Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-04-26
Prof. Miliukoff Sounds
Assurance of Such an
Agreement B e t Ween
Entente Allies
REALIZATION OF
LONG AMBITION
Complete Development Needs
Outlet to a Free Sea-Liberal
Leader Points to Spectacle of
German Domination Persona
fed by Gen. Liman Won San
derS

Petrograd, April 25.-(Correspond-
ence of The Associated Press).-There
is no longer any doubt in the public
mind here that the Allies reached a
complete agreement some time ago to
the effect that in case the Entente
Powers are victorious Russia is to have
possession of the Daf canelles after the
war. Professor Miliukoff, the Liberal
leader, speaking in the Duma this
week, made the assurance Of such an
agreement definite when he said:
1.-THE end of March, 1915, is a date
which is we'll worthy of remembrance
by the Russian people That is the date
when definite agreement was reached
between us and our allies regarding
the future of the Dardanelles."
Power Of MiIiukoff
Miliukoff is the creator of the pro
gressive bloc" the greatest force in
Russian politics today, and is closely
affiliated with the foreign office. In the
course Of his speech, which was re-
ported verbatim in all the Petrograd
newspapers, he said:
Our Russian interest in this war can
be defined very briefly: We need an
outlet to a free sea. We did not begin
the war for this; but without it we
shall not end it.
1.-The annexation OF the Dardanelles
is III no way an attempt to enlarge the
Russian frontiers. Russia is big
enough, and has no need for new ter
ritores But her complete development
without an outlet to free sea cannot
possibly be realized. III our time. when
the old idea Of continentalism is dead,
" hen international relations demandin g
a sea way have become the order Of
the day, the State without such COM
municatiors is an organism without
the necessary organs.
You can say to me: If Turkey had
been wiser we could not possibly then
have realized this aim. We would have
had to wait But when Liman Won
Sanders entered Constantinople, when
the Turkish war minister became the
servant of Germany and the Turkish
fleet became controlled by the Ger
mans. the whole situation changed. We
fully realize what is the plan of Ger
many, and for what she is carrying on
this whole war. 1t is clear to every
body that in the case of victory Ger
many would create in Europe central
state, and would capture or subjugate
Turkey economically, and then politi-
cally. Berlin to Bagdad,' that is the
German idea; and since it has been
created we have no other choice. The
question now is not whether the
Straits will become Russian or remain
Turkish; the question is whether they
will become Russian or will remain
German.
I'VE must make no mistake. The
question which we are now deciding
will probably be decided forever. but
there will scarcely ever be such ia
yorable conditions as there are now.
The chief Of these conditions is the at
titude of our Allies toward our national
problem Berlin to Bagdad is real
danger, not only for us, but for Great
Britain, with India and Egypt, and for
France with her prospects in Syria. On
the basis Of this real danger an agree
ment has become possible between
powers which for centuries were sus-
picious Of each other"