The Washington times., 1915-03-07
EUROPE'S BACK DOOR

From the beginnings of history,
and indeed long before, the cast has
threatened the west by way of the
Danube valley. 1t was along this
line that one incursion of barbarians
after another swept into central and
northern Europe. the Turks being
merely the latest of this long series
Of conGuerors. Central Europe
served as the barrier to protect the
west.
Now the situation is strangely re-
versed, and the west is attacking
central Europe through this historic
back door, which opens out upon
Asia at the Bosphorus and the Hell
lespont. 1t needs no wide vision of
world conditions to see that Ger
many and Austria made what may
prove their fatal mistake when they
brought Turkey into the war as their
ally; for they provided the powers
of the triple entente an excuse for
hammering through this back door,
and making the attack on the CEN
trail powers from the southeast.
There is left of Turkey in Europe
only little stretch fronting at the
east on the Black Sea-. at the south
on the Sea Of Marmora, and at the
southwest on the Egean. With Con-
stantinople in the hands of the three
powers now smashing their way to-
ward its gates, the route by way
of the Danube is open to them
for an advance along the same lines
that were followed by the Turks in
their raids against Vienna.
Germany is a hard nut to crack
by pressure from east or west or
both. 1t has everything in its favor
in a defensive warfare waged
against it through Poland or along
the Rhine frontier. The enemies of
Germany plainly realize that the war
might be continued for years. on
these lines, without bringing dcci-
sive results. Moreover, the COM
plete isolation of Germany. with
the view to starving it into submis-
sion, cannot be accomplished so long
as the southeastern routes are open,
But let the powers take Constan-
tinople, and the whole face of things
is changed. Bulgaria, Roumania
and Greece even now are reported
on the verge of breaking into the
war. They have held off long
time, but their interests will hardly
permit them to keep out much long
er after the fleets of England and
France command Constantinople
Then there will be two routes on
which the allies may advance, one
by way of the splendid Danube wa
terway. the other by way of the rail-
road line which runs from Constan-
tinople through Turkey, Bulgaria
and Serbia, to Budapest and Vienna
and thence on to the English chan
mel coast. Not much is known about
the present physical condition of
this line, for, of course, the section
of it in Serbia has suffered fear
fully. But before the beginning of
the present war the Orient Express
had been restored to service, follow.
ing the wars in the Balkans, and
it may be assumed that with the al,
lies at Constantinople, and with Bull,
garia friendly. there would not be
much delay getting this road into
condition to carry re-enforcements
of Russians, perhaps also of Greeks
to aid Serbia. With Roumania TAX.
ing it's place, then, among the al
lies, Austria would be brought un,
der pressure from the southeast
south, and east that she would be
unable to resist.
,, If it is reasonable to assume that
the allies have taken up the cam
paign against Constantinople with
this tremendous project in mind, il
, makes the war look bigger thar
ever before; war literally of sur
rounding and shutting in German,
and Austria, of arraying the rest OF
Europe and good deal of the out
side world against them, and literal
ly laying siege to tho two empires
Never was such a gigantic program
of military effort undertaken. L
is manifest that the lines of the al
lies in east and west must still b.
held, and by immense forces; tha
the blockade of Germany's seafron
must be maintained; and when t,
this is added the huge operation b,
way of the southeast, the war be