South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-09
WILL 1T FAIL A THIRD TIME?

WILL 1T FALL \ THIRD TIME?
ConstantinOple-m magic name that
conjures visions Of Turkish maidens
peeping cOyly through the latticed
windows Of the harems; OF the Serag-
Ito. with its gardens and groves, OF
the Garden OF Delight. its gorgeous
4 parterres and pavilions-COnstanti-
nople, before the walls OF which the
guns OF the allied fleets now threaten.
Constantinople. in European TIr-
4 key, capital OF the Turkish empire
is situated at the extreme end Of the
: Sea OF MarmOra. with the BOsphOrus
on the south and east and the Golden
/ Horn, an inlet OF the latter about six
miles in length, on the north. 1t is
surrounded by water on all sides ex-
4 cepting the west, and has a sea front
! of about eight miles in extent. The
city is triangular in shape, it's apex
/ projecting into the Bosporus and it's
base. a lofty double wall four miles in
length. stretching across the promon-
tory from the sea of Marmora TO the
Golden Horn. This wall Is now in
ruinous state and for purposes OF de-
fence antiquated and worthless.
The streets OF the Turkish capital
are extremely narrow. dark. dirty and
iiI paved and so crooked that hardly
any two run parallel for any length.
The houses are generally low and i'll
built, their windows strictly closed
with lattice work Of cane in the center
Of which, excluded from public view,
sits the women OF the Turk endeavor-
| ing 20 see what is passing in the street.
The city is supplied with water by
public fountains which are numerous
and often extremely beautiful.
The harbor of the Golden Horn,
which more resembles a large river. is
deep. well sheltered and capable Of
containing 1900 ships.
Constantinople is rich in historic
lore. 1t was named after Constantine
the Great. who rebuilt it in 32S a. d.
No city in the world has been sub
jected TO such numerous and cele-
brated sieges and no other has under
gone so many vicissitudes of fortune
but withal, il has been taken but
twice-by the Crusaders in 1904 and
by the Turks under Mohammed ii in
1853. the latter an event which COM
pleted the extinction of the Roman
empire in the east.
It's inhabitants are Turks. Arabs,
Greeks, Armenians, Jews. Circassians,
Bulgarians and various other nation
alities. It's population is approx
mately one and one-half millions.
mi Of
forts on the land side but it's defenses
against attack from the Sea of Mar
mora or the Golden Horn are made
ouatc 1t relies upon its remarkable
location for protection from the war
fleets of foreign nations.
The Bosporus, or Strait OF Constan-
tinople. a narrow channel is miles
long, joins the Black sea and the Sea
OF Marmora on the Russian side,
while the DardaneIles. also narrow
and swift of current, 40 miles in
length, connects the Sea of Marmora
at its other end with the Mediter-
ranean.
Both OF these passages are fortified
on both banks with a string of forts
of most up TO date construction and
we'll eluipped with modern armament
OF the highest German type.
To force the passage Of either would
doubtless prove task taxing the re-
sources OF the allies, hut a fleet once
within the sea of Marmora, the cap
ture Of the capital would prove a COM
paratively easy task railroad eN-
tends from Constantinople TO Adrian
opIe thence through Sofia in Bulgaria
TO Belgrade in Servia.
with the fall OF the Turkish capital
the hordes Of Russia would sweep into
Austria from two directions and an
easy route would be open both for its
troops and munitions of war for the
relief OF CprVfa