The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-03
A Famous Waterway

Washington, D. C., September D. Especial. l.)-"Because the Turkish rebelling at the treaty O. Sevres which stripped the old Ot- toman empire to the bone. and the creeks who profited heavily by the document, are fighting it out in the near east. the Black sea and it's gates are again a field of world events" says a bulletin issued by the National Geographic society.
 The treaty which practically end- ca Turkish power in Europe made an entirely new entity known as the zone Of the straits out of the narrow waters that separate Europe and Asa Minor-the Dardanelles, the Sea or Marmora and the Bosphorus-and tneir snores. Over this was placed an international commission. The door which had so long been kept closed by the Turks when they de- s.red, to the detriment of commerce, was to be flung wide open to permit the passage of ships of trade or war oelonging to any nation. That this mas already been accomplished in measure is shown forcibly by recent
 
 ships, barred from the Black sea since the prosperous days of Byzan- tium, are again sailing it's waters and have shelled towns held by the rebellious Turks.
 For thousands of years history and tradition have been busy about this chain of waters, from the mouth of the Dardanelles at the tip of the Gallipoli peninsula to the point near iy 200 miles to the northeastward, where the narrower BosphoruS sucks its mighty stream from the Black sea. Tradition has it that Jason and his fellow searchers for the golden fleece passed through the straits; and later hardy Greek seafarers and col onists, and after them Romans and Genoese, built great cities on their shores and established over their waters the world-important trade routes of their days.
 The Dardanelles, or the HeIlespont as the Greeks called it. is the longer of the two great salt water rivers that separate Europe from Asia Minor. It winds its way from the Aegean sea with two sharp turns and numerous gentler curves, for 40 miles, before it expands into the Sea of Marmora, the Grecian Propon- tis. The strait varies in width from a little over three-fourths of a mile to five miles. On the European side rises the steep ridge of Gallipoli, where large numberss of Australians and New Zealanders perished while seeking to seize the Dardanelles. On the Asiatic side lies the plain in which stood old Troy.
 "The Sea of Marmora, from which the Hellespont leads, is about 140 miles in length and 40 miles wide at it's greatest width. It is thus some what smaller than Lake Ontario, the smallest of our Great Lakes. But though relatively small, the Marmora in it's time has been the center of the world. Probably about no other body of water of such size have so many important cities stood. Of these, Constantinople alone is of inn portance today; but living and dead cities cover the shores of practically every harbor and headland of the little sea. The settlements that still exist are not even the heirs of the great cities of yesterday, but rather ill-kempt interlopers that under Turkish domain occupied their sites.
 Typical of the ancient Marmora cities was Cyzious on the peninsula of that name on the southern shore of the sea. It was founded earlier than Rome or Byzantium and had a long life, possessed at various times by Athens, Sparta, Persia, Macedon, Pergamus and Rome. 1t was one of the finest of ancient cities in it's prime. and it's gold coins were the standard of their day as the florins of Florence became the standard in times. But when Byzan- tium, thanks largely, to its incompar- able location on the Bosphorus. rose to power, the glories of Cyzicus faded. Today practically nothing is left Of the once great city. Its build ings were not left to fall; they were torn down by Byzantines and after them by Turks and the stones used in the construction of the latest and still flourishing metropolis of the straits.
 .Though it is both narrower and shorter than the Dardanelless the Bosphorus. third link in this chain of historic waters, is perhaps most important; for it is the immediate gate to and from the great Black sea which reaches toward the heart of Europe. To command this strait is to command one of the great trade routes of the world. a fact which has been written deeply into history from the days of the early Greek to those of the waning Turks. The strait is about 20 miles long and varies in width from a third of a mile to two miles. Darius. Persian King, who invaded Europe, took his army over bridge Of boats which he had constructed across the Bosphorus.
 At it's northern end the Bos- phorus expands suddenly into the Black sea This is no small sea, com parable to one of our Great Lakes, but, great body of water 750 miles long and from 200 to 400 miles wide. If located in the northeastern DOT tion of the United States 1t would cover all of the New England states as well as New York and Pennsyl- vania.
 More nations are now grouped around the Black sea than perhaps at any other time in history On the European side of the mouth of the Bosphorus is the tiny patch that re- mains of Turkey-in- Europe. Next comes the new northern extension oi Greece. Bulgaria and Rumania share the western end of the sea, Rumanis
 holding the lions share. Across the ncrth stretches the old Russian ter
 ritory which may contribute one oi many nations to the Black sea fam ily. To/the east their status equally questionable, the republics of Georgis and Armenia have Black sea shore line. at least on paper. The whol, of the rocky southern shore was al lotted by the peace conference tt Turkey. But it is not only the coun tries which have a Black sea front lage that are interested in that set and it's outlets to the south. Tn,
 broad, navigable Danube carryint the commerce of inland Austria. Hun gary, Czechoslovakia and Jugo | Siavia to the Black sea makes tn