Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-09-04

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by virtue Of the treaty Of London
They are OF great strategic importance 4
owing to their location and proximity i
to the entrance Of the DArdAnelles-
In addition to controlling the ap-
proaches to the strait the Islands also /
command Rhe adjacent Levant and i
European coastfineeL
The largest Of the Rabbit Islands IN |
only nine and ons half English miles |
from the DardaneiIes entranee. and |
about i've miles from Yentsof on the |
Anatolian coast II consists OF q single |
low hill which 10 said TO Be excellently |
suited as the site OF large number
OF coast batteries ON the southern
coast Of the island q harbor and base
for small war craft, such aS sub
marines, torpedo boats and destroyers.
could be easily established. With the
and exit from the Dardanelles could be
controlled without difficulty from this
position A range Of nine AID half
miles ensures effective fire. The forts
at Kun Kaleh and Seddui-Bahr could
be bombarded by batteries ON Rabbit
| island
No less important IN such a scheme
Is the island OF Imbros. Its eastern
shore is situated about twelve and a
half miles from Seddu1-Bahr and
thirteen miles from the main channel
| OF the Dardanelfes entrance The bays
/ of the island are suited for naval sta
/ tons, while batteries on the shore Of
Cape Cefalo could efflctentiy support
the batteries on Rabbit island IN an
operation against ships wishing to
enter or leave the strait. What this
| would mean Is best understood when
\ it is borne in mind that on March IS,
| the "Queeu EhzahetRs~ main battery
of 1e-fnch guns bornbarded the forts
| OF Tschanak Kaleh from q distance Of
about $4,000 yards, or little more than
ten English miles Since ships In the
cover enjoyed by the Turkish bat
teries, a totally different result would
have to be looked for. The batteries
on Imbros and Rabbit islands would
fire from a stationary base and would
take their target under a. cross fire.
| With the island of Lemos also in pos
session Of the power holding Rabbit
and Inbros islands, the DardaneTles
could be closed tighter than ever, ac-
cording to military and naval men here.
This island is Al miles from the
! entrance to the strait, and by virtue of
location and proper distance admirably
| suited as naval base against the
Dardanelles- While such a base could
be established on Imbros island, that
} point Is too close to the Dardanelles.
serve well for that purpose. The Brit
ish have already realized this. and.
while keeping a large number of ves-
) sells In the Cefalo Bay. Imbros island.
1
Dardanelles at Lemnos.
The passage between Imbros and
Lemnos islands Is but IL miles wide.
and can easily be closed by batteries
on the opposing shores. The waters
between 1emnos and the island of
) Tenedos could be commanded by coast
batteries and the warships maintained
at the Lemnos base. In this manner
I egress from, and ingress to. the Oar
danelles would be rendered most diff
/ Cl1If
pleased the power holding these islands
! | to make them so.
3 That the possession Of the islands
e Of Imbros, Lemnos and Tenedos could
n be made a strong military and political
factor. was realized by the convention
| of London. which ended the Balkan
u war. Greece as permitted to provfs-
4 ionally occupy these islands firstly
n because Greece had neither the inter
= est nor the means. to fortffy then
5 against the Dardanelles, secondly. be-
d caus the majority OF their inhabitant.
e were Greeks.
s The islands were occupied by Grea
Britain last October and December
the process OF gradual assimilation ex.
e tending practically to this date, how
5 ever. for IL was only recently th'
y British government announced tn,
: temporary occupation OF the island O
Il Lesbos or Metylene. Greek military
e and civil authority has become a mer,
e term in the islands
Il What amounts to a virtual blockade
: OF the Bulgarian port OF Dedeagatscl
E, by the British feet, has also draw
e attention to the occupancy by tn
British Of the Aegean islands. Dedea
n Eatsch Is only as miles from Imbro
Il island. a fact which has caused tn
= Bulgarian press to view conditions Il
II the northeast reaches Of the Aegean
d sea with considerable anxiety and re
sentiment. Since the Greek port o
Salonika would also be under the In
fiuence Of a strong British base nea
the Dardaneiles. no satisfaction witt
the new status of the island has beel
expressed by the Greek press. especi
ally since the wholesale bringing up
of Greek vessels by the British fleet.
Planning for Opening Of Dardanelie.
ot Representatives of the British Re
d Cross have just returned from a visi
l. to the principal health resorts in tn
l. Crimea and Caucasus, where they hav
N been arranging for quarters for con
II valescent soldiers from the Dardanelle
'e district. 1t Is significant Of BIRTHS
m confidence in an approaching decisio
~ in this war theatre that this trip shoul
be made at this time. although n
10 soldiers can be sent until the Dardan
IN elles have been opened
os One of the British delegation ex
III pressed the opinion that South Russi
r would prove an ideal spot for tn
!, treatment of wounded.