Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-03-01
Forcing the DardanelleS


It is interesting TO recall. at this moment when
the British and French fleets batterng the OAR
danelles forts, that Il American irlgaue care"
the George Washington which ia years ago last oV
tober made the first passage the Dardaneles after
the historic strait HAD been closed TO foreign
American trading vessels had been attacked oy
pirates off the coasts OF Trpoh and Morocco ann
several soops Of war had been dispatched TO curo
this marauding and C ask the Intervention OF Tnkey
to put stop to It. The George westminster, .oin N,
manded by Captain William Banbridee was one OF
these and time OF the occurrence referred 10
taking several ENJOYS from Tripol to eau on tne
sultan The halted by forts at the entrance
TO the Dardanelles and asked for passports having
none and knowing Importance Of svertlng all de-
lay he lowered sail, saluted the Turkish Forts wos
in sauted and under cover Of the smoke OF TINS
performance quickly holsted sail and before the OF
ncers of the sultan realized what was doing had
sailed OF the guns Of the forufications
which were trained directly across and not up the
strait
Captain Bainbridss was favored by the winds AMI
made the narrow passage Of about torty-ive
miles. sailed gsy the placid waters OF the Sea
OF Marmora flying the strange American nag sa-
luted the forts Consantinople. dropped anchor and
when the nationality of the intrudng visitor was &c
manded, responded "A vessel Of the New World"
The mission OF the George Washington was made
known, and the fame of Washington was world
wide the officers the treated with most
complimentary consideration and the purpose Of Cap
tain cambridge speedily accomplished But the fact
remained that he had gained the passage of the ia
by trick for the sake of saving precious
time, and for this he not censured.
In 1908 a small British fleet under command of
Admiral Duckworth sailed through the strait a
friendly mission, and .again in 1878. British fleet
sailed through TO Conssntinopie TO assist In the pre-
venton Of the fall Of that city into the hands of the
Russians More remarkable than all this is the fact
that under permission OF the Turkish government
the vessels OF the Russian volunteer fleet
bearing soldiers and conviets permitted to pass
through to the Black Sea in 1881; and in 1909. while
the war with Japan in progress, Russian
cruisers the Petersburg and Smolensk, we're permitted
to pass from the Black Sea through the Bosphorus
apnlla ppaor
commercial flags, hosted the Russian flag when they
reached the Red Sea, halted several British and Ger
ships, but their activities receiving
through British officers fresh instructions from the
car.
The Dardaneles. the ancient Hellespont is one Of
the finest strategic points in the world and is invested
with romantic and tragic history that has been the
theme for end OF classic poetry and history. At
| the narrowest passage, about mile WIDE Herxes
crossed on a bridge boats $50 B. c. A little moro
than half century later Alexander the Great made
the crossing with his conquering 1t at this
| point that Leander the love-lorn youth of Abydos
| nightly swan the Helespont to Sestos TO visit the
beautiful Hero, but swan night too often and
was drowned. During a discussion of this feat with
friends at sestos in 1910. Lord Byron declared
could be doubt of the truth OF the story and
upon a banter. stripped and easily swan to Abydos
After the Dardanelles are successfully negotiated
| there remains the forts Constantnople and the
Bosphorus guarding the waterway into the Black Sea
The difficulties that operation hardly be as
! the Dardaneles, where a much narrower
channel give land forts decided advantage. Once
fleets the allies command the capital its doom
is sealed. Fear of such a contingency, no doubt
prompted the removal of government records and
! treasures TO the Asiatc shores.
Twice within half a century victorious armies have
knocked at the back doors of Constantinope-the
| Russian ARMY In 1871 and the allied Balkan army In
1872 With hostile fleet now approaching tho front
gate end Of the Ottoman empire in Europe is al
most in sight.
| hnndra far
European dynasty the house of Gilman has ruled
| from Constantinople. Again and again has Turkey
possessions yet with all his atrocities. the "Unspeak
able Turk" has managed to hold out against all
corners The rule of the Turk been got rid OF in
| Hungary Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and
Bulgaria Historians have shown that as long as any
Christian land Is under the domination Of the Turk
| there will be nassacres The menaces OF Europe for
the last seventy-fve years have been unavailng to
prevent the almost constant of the human
slaughter
| The direct results OF Turkish conquests have been
that while in the last 800 the nations of western
Europe have been marching with progressive civ
iIzation the natives OF eastern Europe have been
suffering years of bondage with all its frightful
attendants. 1.-THE rule OF the Turk" says Freeman.
by whatever diplomatic euphemism Il may be called.
means the bondage and degradation of all who come
beneath HIS rule Such bondage and degradation is
not an incidental evil which may be reformed 1t is
the essence OF the whole system. the groundwork
which the Ottoman power IL built. The power which
Gilman began, which Mahomet the Conqueror firmly
established which Suleiman. the awg1Ver. raised to
the highest pitch and splendor is beyond all powers
4 that the world saw the embodiment OF wrong
In the most glorious regions of the world. the rule
OF the Turk has been abominaton OF devastation
and nothing else. Out OF II no direct good come"