The Washington times., 1922-09-27
GALL|POLI|S
/. REAL CITADEL
FOR NEAR EAST
Diplomatic Savants Dub Asia
Minor Sensitive Area,
sNew Gibraltar.

Herewith is the first OF three
stories Showing the political, eco
nomic, and military factors TN
volved IN the present crisis over
the DardaMelles. The material tous
obtained from the Intelligence sec
ton Of TIE United States Wdr De
pdrtment.
By ROBERT s. THoRNBURGH.
Cosmopolitan News Service.
There are on the earth's sur
face a number of localities which
have been aptly described in mill
tary and political circles as sen
sitive areas" Bring pressure to
bear on one Of these localities and
the whole world reacts with a
swiftness and force that seems ut
terly out Of proportion with the
original cause of the disturbance.
Pre-eminently such a locality is
Asia Minor, standing at the cross
roads of three continents, the
great arteries Of commerce, and
the confluence Of widely varied
racial streams. -.
The nation which holds Gallipoli
will at least have the negative power
Of being able to prevent the entry or
exit of war vessels and commerce OF
other nations To insure complete
freedom OF the straits, the Chanak
region opposite Gallipoh must also
be held.
II, however, the power holding
Gallipoli peninsula has at It's dispo-
sition powerful batteries, II can make
Chanak untenable by a force less
powerfully equipped and can thus
insure passage OF the 'Dardanelles
and the control Of the Sea Of Mar
mora. Complete control OF entry
and exit into the Black Sec requires
that the Ismid peninsula be held.
Straits Rule Russia.
Practically all the people OF Eu.
rope, and many of those OF Africa
and Asia have direct interest in
the settlement Of the Near Eastern
question, and IL Is evident that an
overwhelming circle of powers Is
being drawn into the field of at.
traction Of this storm center.
The heart Of the Near East
problem Ia the control Of the
straits of Bosphorus and the Oar.
danelles. The powers that controls
the straits will largely control not
only the 6rstinies Of the various
minor nations located on the shores
of the Black Sea, but will also
dominate me f1ture OF Russia,
which depends upon this outlet for
her commence.
The most vital area in the zone
OF the straits is the Gallipoli penin-
sula: at its narrowest point 1t is
little more than five miles, and as
the world war demonstrated. can be
held almost indefinitely by a rela-
lively small force.
British Rule Straits.
Under the present regime. the zone
OF straits II technically under inter
national control. But practically this
international" regime is. on ac.
count Of the power Of the British
fleet. equivalent to British control.
Nothing shows this more clearly
than the indifference and perhaps
even hostility of France and Italy,
Great Britain's colleagues in the
international regime, TO the contln-
uance of the present status and the
alarm which was manifested in Brit.
ish quarters when allied control Of
the straits became, menaced as
result of the Turkish victory over
the Greeks.
While Great Britain has since the
world war had available sufficient
troops to hold the Gallipoli PENN.
sula, a much larger force would be
required to protect Asia Minor
coasts. For this reason, Great Brit
ain sought to make good her def
cheney in land forces by utilizing the
Greek forces for the CONQUEST Of Asia
Minor.
The failure of Greece to play Brit.
aims part and the plan to use Turkey
for the same purpose will be de-
scribed in a succeeding installment.