Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-17
DIPLOMATS VIEWS.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet, the Dsrdanelles
and the Projected Canal to the Baltic Sea.

British Mediterranean feet being de-
barred by the above traty from pass
ing through the Dardaneles TO the
Black sea Indeed, the latter possible
lty In the event of q central Aslatio
war between Russia and England In
dla Is pregnant with the most dlreful
apprehensions on the part Of Russia.
Il would mean not less than the burst
ing apart OF Russia from the south,
where she is weakest, where Turkey
borders on her territory throughout It's
length, where the many millions OF her
Mohammedan subjects form solid
mass OF an allen, disaffected popula-
ton, ready at any time TO throw off the
yoke.
All these considerations make II evi.
dent that Russia failed In her cher
ished plan 10 avail herself OF her Black
sea feet for the reinforcement Of the
two squadrons that are nearing the
eastern seas. II Is hard to decide
whether TO admire more the logged
herolsm OF this step or to wonder at
the desperateness OF the Russian stu.
alton IN the far east, which made this
step necessary. Small as the chances
II before It's arrival In the spring Port
Arthur shall have fallen, and the Rus
sian warshps In that harbor shall have
been destroyed by their own crews,
for II IS not 10 be assumed
ing TO the military code-that the Rus
sian commanders will allow them to
fall Into japanese hands The desper-
ateness OF sending that fleet around
the world Is. however. ineligible and
eXcusable II there Is one chance IN
hundred 20 destroy the Japanese naval
force even though at the expense of
every Russian Warshlp that reaches
the orient for such an event would
successfully cut the arteries that feed
japanese strength I'm China and Korea.
But the defeat OF the Russian fleet win
end the cars dominion In Vladl-
vostOk with It's proud name signify
ing ruler OF the eastD as effectively
as IN Port Arthur or In Dalny.
But, 20 return TO the Black sea feet
what is TO be It's mission In the future
Russian economy OF war? Is II to be
bottled up there forever. simply to COW
er the Turkish coastlands Of Asia and
Europe pre-eminenty Constantlnople2
Was this the original intention when Il
was built up as powerfully as It really
IS? BY no means. When Russia abro.
gated IN 1870, while France was al
war and England isolated, the provl.
sions OF the treaty OF Paris in 1855
that no warships should be permitted
her In the Black sea, and 10 no military
or naval arsenals on It's coasts. and
began the building OF powerful feet
her hope was that sooner or later Con.
stantinople would be IN her hands. and
Herewith the straits OF the Dardanel.
les, n splendid asset 10 let out her
Black sea feet into the seas OF the
world and not 20 let In any other fleet,
which for the aforementioned rea.
sons would be doomed TO Immediate
destruction In any such attempt.
The terrible awakening process which
Russia is undergoing at present must
surely convince even her most optimlst.
ic statesmen that the hope for the con.
quest OF Constantinople has been elm.
mated for an incalculable time. and
that II Constantinople is ever to fail It
VIII fall In the hands OF the greatest
naval power in the world, rather than
10 her IN which event the Black sea
HftA Nbull NuoU httnIlt an asset 10
that naval power without any means
Of escape.
During the last few months, and es-
pecially since the outlet through the
Dardanelles for the Black sea feet has
proven so. thoroughly unprecedented the
question OF an immense Baltic Black
sea canal has been preached IN Russia
again and again. The tremendous task
OF the Siberian railroad, which, though
imperfect as yet. has nevertheless
proved the only possible salvation OF
Russia In the far east, encourages also
to this great enterprise which appears
a like question TO European Russia
The new waterway Is TO connect Riga
the great seaport on the Baltic with
Kherson, on the mouth Of the Dnelper.
Three streams are TO be utilized for
this purpose-the Dyina, the Bereslna
and the Dneiper--all three Of which
pass with a slow current through the
Sarmatian plain, A small canal al
ready connects them, but the deepening
would still constitute an enormous task
The diggings would extend al least over