The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-02-27
IS A VERY
STRATEGIC
POINT
In lEngIand's Trade Route
through the Red Sea to In
dia and the Far East.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-"Aden Is
the unhappy gateway into happy
Araby, and, moreover, 1t is one Of the
foremost strategic points on Englands
trade route through the Red sea into
India and the far East" begins war
primer issued today by the National
Geographic Society at Washington,
which tells of the first stronghold on
the London-India route to Withstand q
severe. attack by the Turks. Zone
Arabian author says Of the country
behind Alden, that country known as
Arabia Felix. Its inhabitants are all
hale and strong. sickness is unknown,
nor are there poisonous plants or ami
mails; nor fools, nor blind people and
the women are ever young: the cli-
mate is like paradise and one wears
the same garment summer and win
ter Alden, however,. "here the
Ala British and Turkish
forces are opposing one another, en-
Joys none Of these advantages cat
alleged as inherent in Arabia Felix.
Spread over its ragged hills Of
sun made ash and cinder, sweltering,
gloomy and unrelieved by vegetation.
Alden invites little attention in peace
times. Alden is valley surrounded
by the sea; It's climate Is so bad that
it turns wine into vinegar in the
space Of ten days, complained one dis
appointed Arab traveller Of the middle
ages. And in the centuries since his
visit the climate has not improved.
In spite, nevertheless, Of the terrible
heat that gathers over Aden's valley
and clings to its low hills and its lack
Of a good water supply. the place
maintains reputation as healthy
one.
1.-THE town is built on desolate vol
canic rocks that constitute a peninsula
neal, the entrance to the Red sea. The
strait OF Babel -NAandeb lies 100 miles
away; and Alden is the British Gibral-
tar toward the Indian ocean that
keeps an eternal vigilance over the
safety OF the
Rich English Commerce
that goes this way. The British cap
tured and annexed the place on jan
uary JIG, 1889, since which time they
have made the place a most emphatic
fortress, one of the strongest any
where In southern Asia, Money and
labor. without stint have been expend-
ed there to make the city absolutely
impregnable from land and sea. Mas
sive lines Of defense. strengthened by
broad moat, guard the neck Of the
isthmus, and these defenses conceal
powerful batteries. Turrets, hidden
forts, mined approaches, bastions,
towers, batteries, magazines. mole bat
terjes toward the sea, mined harbors,
great naval guns, obstruction piers,
barracks, redoubts in solid rock, all
are elements in the British plan to
guard this southern end of their i'm
portant trade route beyond all pos.
slble chance OF failure against superior
and sustained attack. Alden may be
last in matters OF climate, but 1t Is
among the the Fs in matters Of fortiacar
ton. ~ v: l..1.i.s@. 1ga ,,sl NJ. "a
"Thc narrow peninsula on which
this queen Of southern fortresses rears
itself isN only about fifteen miles in
circumference. ills the bowl Of an
extinct volcano. The lofty hills
around are the remains Of the crater
sides, and, Of these, shem Shem has
al altitude Of nearly 1890 feet. All
fond and water for nae nm the nenin.