Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-05-25
RAGUSA CITY OF DEPARTED SPLENDOR,
WILL FIGURE IN NEW WAR OPERATIONS

-EaFasa iF an instance of Eplrudor
IFt and fame forgotten says a state
arEt Issued ty tho National Geo
srapElc 65elety today. dealing With
Ear dual mauarchy's advanced Ledit-
rrrarear base. a place that must win
a arw Etsal.eaEcr iu an Austro-Huu-
sariza-ita.iaa struEEie for control %
tEr HIr.at.r sea- This uttig port
eiEF. situated ueas the southern ZIP o.
uaiEatis. among che earliest obiec-
Gives af HaHgHeeEstlI E1lr-resriu iu-
sas.1H. was one of Tae richest cities
90 EgF1pr. almost che Hamburg or
Eru HorE 90 tar world of ta~ middle
aFTs- o. che days 90 ita prosperity.
Gee ships were falnI uE~r~v~r Europe
traded. and s-a merchants held ac-
e1aass scattered Co the ufterm6st
ests af E1r earth familiar CO. che west
~Gat tar Ei1riss % uaEusa have
FADED and damned. uEtI today meu-
fiae Of De- coming from the var zone
sEiFs no memory. and awaEra no later
esf ia tEr minds % thF people % this
.esEfrE tFrF few at aG1w have ever
had occasion even t1 anuW iss name
Nrg E4Elsa vas a brave. e wealthy. =
prFsissrat ligtle rrpgblie through
taEI EraFrafi1ls before che discov-
esq 1f tEr American e1=tlEeat Like
oar street, Frps5i.e. HarEsa vas a.
asFll@ t1F rN.ITs % whatever uaEi1a.
taita oF politics. % was democratic
il Bee tolerance long before the French
FFs1i-tioa5sgs made che woFd free
dom. a a1Fia-uifr fetish. Easgsa was
a mFrctant- state. Concerned more with
Gee wealth ana its commerce than with
politics o. poiiclrs-
-HaEusa-oF. az &c g. often called.
Liitie Nraies-wzs. 60 mAny ways. a
model Frpabiic. though a miniature
o. ere time % its highest apicndor Il
asa not possess more than 500 miles
% area. bgt o. endured through all
manner % bitter trials: produced en-
erErfic. prosperous citizens through
ceatuFiea. usaintaincd a stable and a
uiso Eoverumsnt 10 ages when the
country AL around % was 10 frantic.
passionate unrCst. and vas a. willing
" the haven % the oppressed as 10
the unitcd States today. And. like
the latter republic. the United States
the foreign policy % RaEus4 was al
ways . peaceful one: the enlightened
little state. wherever possible. sub
taittinE iis differences with other
lands 20 arbitration Despite It's
peaceful temper. however. Rasusa well
knew how 20 defcnG its interests.
where The course 90 war was . nsccs-
sary one. RaEusa armies and Ra-
Easa ships uobiy preserved their c0un-
try IN the midst OF Jealous. powerful
e1snies- But RaEusa diplomacy did
more: % preserved the state IN the
face % overpowerinE eonausrors
TIE fortified castle % a Roman no
bic vas the nucleus 90 his famous
south European city. Before the ava
iGachs % barbarian invasion-Avar
horess. according TO most authorities
refugees from ncfEhboFlug Latin
communities fied 90 the mobiles strong
hold and took refuge under the shad-
or % its walls. These refugees
broa<ht and conserved the teehnioueI
ana civilization OF Greece aad Rome.
Gze. - q short time. . town arose
a-ount tAs castle. weii-buiided and
Thoroughly fortified RaEusa IL men
tio1ed - the 7th century.
"A eoiony % siavonian people join
~ the Lafirs. a-f greatly attet TO
TIE c.ry's power for resisting the en-
erc.es=ecss Of IL hostile neiShbors-