New-York tribune., 1902-10-12
THE DARDANELLEs.
o,p,vr To OPEN THEM To THE WAR
SHIPS OF ALL NATIONS THE SAM
AS THE sUEZ CANAL.

- ~ anDreciate the fun lmporiah'' OF ,
- .,,esrance Of Grand Duke Nicholas az Con
-.,ntinope under the very walls OF the h"ul% .
- on board q Russian ironclad, uho'f inc
.,srf of paying state Nlst 10 me S1l'"i' .
a,.,ssarv 10 bear in mind that no foreign ,
h.tteship has passed through The bafaaheIies
-, since the Crimean War forty-seNen .
- ago. That war. resulting in the defeat OF
-, by The united forces Of France. England.
$50 and Sardinia, was brought to a conclu- .
"a, tho so-eaued Treaty OF Paris Of lS16 .
--.pr 10 lhe terms A. which Russia was de- .
- er5m rebuilding The defences Of Sebasto- /
=, and from f1rtifying any port i'm the Black /
= ybila Che straits OF the Dardanelles were (
,,seB for an time 10 the passage of an! SHIPS
:, aar save those Of Turkey.
~ Rlacx sea was at the same time neutral
and Nh.lc opened 20 the commerce Of the
- Was closed 10 ships OF war Of every kind
= limited number Of small gunboats for
,.,eBue purposes and for policing the lower
Dspube. Al the close Of the war between
France and Germany in 1870, Russia, however,
took advantage of the situation 10 address a
circular note 10 The signatory powers, declaring
that it declined 10 be bound any longer by
those stipulatons Of the treaty which provided
for the naturalization Of the Black Sea. This
les 10 an international congress in London,
Of Paris i'm go Tar that Russia was permitted 10
maintain any number Of warships she saw ht
An the Black Sea But the Straits Of the Dar-
danelles were declared strictly barred as
eyer 10 an en-of-War. The result OF this has
naturally been that Russia has been compelled
until now TO build all the ships Of its large
and powerful Black sea fleet on the shores or
the Black Sea, since il has been impossible Tor
The car 10 lring into the Black Sea any Of the
men-of-War which have been built IN his Baltic
shpyards or in foreign countries.
Thus for instance the magnificent hattleship
which he had constructed 10y the Cramps IN
Philadelphia has 10y the terms # the Treaty OF
Paris even as amended by the Congress Of 1871,
IN London. been prevented from access 10 the
Black Sea and from visiting any Of Russia's
ports bordering thereon one OF the effects OF
this CALLING restriction placed upon Russia was
that she has been Obliged 10 maintain not one
heet bat two large and entirely distinct fleets in
southern waters, for she has not been able TO
use The Black Sea Squadron FOR the protection
OF her interests IN the Mediterranean, while in
the same Way she has been debarred from EN-
ployIug her maritime forces in the Mediter-
Tanean for duty in the Black Sea Moreover,
the ships II her Mediterranean Squadron have
not only had 10 be brought from the Baltic, but
have likeWis been shut of from an If The Mus
c0yite ports arscnals and bases OF supply in the
Black Sea. As Russia has port the
Mediterranean she has been Obliged when any
OF the ships Of her Mediterranean squadron have
been IN need Of repair dTydockiug, etc, either
10 depend upon the friendly offices Of France, of
Greece, OF England OF of some other Mediter-
Tanean power, or else 10 send the man-of- y ar
in question all the way back through the Straits
Of Gibraltar up the stormy Bay Of Bscay and
the North Sea tC her naval arsenaIs Oh the
Baltic.
Il viii readily bc understood that Russia has
Chafed bitterly under these costly restrictions,
so CALLING and Illuminating 20 her national pride
Indeed, il is only the reluctance TO involve her
set in with coalition OF great powers
that mas induced her 10 submit until now TO
tuch Welluigh utolerable condition Of things,
i0r when I'm the war between Russia and
Turkey, In 1876. the former wished 10 use her
Mediterranean fleet 10 awe Coustantinople she
vas warned by the sisnatory powers of the
Treaty OF Paris, and in particular by Great
Britain, that The attempt Of any MuscoIite
man-of-war 10 enter the Straits Of the Oar
daneles would be regarded as q c.sus belli, and
would have The effect of ranging the powers in
question on the side Of The Porte against Russia.
The latter had enough on is hands al tha time
without wishing Tor further trouble and accord
ngly abstained from making that naval move
on Constantnolle which, if there had been no
interference from the powers, would have
brought the struggle To a rapid and victorious
conclusion
According 20 the terms of Tho amended ,lauses