Imperial Valley press., 1915-03-06
What the War Moves Mean.
tBy }. w. T. Mason)

NDy y. w. L. Mason
tformer European Manager of the
United Press
New York, March G.-Descriptions
OF the Anglo-French fleets progress
IN Its assault upon the Dardanelles
defenses, originating at Athens and
other places, must be accepted with
reserve. The same exaggerated sense
OF news that exists at Petrograd pre-
walls in southeastern Europe.
Whatever is most desired is fire.
quently declared to have been accom-
pllshed. regardless of the evidence:
while Levantine bazaar rumors are
accepted at theiF full value and elab-
Grated and sent abroad in semi -official
FORM
The successful landing of a huge
army to attack the Dardanelles de-
lenses bv land is one of the many Ara
blan Nights probabilities going
around the world from some obscure
near-eastern news point An allied
army is declared to have landed on
the GallIpoli peninsula, which forms
the northern shore of the Dardanelles
and separates that waterway from the
Aegean sea tnd the Gulf of Saros.
Ihls peninsula is from four to four
teen miles wide, making army maneu-
Vers Impossible for large body, ex-
cept by dangerously narrow massed
formations. A defending army, prop
erly led, could defend the Gailipoli
peninsula against an army four or
live times as strong.
The number of men required for
such an enterprise and the danger of
failure indicate that a serious land
campaign on Gallipoli peninsula has
not begun.
Similar lack of credence attaches
to reports that the allied fleet has
forced Its way any considerable dis
tanee up the Dardanelles. The per
slstent statement that sixteen miles
oil the passage have been won is be-
yohd belief. The warships may be
two or three miles past the entrance
iofts, but 1t is improbable that they
have gone much further.
The defenses are such that the Dar-
danelles, even weakly manned, cannot
be overcome at the rate of several
miles day. If they are subdued at
al II Will be more because of the in
Terror skill of the garrisons than the
SUPERIOR gun fire of the squadrons.
Inc announcement from Capetown
A'0NN NtouailicS III Jne SOutn Al
rlcan rebellion and that 10000 rebel
Beers have surrendered is the first in
tlmation of the seriousness of the M
rising. passed by the censor. The
British public and the world at large
had been allowed to believe that not
more than a handful of the Beers
were rebellious. Now it is suddenly
made known that so large a part Of
the population was involved in the up-
rising that only a few of the ring
leaders will be prosecuted.
The announcement raises the status
OF the rebellion to a condition of civil
war. 1t is not probable that penalties
commensurate with the crimes of Sc
dltlon and mutiny will ever be imposed
upon any of the principals arrested.
From the fact that an announcement
Is made of the extent of the revolt, it
is probable that the backbone of the
rebellion has been broken. Whether
the situation has been sufficiently
critical to compel intervention by Por-
tuguese troops is not yet known.
ENGLAND practically purchased the
use of the Portuguese army for the
present war. A large part of this
army was transported under British
direction, from Portugal to Portuguese
East Africa. 1t will be humiliating
to the empire if outside help had to
be summoned to put down the South
African insurrection.