Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-08
LAY OF THE LAND
AT SALONIkI.
Why the Allies Selected 1t For Their
Base of Operations,
(speciai 10 TIE Bulletin

Washington D. c. Dec. Just
why the Entente Allies selected the
Greek port Of Saioriii as their hase of
operations in the Ealkans has been
something of an enigma to the aver
age American reade: who follows the
war news with an interested special
Sors concern in tie strategic iInf.ort-
aEce of the Various points seized after
desperate Losses ard defended With
cQ1al disregard for human life. 1he
first comprehensive es2rption Of the
| SaIonilli enriTQns, given in laynlan
language, is presented by the National
Geographic Society IL Il war grogra
ply bulletin based on a communion
tion to that organization from II. G..
Dwight. The writer shows v,!,y Sa-
ionilzi was, without question. the enc
place. which WAS essential to the sue
cessful conduct of military affairs by
the Allies iii the Balkans. Tee ana:y-
sis of the terrain IS ouch that it is
more easily followed with the aid of
la map before the reader, anG it is
worthy of preservation for future
reference. as this storm center comes
repeatedly within tina focus OF world
events:
"SaIoniki stands on rising ground at
the head of long gulf, shaped very
much like the liberty cap OF the
French Revolution. This gulf bend
ing to the east in such a way that its
inner .recesseS can never feel tie dis
turbances of the open sea is formed
by that peninsula of Chalci3ice whose
Longo, and Athos ere the salient fea,-
turc of the northern Aegean The
longer western shore of the gulf
sweeps in a curve 0f moro than 100
miles from SaIoniln to the tip of the
peninsula of Thessaly
The inmost section of this inland
gulf is the bay of SaIon;ki. 4 great
oval harbor formed by the delta of the
Vardar River and the opposite cape of
Kara Bourncu. The span between the
two is no more than six or seven
miles, and they lie 10 miles from Sa-
loniki, making lakelike basin of
perfect security.
The city faces west and south
toward Macedonia and Fhessaly. look
ing out at the classic peak of Olympus
CISCO feeD. through the, gate. Of the
inner bay. The immediate edges of
levelled by the three rivers that pour
| into it. But at no great distance from
| the water the final spurs of the Rho
| dope Mountains make an anlphitheater
| which rises cast of the city into three
| peaks 5000 feet each.
"On the north the hill Of Daoud
| Bahia reaches a height of 1900 feet,
| whence the ground drops away in the
plain OF the Vartlar This fertile
depression, locally known as the cam
|
| 40 or As miles to the buttresses Of the
| Pindus range and tine heights that
| separate western from central Mace
| donna
| These enclosing cminences are all
| in Greek territory. Through them
strike five main avenues of exit, radi-
| ating toward every part CT the Bal
kan Peninsula The southernmost the
valley of TIE Vistritsa, the classic
| HeIlakmon, is the main artery of COM
munication between Saloniki, Thes-
ever as yet connects the systems of
northern and central Greece
| Next, to the southwest, opens the
! valley of the Mavroneri tLydias), an
| affluent of the Vardar, which has al
| ways been a. highway betN cen the
| Aegean and the Adriati> Through it
| runs the railway to Mcnastir 12u miles
| distant. A second and more import
| ant railroad follows the main stream
| of Macedonia, leaving Greek territory
near GevgeE. some 40 miles to the
1 northwest. At USl1up, about $50 mi -es
| from Saloniki. it divides, one branch
/ going to Mitrovitsa, on the confines of
the old Sanjak of sNovibazar, the other
| joining at Nish the main line. of the
| Orient Railway.
This is tie highroad between
Greece and Europe proper. and was
the route followed by the Austru-Ger-
man armies IN their advance into
! Southern Serbia. The streams flowing
| through these valleys, With their trin-
gutarie8 and the lakes which they feed,
! make the campania the granary of
| Saloniisi. But as they converge to-
ward the city and the gulf they form
a region OF swamps which is harpa-