The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-04-26

Of world war, the philippians Of dem
ocracy, but we have even now entere
upon the succeeding struggle of di
plomacy.
1t has been written that peace hatl
her victories no less renowned thar
war. The greatest victories of inter
national peace are those of diplomacy
After the great artillery of war ha'
broken up and devastated the burrows
in which autocracy and absolutism an(
oppression have so long been en-
trenched, then diplomacy will advance
and take possession of the remaining
positions. Diplomacy will say how
the map of Europe shall be remade
how the highways of the seas shall
become free and the water outlets OF
world commerce internationalized.
One of the greatest problems facing
the diplomats of the victors, including
America, when this war is ended, will
be the disposition to be made of Con-
stantinople and the Dardanelles. That
problem really helped cause this war.
Russia had long sought the posses
sion Of the Ottoman capital with its
control # the Bosphorus and. Dardan-
Giles as the outlet for all southern
Russia that remains open throughout
the year.
England for generations had acted
on the supposition that the nation
which controlled Constantinople held
the key to its possession of Egypt,
and the domination of the Suez canal
and of its vast empire in India, as well
as Africa.
Germany, which as our readers have
just seen, has just found in Asia
Minor a field for the production Of
cotton and other products as well as
the seat of vast empire, conceived of
the Berlin to Bagdad railroad as the
essential factor in its expansion in the
Orient.
The Kaiser faced the Monroe Doc
trine on the American continent and
the combination Of Britain, France
and Belgium in Darker Africa. The
most inviting, nay, the only field prac-
tically open to him beyond the reach
of the British two-country power navy
lay in decadent and moribund Turkey
in Asia land beyond" which could be
reached entirely by rail-
The cline of communications" for
the advance armies of commerce and
colonization of these three great pow
ers-Britain, Germany and Russia
crossed at Constantinople. Where
three Give wires" come together and
touch there is bound to be fire and
sizzling and destruction.
The confagration now in progress
will burn down some of the barriers
and bridges, but these lines Of COM
munication with distant empire,
whether of territory or of commerce,
will remain when the great conflict
on battle fields ends. Then will fol-
low the clash Of chancellries. The
great drives Of war will give place to
the brilliant dashes of diplomacy.
The three lines of empire named
will still cross at Constantinople. To
these have been added fourth, the
life line of democracy and Of Chris
tian civilization and religious liberty
thrown out from America to the en-
tire Mohammedan world.
1t is no longer a question whether
England and France will let Russia
have Constantinople at the end of this
war. Germany can no more insist
that it live to itself alone in posses
sion of exclusive transportation by
land from the Baltic sea on the north
to the inlet waters of the Indian ocean
in the far south. 1t can no further be
a question whether even Britain can
absolutely dominate the Suez canal
while holding a right of way in both
peace and war through Uncle Sans
Panama waterway.
The question for the whole world to
decide at the end Of this war will be,
allow can Constantinople and the
best be made TO contrib
ute to the upbuilding of world dem
ocracy and the promotion of COM
merce?"
The answer to this great problem in
a word is Decentralization"
We have virtually made the Panama
canal an international waterway. Eng
land as a matter Of fact permits the |
ships of all nations TO pass through |
the Suez canal on equal terms, except |
in time Ct war.
Can you think of any good reason
why the channel cut by nature from
The Black Sea through the Bosphorus,
he Sea Of Marmora and the Dardan-
sllcs and so TO the Mediterranean and
he Atlantic should not in the same