The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-04-30


stantinople, ready to push forward
with all the power at her command
when the time shall arrive for the grand
ronp.
Despite the fact of her lack of sea
coast, Russia to-day ranks fifth among
the naval powers of the world. Size
wishes to be great maritime power.
The Black sea has good harbors and
abundant facilities for building ships
and exercising fleets, and, moreover. is
a convenient outlet of that great net
work of rivers which covers Russia.
If Russia could command the Bos-
porus and the Dardanelles, she would
have facilities for disposing other wheat
and the products Of the Caspian mines
and oil wells that would bring her into
the closest competition with other
Countries. 1t is this fact that is beil 9
co ,stantly drilled into every Russian,
from the highest to the lowest.
By the treaty of Paris, concluded in
1856, after the severe reverses which
she had met in the Crimean war, Rus
sa agreed not to maintain fleet in
the Black sea, but the insincerity of her
purpose was shown in 1879, when, a
great war threatening to force itself
upon Europe, she abrogated this treaty.
Since that time she has built and
maintained large fleet of iron-clads
and other vessels Of war in the Black
sea, while the shores have been made
almost impregnable.
But it is on this sea alone that her
war vessels may cruise, and no Rus
sian man-ofwar has ever sailed out
of it, Were the attempt to be made,
it would mark the opening of a gcner-
al European war. No merchantmen
can leave or enter the Black sea eX-
cept by the Bosporus and Dardanelles;
which are its gates, and Of these gates
Turkey holds the keys. The Black
sea is joined to the deep, narrow sea,
of Marmara by the straits of the Bos-
porus, twelty-miles long, and from
three-quaeters of a mile to two and a
halfmiles wide. just where the straits
open into the sea of Marmora stands
Constantinople, spot marked by ma
ture as the best of all sites for a great
metropolis. At its western extremity
the sea of Marmora-about one hund-
red miles long with maximum breadth
til of forty-three miles-contracts into
the straits usually called the Dardan-
elles, properly the name of four castles
which command the passage, here less
than mile wide. The advantage of
this position is paramount, for to the
military eye it 1T once suggests Won
derful strength, and, properly fortifi-
ed, would be able to offer defiance to
the combined navies as the world
Possession of these straits, with the
contiguous shores, would give Russia
fearful preponderence. Great Brit
ain would be the first, and perhaps the
only, nation to suffer, although there
is no reason to disbelieve the state
ments of continental diplomatists. that
Russia would use such power to lay
the whole of Europe at her feet.
But speaking of Great Britain alone
the ownership Of the Dardanelles by
Russia would most seriously menace,
not only the further growth, but even
the very * stence, of that nation.
Lord Derby appreciated the momen-
tousness of the question when, as pre-
mier in 1871, at the time of second
threatened outbreak, he said, defend
ing the action Of the government in
sending a fleet to the Mediterranean:
"Wc have in that part of the world
interests which we must protect. 1t
is said that we sent the fleet to the
Oar ,lanelle, to maintain the Turkish
empire. entirely deny it. We sent
hn Hnnt tn nfoin fhn i,fn Of
the British empire"
Nor is it an exaggeration. Russia
has shown herself grasping nation;
that her success has not been greater
has been due to number of untoward
circumstances which have severely
handicapped her. For years she has
had to bear the combined affronts and
antagonism of every European nation,
but slowly and surely her diplomatists
have worked out their plans of intr-
gse and coercion. until to-day she holds
the whip-hand over Europe. With
the Dardanelles under her control,
she uld in single year. rule the er-
tire Mediterranean and force upon
nearly every notion of Europe the
most exacting conditions by seizing
the Suez canal and permitting trade
with the east only on sufference.
Fleets built and equipped at Sebasto-
pol, kherson, and Nico.ief could sweep
the Dardanelles, closed to all except
themselves, and enter the Archipelago
and Mediterranean, dominating their
shores and the commerce of every ma
ton which has to use these waters as
a highway.
And then, on the other hand, allow
ing that, in the course of events, re-
verses might take place, it would be
an easy matter to withdraw into the
Rlack Sea and tharn 1afv tho comh;p