The state herald., 1921-04-15
BATTLE-GROUND AND
PLAYGROUND -

If the latest anti -Bolshevik military
efforts from outside Russia to win
back u part of that old empire. This
expedition, under General Wrangel
met disaster as had similar forces
launched against the sovlets farther
north, and the Crimea was Overrun
by the Bolsheviki.
The Crlmean peninsula in which
this encounter tool; place Is land
which has aspects known to every
school child. 1t Is the land Of the Cim-
mcrians about whom Homer sang in the
odyssey" and from whom the pcnin-
sula takes its name: the land of the
Crimean war. the siege OF Sevastopol.
and the Charge of the Light Bri-
gnde" the land in which Florence
Nightingale first caused efficient. or
dered mercy to have IL part in war.
The Crimen is known as 'Thc Little
Paradise" 10 the Taiars. last of the
many races TO ocerrun the peninsula
icfore a, land fell under the sway
ug the Nluscovitc. a traveller Jour
accept this uppeilation, II at MI. with
= strong mental reservation ms he
crosses the almur desert-like plains
of northern crimca; hut once over the
mountains that rim the southern shore
he will approve the description with
enthusiasm. There. nnture has made
n wonderful garden spot, the Riviern
OF Russia. n combination Of sea, noun
fains and rlofous verlure that really
WED with its famed Italian counter
part IN the days when Czarhood was
In flower.
Though part OF what has come to
be looked. upon as "cold RGssia," The
southern shore Of the Crimea brought
la the old empire n touch of the
tropics. On the mountain slopes and
In the sheltered valleys grow ernpes,
figs. olives. and all the tender fruits !:
mugnolias, bays. and myrlles; and n
profusion Of Wild flowers and grasses.
That the delights of Its mild climate
were discovered early Is testified by
the ruins of Greek. Byzantine. and
Italian architecture which are To be
found among the mosques Of the later
Tntnrs, the palaces Of the Russian I'm
perlui family and nobility. and the
magnificent modern hotels Of the
pleasure towns To which the prosper
Gus classes Of RUSSIA ilocked before
the World war Yaltn. In those care
free days. was iiussln's Nice. New
port, and Miami rolled Into one; ~
cnf. aud casino life WAS Ms hectic.
gny, and expensive ns thar 10 he found
In ANY OF the worlds prc-war play
grounds.
The Crnnca Is n peninsula that
barely escaped being an lslahd. II
hangs from the mainland OF South
Russia down into tile Blnck sen. like
n gigantic watch fob shaped like a
founder. II l. attached by the mar
row ribbon OF the islhmus of rcrc'
kop, n strip of lnnd only ihrcc.aunr.
ters of n mile Wide nnd only n few
feet above sen level. On one side l.
the BInck sen and on the other the
singnnn,. shallow. mnlodorous waters
OF Inc sNuf'n. VT tulrlu r'h, w
COON ~ the Sen of Azov. This Is thu
only unbroken natural land conncc'
tion between the mainland md the
Crimea. but n few miles to the east
n narrow pnrt of the Putrid sen has
been bridged BY the railroad which
enters the peninsula.
Tho greatest width OF the Crinicn
north and south In i16 miles. and III
grentcst length from "hcad' TO "inil'
Ii ?2S miles. II contains about p.IW
square miles. md is thus approximate
iy the size Of the stnte Of Vermont oi
the island " sicily. Before the World
war its population WIS 2.Oo0.WU.
The Crimcn was conquered by Cath
nrine the Grcnt NJ Nussin In I'LL. nnt
remained n pnrt Of the Russian en-
pirc until that political cntltys col
inpsc In ioi7 The bulk Of the popu
lniion remains Tntnr. though there l,
nn ndmlxiurc Of both Greek md iinl
Inn blood In the nominnlly Tatar
people.