Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-11
The Epic of the Dardanelles
Where the French and English Fleet Is Fighting Its Way Toward
the Golden Horn, the Desnes Of Nations, Empires, Even
Continents, Have Been Turned in New Directions

decades it has rnnked among the
strongest of military strongholds
The forty-milc mcaudcrng course
Of the channel, cutting a rocky table
land "a thousand feet high, cunspires
to make it's passage "a formidable un-
dertaking to unwelcome forces.
The American frigate George Wash
inston was the first war vessel TO
, defy the line Of forts. The exploit
bears date of 1900 Captain William
cambridge, after service in Trpoli,
sailed into The Dardanelles with a
party of TripOltau ENJOYS on mis-
sion TO the sublime Porte. His ship
was halted at the first fort guarding
the entrance to the strait The Turks
demanded passports. but Captain
cambridge, having no desire to wait
several months for passports, decided
on a ruse.
So he started TO salute with the fir
ing of cannon as If he were going to
obey the Turkish order As soon as
the fort began IT'S reply cambridge
quickly made sail again. his ship hid
den 10y the smoke, and when the
Turks next caught sight Of the George
Washington it was running into the
sea Of Marmora. The shore guns
were an stationary, and the Stars and
stripes had passed beyond the angle
of fire. Captain cambridge dropped
anchor in the Golden Horn" and
when officials sent out a boat and in
quired whence be came, he replied,
From the new worn" unless that
answer is one of those numerous fla
bles of history which haven't yet been
punctmed by the higher criticism.
Anyway the Turks gave the American
commander a royal welcome to Con-
stantinople.
In 1907 the British admiral Sir J.
r. Duckworth. in the Royal George,
made his way through 10 the sea of
Marmora 1t was the time, of course,
of the Napoleonic wars, and the adj
miral had been sent to watch the
movements of the Turks lie had a
harder time getting hack through the
Dardaneles than in first forcing the
passage because he had been held in
I play by The Turkish diplomatsts aud
I Napolcon's ambassador, General Sc
hastani, and the forts had been
strengthened in the meantime
In the Crimean war combined
French and English fleet made the
trip on terms unlike those confronting
the present joint undertaking, as
| France and England were then united
/ with Turkey to oppose Russia's adj
vance toward Constantinople a tit
/ tie more than two decades later
/ British fleet went through without OPP
| position. though without permission.
/ The Christian subjects of the sultan
| in the Danube valley had revoltcd, and
4 the Turks had started in to repress
( the insurrection with barbarous cruel
/ ties. Russia saw an opportunity of
/ ACKNOWLEDGEMENT at the expense of
/ Turkey. and declared war The West
ern powers were not so disiuclined to
Interfere as Car Alexander had hoped.
and Great Britain. unwilling TO see
/ Constantinople fall to the Russians.
sent q fleet to keep a watchful eye
/ on operations. Lord Beaconsfield pro-
/ tested against the treaty arranged be-
/ tween the sultan and the Car, and
/ hy the mediation of bismarck con-
greSs of the powers was called-the
/ famous congress of Berlin, which
dealt with the Eastern question
4 without bringing il nearer settlement
than it was before, as subsequent
events have shown, This International
question" is written all over the
origins of the present European con-
! flict
Constantinople may he taken by the
/ allies and the last remnant of the
! Turkish empire in Europe may be
tossed back into Asia, hut the hydra
headed Eastern question" will not
have been SO easily vanQuished.