The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-12-27


ciety. Washington. D. CO.
Three towns of Asia Minor, seldom
heard Of in ordinary times, have stood
out in the world news of recent weeks
-Chanak. Mudania and Ismid. Mere
villages normally, each has had sud
denly poured into it soldiers or celebri-
ties, and has taken on. briefly at least,
Importance greater than that Of many
metropolis.
Chanak, the strategic point on the
Asiatic side Of the Dardanelles, which
figured for weeks as sort of threat-
ened British Thermopylae, illustrates
how translation may spoil romance.
The name means 'pOts"-scullery
ware. But though 1t has hum-drum
name, Chanak-or Tehanak-Kalessi-
and its neighborhood have more than
have radically modelled the worlds his
tory and even the worlds literature.
Barely twenty miles to the south rose
Troy, to furnish inspiration alike to
Homer and his myriad of readers.
Within q stones throw of Chanak,
Xerxes In $50 B. c. led his thousands
of Persians across the Dardanelles on
bridge Of boats in the first formidable
expedition of As'atics into Europe
which history records. At the same
spot century and half later Alex
ander led his smaller but more highly
trained army into Asia on his triun-
phal conquest of the world.
1t was from Chanak in 1853 that the
Turks crossed to their first foothoid in
Europe-a crossing that gave Europe
problem that has bred wars and
massacres and broken treaties for
more than five hundred years.
The Sea Of Marmora TITO which the
Dardanelles and the Bosporous widen
forms a barrier between Asia and Eu-
rope. The roads between the two con-
tinents lie across the two straits at
Its ends. Constantinople at the mar
rowest point Of the Bosporous. Is the
front door; Chanak. where the Darda-
nellcs is most CONSTRUCTED. Is the back
door. 1t Is natural enough, perhaps.
that almost all of the historic inva-
sions of Europe from the East should
have been by the back way. and that
there again today Great Britain should
have made an important stand.
Castle after castle. each fortified.
comes into view on both the Aslatic
and the European sides Of the Darda-
nelles as one steams from the
Aegean toward Constantinople. But
the narrows opposite Chanak are re-
served for the castles of castles: the
castle Of Asia on the right the castle
Of Europe on the left. The Cranak
Notifications were first constructed in
141O. not lorg after Cnnstantinople fell
to the Turks. Ever since Chanak has
been a place of importance. In recent
decades It has heen the point of admin
istration for all the Dardarelles de-
fenses-the solar plexns Of the outer
straits. German artillery experts re-
sided there during the World war and
modernized the Notifications.
Mudanla Something Of a Seaport.
While Chanak is a channel port.
Mudania. scene of the Near East mil
ltary parley. Is full-fledged seaport
Oh paper at least. 1t IS, however, on
what is now the quiet little Sea Of
Marmora. though it was once the GEN.
.-al body of water of the civilized
world. Incor spicuous as 1t is. Mu-
DANA, scene of the Near East peace
harley, was far from being unfrequent-
ed before the World war began. In
those days its visitors went through
Mudania on the boat and-rail trip from
Constantinople to BruSa. The Turks
probably chose Brusa's port for their
conference ~ith allied representatives
because Mudania is the nearest town,
In the neutral zone of the Straits ter
ritory, to this their chief Asia Minor
city, which lies Just across the line
where the Turk rule Is absolute.
When the Marmora was vet an In
land Turkish sea the boat from Con-
stantinople to Mudania was apt to be
late and crowded. and many travellers
complained of petty exactions from
porters and customs officials Petty
annoycnces. though. cannot wholly
mar a trip across the Marmora. and
the western traveller who views the
Aslatic coast line Of this placid lake
for the FIRST time has sight Of rare
beauty and probably n surprise. Canes
and islands. bays ard forested shores,
make the approach to almost any point
between Channk and Ismid scene Of
beauty. And the mid-city of the South
Marmo,s shore. Mudania. Is Lo ex-
reptisp