Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-10-21
Commercial Supremacy From
Northern Ports Will Be
Shifted by War.

SALONIKI, Oct. 20.-The war
which General Sarrail is conducting
on the military front here is not tho
only warfare going on in this part OF
the world. Among the diplomats ana
officials who circulate between here,
Athens, Paris, Rome and London H.
Is recognized that there is another and
u larger struggle in progress than the
one on the front, as ii involves the
commercial and economic supremacy
OF the Mediterranean and It's great
-Marseilles, Genoa, Triest and
Saloniki-as against the supremacy OF
the North Sea ard its great CONNER
cial cities Hamburg and Bremen.
To the United States this struggle Is
said to have a special interest. for the
Mediterranean Is but an extension OF
arm Of the Atlantic thru which this
United States can take part in the nj
ture commerce of the Mediterranean
basin. including southern Europs,
northern Africa and western Asia.
Supremacy Changing.
Until the war began the North Sea
and It's ports had established undis-
puted supremacy in the "commerciai
penetration" of Europe. 1t was the
distributing point not only for nortn'
ern Europe, but also for soutnern
Europe way down to the Mediterran-
can, which latter was quite unnatural
Tho Mediterranean had almost ceased
to be an avenue of supply for its own
section of southern Europe.
II is to reverse this domination of
the North Sea and its pbrts, and re-
store the supremacy OF the Mediter-
renean basin, that this economic
struggle is now going on all the way
from Saloniki to Calais. The modern
administration Of European govern
l.a
barbarism all along the nortnern
coast from Egypt and Tripoi to Mo-
rocco. Thus for the first time the
Mediterranean is encircled by modern
rule and the facilities of modern trade
opening a new and/vast field of COM
-merce which should partic ularly ap-
peal to the United States in the COM
mercial extensions after the war.
Dragged Italy Into War.
The part OF the four great Mediter-
ranean cities have taken in this strug-
gle will come out more fully after the
war. II will then be disclosed that
one of the main causes for Italy's ell
tering the~war was to throw off the
domination which the North Sea
cities had secured over Italy's Meditec-
ranean ports, Genoa and Naples.
The other Mediterranean cities nave
had the same experience in falling
under domination from the North Sea
Marseilles was the natural distributing
point for most OF southwestern Eu-
rope But is found this field occupied
and largely controlled from the north.
Saloniki was the natural emporium of
the Balkans and all southeastern
Europe up to the Danube But this
field was In the hands Of the North
Sea cities, Saloniki counts its decline
largely from this fact. Triest being
an Austrian city, has shared IN the
advantages of the North Sea rule, but
always as an auxiliary OF the north.
whereas 1t is part of this economic
struggle to make Triest an open port
for all the world, and essentially a
Mediterranean city instead of an ad-
junct to the North sea.
The "45th parallel is another ex-
pressive term used in this commercial
struggle. II is the east and west high
way of commerce thru Entente terri
tory across Europe. It seems. also, to
be sort OF commercial belt around
the world. 1t crosses Europe east and
west from Bordeaux, Lyons, Milan
Belgfade, odessa and runs close along
eide the Mediterranean from east Ia
west, giving land and water routes
side by side.
The struggle to restore the Mediter-
ranean basin to its rights and throw
off the domination OF the North Sea
ports, explains the long and tenaciou,
stand General Sarrail's forces are
making on this Saloniki front. The
strictly military part Of their func-
tions is considerable but aside from
these military ends. the Entente forces