Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-31
Undertaken in Part to Draw
Bulgaria and Greece
Into the War.
Did Serve to Cheer Russia
and Helped Win ItaI-
ian Support.
BY FRANK n. siMoNDs.

Copyright, 1918. by the NeT York Trioune)
Given the German fondness for the
historical parallel, it is. odd that they
have not insisted upon the striking re-
sembIance of the great British adfen-
ture at the Dardanelles to that equally
great and wholly fatal Athenian expe-
dition to Syracuse, which, in the eno'
was the cause of the downfall OF d
great sea power. at grips with spar I'd
yet risking all in a campaign Tar away
from the main field of operations Like
all parallels the Syracusan rams 40" II
when nushed too far, for while Sir ian
Hamilton makes fair Nicias, w lnstoil
Churchill will hardly do for Alclplaoes.
but there must be mournful hkenesses
for every Briton. .;
great overseas campaign of the Britlsh
it is necessary TO examine 1t from thfee
separate standpoints-from ina. u
higher politics, imperlal anu aniiti-
national; from that of the local poHIi-
cal situation in the near east, Hnally'
from that of the actual operations On
Gallipoli peninsula. Only thus is II
possible to estimate the plus ana minus
OF this tremendous venture
The Imperial Aspect.
In going to the Darda nelles, hrst win
fleet and then with an army GREAT
Britain served Immediately her own
imperial interests. When the frst oper-
alton began a Turkish army. olhceTeG
by Germans, had been lately repeneo
from the shores of Suez, out vas SUI q
threat TO Egypt The continued pres
ence of a hostile army, when had pen
etrated the Egyptian frontier but re-
atiyely short distance from tne ->iie'
contributed to unrest in Egypt, COM
PEELED the British to CONSIDER ai"aSs
the possibility of religious disturbances,
of native risings, of the douple uanSsi
incident to external attack ana iitei iioi
revolt.
SueZ was and remains the corner
stone of the British empire. Could the
Turks close this avenue OF Brltlsh I'M
perial power India would IN turn oe
partially isolated, British com1nuhlca-
ton with the Australian colonies IN
terrupted and delayed, the whole sys-
TEN of imperial relations disturbed
Turkish success in Egypt might iisht
the flames of Moslem revolt III india as
well: prestige, which means so much
all over the east. would be lost,
An attack at the Dardanelies.
would infallibly recall all Turkish
troops from the SueZ region: 1t Wouio
remove the battle line from the marcn-
es of Egypt and contribute 10 lnsui ms
the continuance of order and peace IN
Cairo and Alexandria III 1t dld no
more if only the field of strife were
transferred. the profit was PLAIN. In
addition. opportunity "oulu come
to the British at the foot OF the ter
sian gulf to begin operations there
against Mesopotamia, which is the iano
gateway to India
Plainly, then the British had imme-
date profits in view to themselves IN
transferring the operations from the
Sinai to the Gallipoli peninsula Al
ways however, there was the qusllih-
cation that defeat, disaster at the
straits would destroy their prestige in
the near east but the same was true
of the SueZ operation.
International Considerations.
Turning now to international consid-
erations, il was necessary, first of all
in the situation last spring, for Great
Britain to give Russia an immediate
evidence of loyalty and of moral and
material support No nation had made
such sacrifices in men and resources
to the allied cause as Russia, and the
recent defeat at the Mazurian lakes
Was a final evidence of Russian sacrl-
fee. What We're her allies doing while
Russia was thus suffering and labor
ing
According to the Germans, nothing.
But the main object of Russian ambi-
tions for centuries had been the posses
sion of Constantinople, and for more
than a century the main obstacle had
been Britain. Across the continent aft
er the Mazurian disaster Sazonof and
Sir Edward Grey exchanged words
that Britain al last conceded to Rus
STA the right to sit in power in Pera
and Galata and restore the cross to
Santa Sophia Words. such words,
needed the confirmation of acts: thus
the fleets of the allied nations at the
sea gate of STEAMBOAT brought new en-
thusiasm to Russia, new devotion.
In addition, in the immediate military
situation, they relieved the Russian
armies in the Caucasus of the strain
incident to invasion by several
Turkish army corps; they opened the
way TO Russian victory Russian in
vasion of the Carpathians had paved
the way for the Serbian triumph at
valievo. Thus to her necessary ally
British effort at the Dardanelles gave
an assurance that was required and an
aid that was instantly effective, and
continuingly useful. II was at once a
promise for the future realization of
the greatest of Slav aspira tons and "a
contribution to immediate Russian
needs II was not less welcome as a
promise of munitions, lack of which
was soon to cause the great summer
reversal
The italian Factor.
In Rome. as in Petrograd, the Darda-
nelles was meant TO have an influence
which II did IN fact exert Italian as
piration. too, turns toward the near
east. AT the outset of the present war
Italy finally decided to renounce her
rivalry with France in the western
Mediterranean and in the old Roma II
provinces of north Africa. To German
promises of French African provinces
Italy turned a deaf ear. But this left
her bound TO follow the course of Ven
Ice. since she had surrendered that of
Rome This path led straight to the
Aegean
Since the success of the Dardanelles
expedition meant the downfall of Tur-
key and the fall of Turkey meant the
partition OF Turkish estate, Italy could
only hope to realize her ambitions in
the near east by becoming of right one
of the heirs To do this she had TO
enlist on the allied side. Failure to en-
list meant that Russia, Great Britain
and France would divide the Osmanli
property, giving to Greece, the Italian
rival. what they did not desire them
selves and thus making Greece their
soldier in the near east.
Finally, in taking Tripoli. Italy had
acquired common interests and common
perils with the allies. Turkish success
In Egypt meant a prompt extension OF
Turkish activity TO Lydia and the
Cyrena lea Already the Turkish holy
war had borne fruit in the Tripolitan
desert. if nowhere else and the Senusst
were astir.
More than all else. then, il was the
Dardanelles expedition that persuaded
Italy to cast her lot with the allies.
She believed. wrongly as ii seems.
that Turkish cola rse would be sudden
and .5.-;s.fpt, that the degringolade of