The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-04-23

~ 81 0AAISuiI u pAOOACAA 90 "
stantinople. Since neal FIVE
centuries ago its ultimate dis
position has engaged the attention of
the mightiest rulers and the greatest
statesmen of Europe.
Popes Sixtus v, Plus V. and Leo x,
Kings Francis l. and Henry ". Of
France, Peter the Great, Catherine the
Great, Cars Alexander l., Nicholas l.
and Alexander II. of Russia, Napoleon
]. and Napoleon Ill. Emperors Maxi
milan /. and Joseph II. Of Germany
and we'll nigh every British ruler since
the days of Queen Elizabeth have had
the matter under discussion. Bismarck
refers to it in his "A1emoirs.'
1t finds a notable place in the rem
i%niscences and biographies of most Of
those ministers Of state who have been
called upon to play a role in the history
of the eighteenth and nineteenth cen
turtles, and many years ago 1t formed
the theme Of a curious work, a sort Of
compilation of the various schemes
suggested for dealing with the ques-
ton, entitled Gent manieres d'accom-
moder les lures" "a hundred different
ways Of dishing up the Turks, for
naturally every one of these projects
involved the transfer Of the seat Of the
Turkish government from the Euro
pean shores of the Bosporus to some
city Oh the Asiatic side Of the strait
and as remote therefrom as possible.
1t seems an irony Of fate that Great
Britain, which so often in the past three
centuries, and more especially during
the past ninety years, has interviewed
In behalf Of the Turks and to protect
them from the loss of Constantinople,
should now be taking a leading part
In wrestling from them this wonderful
city. In 1866 Great Britain even went
to war to defend the Ottoman empire
against Russian aggression, sacrificing
blood and treasure in the most unstint-
ed fashion for its sake. And in 1877
when the victorious Russian army had
reached San Stefano-that is to say,
was within actual sight Of Constanti-
nople, almost under it's very walls-its
further advance was stayed, it was
compelled to retire and was robbed Of
what it had regarded rs destined to be
the chief fruit Of its victories-namely,
the possession Of the Turkish capital
by a British ultimatum and the pres
ence of a big British fleet in the Oar
danelles and in the sea Of Marmora.
That C~onstantinople should now be
captured by an allied feet. composed
Fo~ Tho ,,,oct NJ r+ 20 1rs,;,l .,l.
and under the command of an English
admiral, must be q bitter pill for the
Russians to swallow, all the more as
Sir Edward Grey, the English secre-
tary Of state for foreign affairs, made
1t quite clear in the speech in the
house of commons the other day that,
while an agreement had been reached
by the allied powers assuring Russia
Of free access to the Mediterranean
from the Black sea, there is no inten-
ton Of turning over to her the posses
sion of Constantinople. 1t would be
Idle to deny that this intimation must
come as a cruel disappointment to the
Russians and cannot fail to subject
their alliance with Great Britain anG
France to a very serious strain. all The
more as their own foreign minister. NJ
SaZonoff, had a few days previously il
a speech in the duma at Petrogral
managed to convey the inference t.
the national legislature that the Mus
covite dream Of raising the double
headed eagle flag on the walls Of Con
stantinople and of the substitution o.
the cross-the Russian orthodox cross
IL the place Of the crescent on the