Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-18

admiral adds:
The Turks fight well on tho de-
tria. .'T PleSna. Hdrianopie and Tchstaidja.
and we shall have to count with that
force"
May special defense be made" asks
the critic. ''by the unities of the allies
against automatic
Protection From mines. fixed or
ml floati Ing, and
AoiPeuoes' against dirigi-
Bile torpedoes" Read Admiral Degouy
replies under date of May /: Since
six weeks much work has been done
in the sense of special defense. At
Lemnos Mitylene, Besika, Malta and
Bizute something serious has been I'M
dertaken." OF the nature Of this prep
aration the rear admiral is naturally
silent.
The serious question Of the Germano-
Turkish defense is the reprovisionment
Of their artillery, that is to say, muni-
lions. The arsenal at Top-hane. even
under the expert and vigorous direc-
ton of German equipment and con-
troll, cannot produce sufficient shells,
and 1t thus is necessary to import them
<AuslIld anu a uihiSufS
IL not impossible operation. It would
be precious aid to the allied forces IL
the Russian fleet could operate with
the Anglo-French forces even SO far
as to compel the Dardanelles batteries
to expend their munitions.
In any event, these munitions must
be brought to the Dardanelles either by
land or sea. By land on the European
side the route Is closed, passing at Bou-
lair under the fire of the allied feet. By
Asia the route Is much longer. even IL
open beyond Brussa. It is by the Sea
Of Marmora whence must come shells,
cannon cartridges, cartridges and arti.
does of every kind.
The question of the Dardanelles. ac-
cording to the rear admiral. may be
solved in divers ways, for with the
American admiral Farragut's success
in mind, Degouy declares that neither
nets nor mines are impossible OBJ
stacles" The rear admiral hazards q
though he sees no chance that his plan
may be adopted. the competent authori-
ties being under the influence Of those
little disposed to adopt ventures.
Rear Admiral Degouy's plan. in brief.
The 1sthmus Of Boulair lies under the
IRE Of the allied fleet. The peninsula
develops a length Of about
French twelve and a half miles by
d., three and a half wide. Small
AAon' vessels not exceeding 400 tons
could be made to pass the valley to
Boulair Boghaz Mahomet II. it is re-
called. without other than the muscular
force Of his soldiers. passed his galleys
into the basin Of the Golden Horn. The
Greeks of Constantine Dracoses and
the Genovese de Gustiniani witnessed
with stupefaction and impassively the
process employed by the audacious Of
toman commander. The Germano-Turk-
ish defenders would doubtless inter-
vene to annoy, If not prevent. the pro-
posed operation, and the rear admiral
confesses that possibility, and thus his
proposition is by no means positive
plan.
The Anglo-French expeditionary
corps to which the rear admiral has
alluded has effected landing on the
peninsula of Gallipoli and has been in
daily contact with the adversary since
several weeks.
The official reports Of the operations
on the Dardanelles have been few. and
those SO carefully guarded as to con-
derstood that the conflict has been
severe and the loss of life on both
sides great. The official reports to the
18th of June announced that the allied
land FORCES naQ QlfecIeu their dtldch
on three points of the peninsula-hrst.
to the south above Kritia to the
heights of Hadj-Baba Chill 222) from
Cape Files to Kalid Bahr, the entrance
of the narrow channel: second, the
heights above Kaba-Teke Chill 2S6).
where the allies would dominate the
channel to Niagara to its mouth; third,
to Boulair, that is, to the main defense
of the isthmus. whose possession would
permit the allies to close access to the
land route.
In the attack Of June IS the allies
won a mile OF territory along the coast,
occupying four successive lines OF
Turkish trenches and capturing 800
prisoners. three guns and quantity
Of munitions.
The situation in the Dardanelles is
the more tense by the statement from
Rome that naval operations on a large
scale will be undertaken in the Adrt-
attic when the Dardanelles are forced.
The French and British forces on the
peninsula are to be taken to Salonikf
to cooperate with the Serbfans in the
invasion of Bosnia and Hungary ana
with Russia and Rumania in tho In
vasion Of Pennsylvania.
A dispatch dated Manila, July IL. an
nounces that the steamers OF the Mes
sageries Maritimes are being heid up
at Saigon, the capital OF French Cochin
China whence they are to go to
Vladivostok to transport Russian
troops to the Dardanelles.
CHI. CHAILLE-LoNG.