The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-03-03
THE DARDANELLES

Provision has been made for IN in
ternational force along the Darda-
nelles To guarantee free passage to
ships of all nations through the
straits and the Sea of Marmora.
Even our own Mississippi on Penn
sykana some day may rest at anchor
in this deep, swift strait, 81 miles IN
length. between the gooSe-neck PENN
sua of Gallipoli and the mainland of
Turkey, or steam into the Sea OF Mar
mora and thence to the Bosphorus, for
the American jackieS to ION" and q.
"Ah !" at the mosques and minarets of
Constantinople in the distance.
Mention OF the Dardanelles conjures
before the American mind the story on
n fierce ana interest-compelling iight
in 1915 and 1916 and a history which
trails back into dim NEUROLOGICAL times
when LeandeI swan across its three
fourths mile width ut AbydQs every
night To tell the "same old story to
Hero. who hung her light"out to in
form him she wanted to hear ii.
Lord Byron, not to be outdone as
swimmer by his predecessor, "did'
the Hellcspont i'm 1910. Though ii was
regarded as rather Il prodiglous feat
when these two accomplished it, many
modern athletes could don their trunks
and visit their lady loves and regard
the effort as part of their training To
keep physically fit.
Xerxes. I'm $50 +. c., having an I'M
canny feeling that his thousands OF
Persians were not Billingtons ana
KellermanS, dashed boats together ms
n bridgeway, which HerOdotus tells us
groaned for seven days and nights,
during the unloading of Asiatics on the
soil of Europe. Alexander the Great,
about 100 years later, before he was
reduced to tears AT the failure of the
world to provide him excitement, tried
out the thrill Of XerxeS by leading his
Macpdonians into Asia.
The approach by which the Ameri-
can soldier and sailor will enter Con-
stantinople may well be likened to the
entrance TO dwelling house-the Oar
danelles being the outside or storm
door. the Sea of Marmora the vesti-
hule. and the Bosphorus the inner
door.
This storm door, which Is about the
width Of the Hudson river, Is com
manded by the Dardanelles castles
built by Mohammed III in 147O. One
! fort Is on the European side and one
on the Aslatlc. Many guide books pub
OIL
nous and prophetic sentence; "The
| castles on both sides have been lately
restored and armed with Krupp guns.
| According to the treaty OF July, 1871,
| and the Paris peace Of 1856, no for
eIgn ship of war was allowed to en-
ter the strait without the permission
of Turkey. and merchant vessels only
during the daytime.
On the Asiatic side n short distance
from the fort lies the town Of Darda-
nelles. which was named for Darda-
nus, the neurological ancestor Of the
Trojan king, Aeneas, and hence OF
the Roman people. This city Of 1900
inhabitants, situated prettlly on fer
tile stretch Of land, is the point from
which most Of the eXcursionists start
for the plains of Troy, a short dis
lance beyond. Here. too, ships mus
stop to show their papers, the mum
Der Of merchant vessels alone during
single year numbering more thar
10000.
Across on the European side Il
Galllpol or beautiful town" II wa
the first European town to be cap
tured by the Turks In 1857. Superb.
located on the steep projecting coas
Of the Galllpoli peninsula, 1t command
n view Of the Asiatic side-the plain
Of Troy and the broken foothills o
Mount Ida. On this narrow peninsula
In April, 1915, allied forces were lande
In an attempt TO capture the Darda
nelles. When the floods drove the Brl
ish soldiers from their trenches llk
rats out of holes Turkish snipers o
the hills above picked them or almOs
as fast as they appeared. The can
, paign was abandoned in January 1917
-r---