The morning call., 1891-04-16
THE DARDANhLLEs DISPUTE.

The news that Russian ship loaded with
railway material was refused by the Turk
ish Government permission to pass through
the Dardanelles, ard that the refusal was
only withdrawn when it became apparent
that persistence in it would involve Seri-
Gus complication, carries US back to ancient
history-to the times when Spain claimed
to own the Pacific Ocean and Great Britain
to be sovereign of the British Channel from
the white cliffs of Dover to the beach of
Calais. In those days, dominion over the
cas- nominally rested on discovery and the
occupancy Of adjacent territory, but in re-
atty Oh force. The power which was able
t. drive IFS rivals from the ocean was its
master. So long as Van Tromp was able 10
roam the channel with his terrible broom
at his masthead it was hardly worth while
investigating Hollands title to maritime do
minion.
With the spread Of ocean navigation, the
exclusive claims of nations to the ownership
of high seas was relaxed, though thin a
century the Portuguese claimed as matter
of abstract right exclusive property i'll the
Indian Ocean, and the Algerines exacted
tribute from ships in the Mediterranean.
But with regard to narrow straits, arms of
the sea dividing two nearly contiguous ter
riiories, nations owning the territories have
claimed until quite recently to own the
straits as well. Indeed at the present day,
though no formal announcement of the
right has ever been put forth, Great Britain
regulates the navigation Of the narrow
strait which divides northwestern Ceyl0n
from continental India in a manner which
implies proprietorship. A blow was dealt
TO The doctrine when the sound dues were
abolished half a century ago; but as q
money payment was made to Denmark in
consideration OF the abolition Of tile dues,
the transaction rather confirmed than denied
DenmaIks claim that she owned the sound.
With regard TO the Dardanelles the case
stood on somewhat different ground. Tur-
key has always claimed exclusive owner
ship of that body Of water, and as it is forty
seven miles long by only three or four miles
wide, with Turkish territory on both sides,
there was some plausibility in the conten-
ton that it should be included among inland
waters. The powers generally conceded
Turkeys claim; the more readily because
until Odessa became great wheat-shipping
port commerce did not often invade the
Black Sea. But tine acquiescence in Turkish
dominion over the straits was nOttnvarable.
In the first decade of the century British
Admiral set the Porte at defiance and sailed
q fleet into the Black Sea. During the Greek
war OF INDEPENDENCE Russian men-of-war
ran the Dardaneles forts more than once
without injury, and it was no secret in 1855
that The destined field of operations of the
magnificent feet which was destroyed at
Sebastopol was the Mediterranean sea
that could only be reached by running
through the Dardaneles.
Perhaps the most memorable defiance OF
Turkey was hurled by our own Farragut,
who, in 1868, ran his flagship through
the strait into the Black Sea and invited
the Turks to fire on him if they dared. He
took the ground that the open seas of the
world belonged to the world at large, and
that a strait connecting two of them partoOk
Of their character. The Turks did not care
to try conclusions with the famous Admiral,
but European diplomates professed 10 be
nightly disguised with American impu-
deEce, and one OF the leading members of
the Italian Chamber warned his colleagues
that European nations would not be safe
until the United States had been taught a
lesson.
Taking a cOmmOn-sense view of the ques-
tion ii seems absurd that Turkey should
claim TO hold paddock on a sea which has
drainage area of nearly million square
miles, and which receives the waters of such
rivers as the Danube, the Don. the Dneiper,
the Dneister and the Volga. We might just
as well close the Gulf of Mexico TO foreign
men-Of-war, or Spain might seal the mouth
of the Mediterranean.