Valdez daily prospector., 1915-03-10
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1915.
[!
THE ALLIES AND THE DARDA-
 NELLES.

the House of Commons recently that Great Britain was in sympathy with Russia's aspirations in the Mediterra- mean, it is hard to escape the impress sion that he must have had earlier knowledge of the reduction of the Turkish forts at the mouth of the Dardanelles. It is also plain that Sir Edward had in mind the situation on the eastern battle line The recent Russian reverses were the reason for the British for eign minister's utterance, the pros pect of Allied success in the Darda- nelles was the occasion. Russias s sac rifices in the Allied cause have been so heavy, the Austro-German pressure on her armies at the present moment is so severe, it was apparently neces- sary to extent to Russia an official pledge of the reward that will be hers if she endures to the last. With the promise of Constantinople from her Allies, Russia will not only be spurred on to greater efforts, but she can face the tremendous German assault al most with equanimity. If peace is to be concluded on the basis of posses sion, and peace finds the Germans in possession of the larger part of Po- land, Russia will have compensation elsewhere. Constantinople may be regarded as a good offset for War saw.
 The conquest by the Allies of the highway between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean would be far-reach- ing in it's political results, which in turn are bound to influence the mil itary situation. The delicate balance in the Near East, and Italy, will re- spond to the new pull on the Allied side, But even the immediate results are of the highest importance. With Turkey split in two and her offensive power reduced to minimum, the pressure on Russia in the Caucasus will be relieved. The safety of Egg ypt will have been secured. 'The large English forces in Egypt will @ released for service elsewhere. To Russia there will be an immedi- ate profit in the establishment of an important line of communications with her Allies in the Mediterranean. There is much talk of the outpour of Russia wheat when the Dardanelles are opened. But more important for the moment will be the inpour of munitions of war into Russia from the west With heI Arctic port froz- en in, Russia at present can draw supplies only by way of Vladivostok, roundabout way, considering how great are her needs of war material. German authorities have laid stress on Russia's enormous losses in guns and munitions, and have predicted that long before her supply of men gives out, Russia will be in want of arms and equipment. The opening of the Dardanelles would change all that.
 As yet, however, only the forts at the mouth of the Dardanelles have been silenced. The official report from London speaks of operations as l. proceeding. The Allied fleet has still to surmount the resistance of sub- sidiary Notifications strung along the entire length of the Straits, and the peril from mines, with which unques- tionably the narrow waters are thick ly sown. The task is not an insur- \ mountable one. The restricted area K of the mined waters is in favor of [ the Allies. It would seem to be a { question of sending in torpedo boats and auxiliary craft to fine-comb the Dardanelles. In view of the large areas in the North Sea which Brit \ ish trawlers have been sweeping suc- { cessfully for mines,, the Straits, some forty miles long and four miles at the widest point, should offer a compar- satively simple problem, provided such Ioperations can be carried on without sserious interference from the Turkish icoast batteries. It Is a task involv- ling fairly heavy price for the AL lies. But the results to be obtained lare of such primary importance that lthe Allies will gladly pay the cost if victory can be secured. For that mat. ter, the Allies could afford to sacri- lice a number of their heaviest ships If a sufficient remnant of the fleet