The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-08-15
Dunkiirk Storm Center
OF Many European roubles
III History Of the World
And is Now One of the Most
Bitterly Contested Points
in the World War.
esrre,AL 70 TINS :4EL1aaAl.,

+
ESPECIAL 70 The TGLGoRAh1
WASHINGTON Aug, 14.-Dunkirk.
one OF the most bitterly contested
points OF the world war, which has
continued to be place Of first inter
est on the western battle line ever
since the fall of Antwerp. is describ-
ed in today's war primer issued by the |
National Geographic Society as fol;
lows:
Franco, has been an important strong
hold from the days when it was forth
fed by Baldwin II, count OF Flanders,
in the tenth century, and. due to its
peculiar military value. 1t has been the
storm center OF many European
strife for the continental channel
coast ran IN favor OF first one and
then the other The kings of France
disputed the possession of the town
with the counts of Flanders. Condo
captured Dunktrk in 1916 for his mas
ter. Louis XIV. and the Spaniards
took the place again in 1862 Austria
held 1t.
Naval Advantage Of Old.
1.-The Frenchman, the Ang1o-Saxon,
the Dutchman and the German includ-
led the dune country in which sD1lnkirk
Law among their prominent asptra-
lions. The commercial and military
value Of Antwerp and Rotterdam were
then unguessed. Dhnkirk was geo.
graphically, commercially and po1iti-
cally central, comm erc;a1 promtsel
and a naval advantage to the power
holding 1t. In 1858, Marshall Turenne
beat the Spahtards here. and with aim
fought 600 of CromweN's Ironsides.
The battle of the Dunes was almost
as red and violent as are the relent-
|loes e4rneyolas NOW 1niYrp. on amid the
gray wastes and sandy ridges.
.The port WIS coded to England,
and the English Strengthened 1t and
built citadel here. Louis XIV pur-
chased 1t for France from the 1mpoV-
erished Charles IL, paying about 81
COO, O00 In the struggles which foi-
lowed, between France and England,
Dunkirk became the center OF war
of privateers on English trade, work
ing such Significant damage upon the
island Kingdom that the English In
sisted upon the destruction of the har-
Dor and Notifications as part OF the
terms of the peace of Utrecht In I1lS.
The English repeated this demand az
the peace of Paris in 1T63. In 1888,
the English forces under the Duke OF
York laid a determined but unsuc-
.cessful siege to the port.
"Dunkirk is fortress OF the first
complex net of fortresses. Calais,
Gravelines, Bergues and aRourbouTg,
form a triangle OF stron gholds, with
Dunlird at theSapex whose frotns pro-
tect the coast and the4approach from
Belgium A chain OF forts Stretcn eass
from Dunkird to cover the movements
Of a defending army These forts are
cate system Of canals and water SUR
faces, and, to strengthen them, the
whole surrounding country can be In
undated The water, defenses mako
this line all but impregnable. Win
all the dune country awash,< and DOM
mated by powerful batteries. the port
of Dunkirk offers difficult military
problem.
Splendid Situation. 49,.
"The fort is situated in the depart
ment of Nord, 1855 miles north of Paris,
and twenty miles northeast, OF Calais
1t is fifty-three miles northwest OF
Lille, one of the great French indus
trial towns back of the German lines.
Dixmude, on the German front, IS
scarcely more than twenty miles away.
The surrounding country is low, brok-
en- by sand ridges, fertile in stretches,
cut in all directions by canals, and,
in general, terribly n1onotonous. The
city before the war had a we'll to do
population of $4,000. The harbor is
highly improved consisting of q mum.
her OF inner basins and great hoatlng~
docks In the roadstead, where the
largest ships are handled.
'.Dunkirk contested third place up
on the French list of ports hotlY with
Bordeaux It's excellent canal and
railway connections. linked It with the
manufacturing centers'of Belgium and.
northern france The coal lands OF
Nord and Pas-de-Calais, the rich ag-
ricultural districts of Flanders and
Artois, and the lhumming factory
towns Of Lille, Roubaix, ,Valencienpes,
Armentieres and Tourcoing poured
their surpluses into this city in times
OF peace. II. did an annual import and
export trade to the value OF $3.50, QOO.-
600 shipping sugar. coal, cereals, wool,
forage, ceni ent, textiles and iron man
#ufactures, phosphates. tools. machin-
ery and vegetables. 1t had growing
textile and steel industries. 1t main
tained communication with the CHER
norts of the United Kingdom, with
New York, ports OF South America and
the Orient, and imported wool, 1ute,
fax. petroleum. cotton. timber. metal
ores and chemical products. It's her
ring and cod fisheries we're important.
Altogether the famous old fortress was
forging to the front among great com
mercial seaports when the disastrous
world war broke which has halted It's
business and again conferred the mile
tary attention of the world upon It