British authorities must be acquainted, and, the forts be-. Ing destroyed, a force of sufficient' strength doubtless will be landed, if necessary under the fire of the guns. The configuration of the mainland by a narrow Isthmus not four miles wide at Hulair, and open to bombardment from the sea at either side, makes the occupation and holding of it by the stronger sea power easy. The possession of the peninsula, as the late, admiral of the fleet, Sir Geoffrey Horn-1 by, said in 1877, when he took an, ironclad fleet through, guarantees a ! safe passage, not only for the ships of. war, but for their auxiliaries as well. The appearance of a Franco-British fleet off Constantinople and the consequent wiping out of the Ottoman navy, even with its German re-enforce-, ment, will make the task of Russia at the Bosporus end a light one. Already, It is said, Russian forces are; assembling at Odessa and the trans-; ports are available whenever re-\ qulred, so, in the opinion of many astute onlookers, the ultimate success! of this undertaking is scarcely indoubt. It will be one more lesson of the übiquitous exercise of sea; power.