The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1915-04-24
ConstantinopIe Has Been the
Focus of Attention Of the Great
Powers For Centuries - Rus
STA Repeatedly Directed Her
Forces Toward Its Capture In
Quest cs a Window on the
Sea-"

ARO city In the world constitutes
SO difficult a problem as Con-
stantinople. Since near five
centuries ago its ultimate dis
position has engaged the attention OF
the mightiest rulers and the greatest
statesmen Of Europe.
Popes Sixtus ", Plus V. and Leo x,
Kings Francis /. and Henry Nv. OF
France, Peter the Great, Catherine the
Great, Cars Alexander l.. Nicholas /.
and Alexander III. of Russia, Napoleon
I. and Napoleon I'LL, Emperors Maxi
milan l.. and Joseph III. of Germany
and well nigh every British ruler since
the days of Queen Elizabeth have had
the matter under discussion. Bismarck
refers to it in his Memoirs"
1t finds a notable place In the rem
i~niscences and biographies of most of
those ministers of state who have been
called upon to play q role in the history
Of the eighteenth and nineteenth CEN
turtles, and many years ago 1t formed
the theme Of a curious work, q sort OF
compilation of the various schemes
suggested for dealing with the ques-
don. entitled "Cent manieres d'accom-
moder les lures" "a hundred different
ways of dishing up the Turks, for
naturally every one of these projects
involved the transfer Of the seat of the
Turkish government from the Euro
pean shores Of the Bosporus to some
city on the Asiatic side Of the strait
n-A - wovnnt fhoxo(pann a q nnGafhl0
1t seems al irony Of fate that Great
Britain. which so often in the past three
centuries, and more especially during
the past ninety years, has interviewed
in behalf OF the Turks and to protect
them from the loss of Constantinople,
should now be taking a leading part
in wrestling from them this wonderful
city. In 1855 Great Britain even went
to war to defend the Ottoman empire
against Russian aggression, sacrificing
blood and treasure in the most unsunt-
Cd fashion for its sake. And In 1917
when the victorious Russian army had
reached San Stefano-that Is to say,
was within actual sight of Constanti-
nople. almost under its very walls-its
further advance was stayed, 1T was
compelled to retire and was robbed OF
what 1t had regarded as destined to be
the chief fruit Of its overwhelmingly,
the possession of the Turkish capital
by a British ultimatum and the pres
ence of a big British feet in the Oar
danelIes and in the sea of Marmora.
That Constantinople should now be
captured by an allied feet, composed
for the most part of British warships
ana under the command of an English
admiral, must be a bitter pill for the
Russians to swallow, all the more as
Sir Edward Grey, the English secre-
tary of state for foreign affairs, made
It quite clear in the speech In the
house Of commons the other day that,
while an agreement had been reached
by the allied powers assuring Russia
Of free access to the Mediterranean
from the Black sea, there Is no inten-
ton of turning yer to her the posses
sion of Constantinople. 1t would be
idle to deny that this intiination must
come as q cruel disappointment to the
Russians and cannot fail to subject
their alliance with Great Britain and
France to a very serious strain. all the
more as their own foreign minister, NJ
Saxonofr, had a few days previously In
a speech in the duma at Petrograd
managed to convey the Inference to
the national legislature that the Mus
dream of raising the double
headed eagle flag on the walls of Con-
stantinople and Of the substitution OF
he cross-the Russian orthodox cross
III the place Of the crescent on the