The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-10-21

Saloniki, Oct. 20.-(Correspond-
enee of The Associated Pres5)-The
war which General Sarrail is CO.
Quoting on the military front here is
not the only warfare going on in this
part of the world. Among the diplo-
mats and officials who circulate be-
| tween here, Athens, Paris, Rome and
London. it is recognized that there
is another and larger struggle in
progress than the one on the front,
! as 1T involves the commercial and eco
nonlic supremacy of The Mediter-
ranean and its great ports-Mar-
settles. Genoa, Trieste and Saloniki-
as against the supremacy of the North
Sea and its great commercial cities
Hamburg and Bremen.
To the United States this struggle
is said to have special interest. for
the Mediterranean is but an extension
or arm of the Atlantic through which
the United States can take part in
| the future commerce of the MeGiter-
| ranean basin, including southern Eu-
| rope, northern Africa and western
| Asia.
Until the war began the North Sea
| and its ports had established undis-
puted supremacy in the Commercial
penetration" of Europe 1t was the
distributing point not only for north
ern Europe. but also for southern Eu-
rope way down to the Mediterranean,
which latter was quite unnatural. The
! Mediterranean had almost ceased to
be an avenue of supply for its own
section of southern Europe.
1t is to reverse this domino ton of
the North Sea and its ports. and re-
store the supremacy of the Mediter-
ranean basin that this economic strug-
gle is now going on all the way from
Saloniki to Calais. The modern adj
ninistrat:on of European govern
ments has now taken the place of
barbarisn1 all along the northern
coast from Egypt and Tripoli to Mo-
rocco. Thus, for the first time. the
Mediterranean is encircled by modern
rule and the facilities of modern
trade, opening up new and vast field
Of commerce which should particular
ly appeal to the United States in the
commercial extensions after the war.
The part the four great Mediter-
ranean cities have taken in this strug-
gle will come out more fully after
the war. 1t will then be disclosed
that one of the main causes for 1taly's
entering the war was to throw off the
domination which the North Sea cities
mao SeCuFeu over Italy > McuItCI-
ranean ports, Genoa and Naples.
The other Mediterranean cities
have had the same experience in fall
ing under the domination from the
North Sea. Marseilles was the nat
ural distributing point for most Of
southwestern Europe. But it found
this field occupied and largely con-
trolled from the north. Saloniki was
the natural emporium for the Bal
kans 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, Trieste being an Aus
TRAN city, has shared in the advan-
tages of the North Sea rule, but al
ways as an auxiliary of the north.
whereas it is psrt of this economic
struggle to make Triest an open port
for all the world, and essentially q
Mediterranean city instead of an adj
junct to the North Sea.
The "45th parallel" is 9nf2E:
pressive term used in this comrSarcol
struggle. It is the east and; west
| highway Of commerce through en-
tente territory across Europe. 1t
seems also to be sort of commercial
belt around the world. It crosses Eu-
rope east and west from Bordeaux,
Lyons, Milan, Belgrade, Odessa, and
runs close alongside the Medlter-
ranean from east to west, giving land
and water routes side by side.
The struggle to restore the Medi-
] terranean basin to its rights and to
throw off tha donina finn of the North