The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-04-03
New York.-The Herald's nava

New York,-The Heralds naVal
correspondent writes:
The most striking characteristic OF
this great war is the rapidity with
which its main interest centers hrst
in one part of the world and then IN
another. Something like eight thou
sand miles separated the scene or
the battle off the Falkland islands m
that off the Dogger bank, while on
land attention is riveted at one time
on the Belgian coast or the campaign
in Lorraine, and at another in the
Carpathians or on a life-and-death
struggle in Poland. This week the
minds of both naval and military
watchers of the conflict have been d.
rected to the Dardanelles, h gates
of Asia. There another phase of the
worldwide war is opening, the effect
of which no man can tell.
Each of the contending empires in
the conflict possesses an advantage
which in a measure compensate n
the other. While Britain holds the
command of the sea, Germany has the
interior position on land, which en-
ables her to strike alternately heavy
blows on either front. She also las
been able, with the assistance of Aus
tria and Turkey, and aided by the
geographical conditions, to drive a
wedge between the communications of
her enemies which extends from the
North sea almost to the Indian ocean.
The movement in the Mediterranean
indicates the determination on the
part of the superior sea power to cut
that wedge in two.
The strategic importance of the
straits between Europe and Asia has
been recognized from very ancient
times. 1t was on the C~hersonese, the
peninsula on the western side of the
straits, hat the Turks got their first
foothold in Europe. It may very well
be that if it now falls into the hands
of Great Britain it's occupation by
British troops will mean the uproot-
ing of the last vestige of Ottoman rule
in the northern continent. There r
at least indications of the development
of a far-reaching operation from both
ends of the Sea of Marmora. having
for it's purpose the expulsion of the
Turk from Constantinople.
There are other objects of first-class
Importance to be obtained from a sue
cessful attack on the Dardanelles. Now
that the Archangel route is closed by
ice, communication between Russia
and her allies has almost entirely
ceased. There is no outlet for the
immense supplies of corr and oil of
which they are in want and which she
could furnish, and, On the other hand,
the only source of supply of the mu-
nitions of war, which she cannot man.
ufacture herself, must be brought over
the long and difficult road from Vladi-
vostok and Hardin. The opening of
the Dardanelles and the Bosporus
must have, therefore, an immediate
and important effect both in the west
ern and eastern theaters of war. Nor
can 1t be doubted that a substantial
gain Of this character to Germany's
foes would directly influence the ma
tons which have been for so long hes
itating about entering the war. All
the Balkan States would be affected
considerably, and while Greece could
scarcely stand still with Russia at the
gates of Constantinople. Italy might
well feel that this sharp stroke re-
moved the last doubt as regarding the
side with which she should be acting.
OF the operation itself, although the
Dardanelles have long been regard
ed as ~impregnable. it is more than
likely that as other fortresses have
failed to maintain their security