New-York tribune., 1915-02-27
England at the Dardanelles.


Crews measured words announced TO the
whole world a momentous and revolution
ary change in British foreign policy
Answering the Russian Foreign Minister
across the stretch Of a Continental war
the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs
asserted that England was at one with
her present ally on the question Of a
doorway on the open sea.
Three times in the last century Russia
seemed on the point Of realizing the
dream Of Peter the Great-of restoring
the cross upon Santa Sophia and making
Stamboul again the capital Of the
Greek Catholic world-and three times
England prevented il. France, still
smarting over the memories Of Moscow,
associated herself with England in the
Crimean War and paid the penalty IN
1870. Germany backed Austria at the
Congress Of Berlin and is suffering now.
Austria turned from her Italian disasters
and planned a new empire in the Balkans,
and the Eastern Question became duel
between Vienna and Petrograd.
Looking back on the last half century
il Is easy to perceive how fatal for the
Balkans, for Europe, the Constantinople
ouestion was. Russia, having freed Bull
Raria. having approached Constantine
ple and occupied San Stefano, dictated
that treaty, which the Congress OF Ber-
lin tore up, to impose upon the unhappy
Serbs, Bulgars and Greeks another gen
GRAFTON of misery under Osmanli rule.
England. in that shameful hour, backed
the wrong horse" and brought Cyprus
and peace without honor back from the
Berlin conclave.
After the Russo Turkish War the Rus
slams, influenced by German diplomacy,
went east. to meet at last defeat and dis
aster in Manchuria. With the close Of
the Russo-Turkish War the Slavs turned
once moro to the west, abandoned Asia
for Europe, Port Arthur for Czarigrad.
The Young Turkish Revolution, the
Bosnian incident, the Balkan wars, the
assassination of the Archduke, these are
the steps by which the European nations
approached the great catastrophe. But
in the mean time German intrigue in
South Africa. her action in Morocco, at
Agadir and Tangier had brought France
and England close together and made
the entente cordiGle, in fact, a triple
alliance.
\ After Fashoda France and England
n made a general settlement, eliminated
every point Of quarrel. An Anglo-Russian
settlement was inevitable when Germany
backed Austria "in shining armor" after
the Bosnia time. But an Anglo-Russian
settlement was not merely an arrange
ment in Persia and north of the Hima-
layas-infnllibly It extended to the ques-
tion Of Constantinople and the Strait.
To-day France has Morocco, England
has Just annexed Egypt, the road of
British Empire 20 the East Is safe. For
France, for England, to permit Russia
TO hold the Golden Horn is a necessary
price for Russian support and sacrifice
in the terrible period at the opening Of
the world war. To Russia, now suffering
Sir Edward Grey's words are an incen-
tive to fresh effort, to renewed loyalty 70
her allies-the prize of the world Is now
within her grasp.
II is too early 10 forecast an imme-
diate fall Of Constantinople; the road
from Kun Kalessi TO the Golden Horn
is longer than that TO Tipperary Of
blessed memory, but it is not too soon to
speculate upon the inevitable conse-
duences Of such an event, perhaps the
most important in Southeastern Europe
since. FIVE centuries ago, the 0smanli
~ passed into Europe by the Gallipoli
peninsula, now the target of the Anglo
French feet.
First Of all, the collapse Of Turkey
will be immediate. Into the present war
Turkey was dragged by German intrigue
and the efforts Of few Turks, chiefly by
Enver Bey. The war was unpopular
with a people recently terribly beaten.
To lose Constantinople and be driven
back TO Asia at last would be 20 sink into
a state Of anarchy and disorder. Cairo
and the Caucasus frontier would be freed
from menace, and Russian and English
troops would be relieved for service on
the European battlefield.
For Russia, for all the Allies, opening
the Dardanelles and the Bosporus would
be Of instant and immeasurable advan-
tage. Russian grain crops would flow
out, arms and ammunition would go
back. Russia would emerge into the
world, break the blockade of winter and
the Kaiser.
For Bulgaria, now the storm centre
OF the Balkans, there would no longer
be any choice but 10 cast her lot with
the Allies and release Rumanian troops
for the conquest Of Transylvania. Her