The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-18
NORTH SEA PORTS ID MEDITERRANEAN BASIN ARE FIGHTING
Interior Trade of Europe Is in Balance and War Will Decide the
 Contest

Saloniki. October 1--(Correspondence of the Associated Press.}-The war which General Sarrail is conducting on the military front here is not the only warfare going on in this part oI the world Among the diplomats ana officials who circulate between here Athens. Paris, Rome and London, 1t is recognized that there is another ana 8 larger struggle in progress than the one on the front as it involves the commercial and economic supremacy of the Mediterranean and it's great ports-Marseilles, Genoa, Triest and Saloniki-as against the supremacy of the North sea and it's great commer' cial cities, Hamburg and Bremen
 To the United States this struggle is said to have q special interest, for the Mediterranean is but an extension of arm of the Atlantic through which the United States can take part in the future commerce of the Mediterranean basin including southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia.
 Until the war began the North sea and it's ports had established undisputed supremacy in the commercial penetra- tion" of Europe It was the distribu- ting point not only for northern Eu- rope, but also for southern Europe way down to the Mediterranean, which latter was quite unnatural The Med- iterranean had almost ceased to be ali avenue of supply for it's own section of southern Europe
 It is to reverse this domination of the North sea and it's ports, and re store the supremacy of the Mediter- ranean basin, that this economic strug / gle is now going on all the way from Salonil1i to Calais. The modern admin istration of European governments has now taken the place of barbarism all along the northern coast from Egypt and Tripoli to Morocco. 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 commerce which would appeal to the United States m 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, It will then be disclosed that one of the main causes for Itay's en- tering the war was to throw off the domination which the North sea cities had secured over Itay's Mediterranean ports, Genoa and Naples.
 The other Mediterranean cities have had the same experience in falling Under domination from the North sea Mar seilles was the natural distrib uting point for most of southwestern Europe But it 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 it's 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 it is part of this economic struggle to make Triest an open port for all the world, and essentially a Mediterranean city instead of an adjunct to the North sea
 The 'forty-fifth parallel" is another expressive term used in this conner cial struggle. It is the east and west highway of commerce through entente territory across Europe. It seems, also to be a sort of commercial belt around the world. It crosses Europe east an6 west from Bordeaux, Lyons Milan, Bel. grade, Odessa and runs close alongside the Mediterranean from east to west giving the land and water routes side by side.
 
 ranean basin to it's rights and throw off the domination of the North SC; ports, explains the long and tenaciou stand General Sarail's forces are makia. on this Saloniki front The strictly mil. itary part of their function is consd erable, but aside from these military ends the entente forces along this Sa loniki front are felt to have a large function, to maintain the entente foot hold In the eastern Mediterranean unti the whole Mediterranean basin is ire from the domination of the north.
 Some military critics have asked 10 the recall of the Salonilli expedition, ol the ground that the many military di visions here could be used for the fina blow on the western front. But it cal be set down as certain, based on tn Judgment of those in highest authority that this will not be done for there i larger purpose than the one on tn military fronts-the control of tn Mediterranean.