South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-26
TURKISH CAPITAL
IS NOW COAL Of
BRITISH NAVY
Three Forts at Entrance of
DardaneIIeS Reduced by At
tack of Allies Fleet But
Formidable Task Remains.

LONDON. Feb. 26.-"On to Con-
stantinople.' is the slogan of the Brit
ish naval experts today as a result OF
the official announcement made by
the admiralty late last night that the
outer forts of the Dardanelles had
been reduced by the Anglo-French
fleet They admit. however. that the
allied fleet still faces a most formid-
able task.
The forts put out OF action are two
on the northern, or European side of
the Dardanelles and one on the
Asiatic side. The rest of the Oar
danelles is lined on both sides for
distance of about 4G miles by other
forts and defensive works Mine fields
have been laid by the Turks all along
the Dardanelles and in the Sea of
Marmora.
1t probably will take several months
for the French and British warships
TO force the entire passage Of the
DardanellGs. but naval experts in
London declare that the opening sue
cess of the warships presages the
capture of COnstantinople.
All the London papers devote col
umns TO the Dardanelles situation
and give high praise to the work of
the French as well as the British
WdISfllpS. teIOlClnE Is general.
The outer Dardanelles forts fell
under the concentrated fire of eight
battleships, five of them being British
and three French. all under command
of Vice Admiral Garden. His flagship
is the battleship Infexible and the
other battleships of Britain are the
AgamemnOn, CORVALLIS, Vengeance
and Triumph.
The French battleships are the
Sufern. GaulOis and BOuvert.
The battleships are accompanied
by a strong force of cruisers. torpedo
boats and destrOyers. as we'll as a
number of submarines which will be
used for the removal of great chain
cables that the Turks have stretched
across the entrance to the Dardenel-
les.
Would BE Decisive Feat.
The successful forcing of the
Dardanelles by the allied fleet would.
in the opinion of many military ex-
perts. be the most decisive and i'm
pOrtant event OF the war up to the
fleet makes its entrance into the sea
of Marmora the city of CONSTANT
nOple will be at its mercy and Turkey
Will be virtually eliminated from the
military situation.
With the opening OF the Bosphorus
which would be a simple matter after
Constantinople had been taken. Rus
STA could be easily supplied with the
munitions which she SOrely needs
and the enormous stores Of wheat
which have been collected on the
shores of the Black sea would be re-
leased for the benefit OF the western
allies.
The political effects would be even
more important. Turkeys power has
consisted in the supposedly impreg-
nable position of Constantinople,
which has held Russia in check by
preventing her egreSs 20 the open sea
The announcement OF the destruction
of the Dardanelles forts IS peculiarly
significant from the fact that il IS
made on the day when Sir Edward
Grey stated IN the house OF commons
that England would not oppose Rus
STA aspirations Tor access 10 the sea.
Reversal OF Policy.
That announcements marks re-
versal OF the policy which England
has maintained for generations.
Hitherto England has exerted every
effort 10 prevent Russia from obtain
ing that access. Now British guns
are battering down the forts 50 that
Russian ships may so through.
The forts are not all vet DESTROYED.
however. The Dardanelles are -
miles long and from 1900 yards TO
four miles wide. Important fortifca-
lions which have recently been sup
piled with German guns manned by