Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-11-28
GIVEN OF DARD-
ANELLES REGION AND THAT
OF AUSTRIAN GALiCiA.
HISTORIC LAC E S
Value Of Southern Straits as Strate-
gle Stronghold is Emphasized
Gaiicia Typical of Poland OF
Earlier Centuries.


war in Europe.
Keen political interest has conferred
around the Dardanelles since the time
when Persian strength was used upon
the soldiers of free Greece. Nerxes
came this way with his vast army for
the invasion Of Europe, and crossed
the Dardanelles then known as the
Helespont over pontoon bridge, con-
structed near Abydos, on the Asiatlcl
side. and touching the Grecian shores
near Sestos where the waterway IS
about $500 feet wide. 1t was on this
occasion that the capricous currents OF
the strait called forth the most historic
spanking ever given. They carried
away the pontoons, whereupon NerXes
ordered the Hellespont to be soIndly
flogged
When the eastern invasion had spent
itself after Marathon and Salamls, the
Dardanelles became point of depar-
ture for the hardy conqueror who turn
ed the tables. Alexander, in 334 b. T.,
LAG years after XerXes, crossed IN the
path of the Persian and began his sue
cessful subjugation of the outworn
east. The tide shifted once more, ana
throughout the long struggle OF BY
zantium against the east, the Dardan-
Giles were ever and again trontier wa,
tiers. At last in 1856 the Turks forced
themselves over the much contested
boundary, spread over it's European
banks and settled down to stay.
No longer {, frontier of EASTERN
western struggle the Dardaneiles. new
ertheless, preserved their political i'm
portance an Importance derived, nrst
from Turkish control of Mediterranean
Black Sea commerce. and later, from
the complex diplomatic game In which
the great powers OF Europe sought to
balance themselves enc against the
other. and each to make that balance
contribute to it's own advantage.
Mighty Russias only ports upon warm
water were in her Black Sea territory.
Conventions Of the powers, however.
have held her shut UT fast within the
inland sea. For century these con-
ventions have stood between Russia
and her ambitions to have an outlet on
the Mediterranean.
BY five power treaty in 1S4l, 1t was
arranged that no ship Of var OF any
nation other than the Ottoman should
pass the Dardanelles without express
permission of the Porte. The closing OF
the strait was reaffirmed at London In
1871 and at Berlin in 1878. Even
merchant vessels must have passes,
which they are required to show to the
authorities at the narrows. Boats may
pass through only during the daytime,
yet they are required to pay a small
lighthouse fee.
Strait is Marrow.
The strait is a narrow, Irregular
channel, connecting the Aegean Sea
with the Sea of Marmora. 1t cuts Eu-
rope from Asia on course from the
southwest to northeast. 1t is only about
forty five miles long, while it varies In
width from one to five miles. Its aver
age depth is 1870 feet. Upon the Eu-
ropean side the shores are steep and
barren and their inhospitable line OF
battery crowned rocks makes the OAR
danelles a place for unusually strong
defense. The shores on the Asiatic side
are long sloped and very fertile: for
the most part being clothed with beau
tiful forests
The Dardanelles guard the approach
to Constantinople from the Mediterran-
can AS the Bosphorus guards the APP
proach from the Black Sea. They were
first fortified by two castles, one on
either shore, in the path of Xerxes
and Alexander, built by Mohammed II
in 1852. These have often been remod
eled During the last century with
Turkish power on the wane, and the
Turk himself, apparently acquiescent,
the remodeling and extending of the
old Notifications was brought about
by French, English and German prod
ding, as temporary interests pointed to-
ward the Golden Horn.
In Galcia.
Most of old Poland which survives,
in race and in political consciousness.
in typical culture and in folk-character
survives in the Austrian crownland of
Galicia. Under the more sternly re-
pressive rule of Russian and German
lordship, the Poles in Russia and Ger
many have been driven little by little
from their stronghold of national feel
ing. They are becoming half hearted
Russians and Germans, for Russia and
Germany have done al in their power
to assimilate the well night unassimi-
able Pole. In Galicia, however, with
constitution of their own. under a per
picked and lenient central government,
a consciousness of old Poland remains,
and has grown in intensity in recent
times.
Hemmed in by Russia on the north
and east by the suspicious border pa
troll, naturally cut off from Hungary on
the south and southwest by the Car
pathans barely touching its sovereign
Austria, on the west, the Galician Pole
has been left to himself, to the single
handed solution Of his own difficulties,
political, economic, and administrative.
With little to prod him into violent in
dustrial exertion, he has continued the
past into the present. with it's quaint
customs, its devotion to agriculture and
it's poverty stricken idealism.
Galician slopes away from the Car
pathians to meet the boundless Russian
plain on the north. It's southern up!
lands are devoted largely to grazing
grounds for horses, cattle and sheep.
In the middle lands, cereals and sugar
beets are grown. The crownland is
sparsely populated, and in many parts
it's lands are very fertile, so that more
than enough of breadstuffs, meat and
other products are raised for home con-
sumption, permitting the expectation of
cereals and meat products in consider
able amounts, mainly to Germany
A VeritabIe Poland.
Galicia is Poland, ancient Poland, and
like the Fatherland of old, it's masses
are miserably poor, while it's classes are
very rich third Of it's tillabIe lands
are held by great landowners in estates
of more than 1,400 acres, and one half
are held in blocks of IA acres or less.
Galicia is agricultural. 1t has little min
eral wealth, and less industry Much OF
its 30,321 square miles are morass,
sand or forest land and all else is