Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-01-25
THE WAR PRIMER
BY National Geographic Society

"Odessa, Russia's first naval base on
the Black Sea and the starting point
for over-the-water attacks on Bull
garia, European Turkey, and Asia
Minor, is the most imposing mile
stone on the Muscovite's shortening
waters of the Mediterranean" begins
the war geography sketch issued to-
day by the National Geographic So
ciety. THE great and fourishing port
East; for it was founded by Catherine
II, after her war of conquest against
Pthe Turk had ended in the Treaty OF
Jassy in 1871, and its foundation was
largely due to the desire to have a
strong city just as near to Constanti-
point of departure for sSlav armies of
future generations. 1t is said that the
Russian is the dreamiest and the
longest-memoried of all the races OF
Europe, and it has been on its way
toward the world-city on the Bos-
phorus, where its national faith was
Graded, ever since Arab invaders
broke the communication between
Sancta Sophia and the Russia church
In the ninth century.
1.-The only un-American thing about
Odessa, Mark Twain said, are the cut
of it's droshkis and the stupendous
girth of their drivers. The city is
modern, new, and more European or
| American than any other city in the
Tsars Empire, with the exception of
Petrograd. Odessa has only recently
passed its Tooth year. yet. at the out
break of the war. it was ranked by
| but three other cities in the Empire
for size and commercial Importance
lPetrograd, Moscow and Warsaw. A
/ few huts of mud and reeds and g
! Turkish fort were all that marked the
site, when Catherine the Great COM
manded a city here. In 1902, eight
| years after it's foundation, it numbered
5000 Greeks, Italians. Russians and
Albanians. 1t enjoyed, however, un-
usual Imperial patronage for strate.
gical reasons; even the Emperor Paul
| who delighted to make vain all tina
owed it's title to his mother, contained
her favor to the young town. A statue
1 Of Catherine, the TsaTina, represented
| trampling the Turkish flag under foot
stands on one of the finest squares
Today, the city, wealthy and import
ant among world ports, houses NOR
than half a million people.
'sThe city lies on semi circula
bay, about midway between tn
mouths of the great Russian rivers
J Dniester and Dnieper. 1t is 1017 mile
south southwest from Moscow by raj
and $40 miles south from Kief. Var
ma, the nearest Bulgarian port and on
recently bombareded by the Russians
, lies 290 miles across the Black Sea t
the southwest.
"Odessa is builded in the midst O
a dreary steppe. 1t is regularly 1ai
out in broad streets, faced with sub
stantial modern buildings, and wear
: its commercial prosperity patent to tn
: ost casual visitor. It's port is equip
; ped with six good harbors-the quar-
' antine harbor, coal harbor, petroleum
harbor, new harbor, practical harbo
and the tlarbor of the Russian Com
pany for Navigation and Commerce
| the principal shipping company of tn
: port. The freezing of the harbors an
: the bay interrupts navigation for a
: average of 16 days each year.
'sNovorossia, or New Russia, whic
includes the governments of Bes
. sarabia and Kherson, has its intellec
Z tual and commercial capital at Odess
: The social capital is also there, an
: the life of the metropolis has bee
: described as much more gay than II
life Of Paris or Vienna The nigh
in the Odessa Of pre-war days wei
3 giddy and irresponsible, the avenue
t flied with people and ablaze wit
y cafes until early morning hours. I'll
: merrymaking Of Odessa did not real
begin in the cafes. chantants unit
midnight, when it's gaities lasted uni
between three and five in the mornin
There was a dark side to the pt
ture, the usual one to CONTRAST WI
T the bright in every great city.
{ miserable army of poor, whose rar
n were largely filled by the tides
transient labor that washed u
greatest trading city of Southern Ru
= STA, lived from hand to mouth (
stray crumbs of the places prosperit
timated at $4,000. and many of the
: lived In extensive catacombs benea
It the city, which were formed by 9
iquarrying Of sandstone for building.