Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-10-31

! prepared by the National Geographic So
j ciety, Washington, d. c.
Inc recent occupation of the island
of Corfu by Italy was on the face Of
1t the taking by force of Greek terri
tory by an alien nation; but the island
| has been cuffed about and batted back
| and forth so continually through the
centuries that half a dozen nations,
including Italy, might lay claim to it
| on the plea of former ownership.
Corfu is one of the parts of the lock
that secures the Adriatic sea at its
narrow neck from the Ionian sea and
the open waters of the Mediterranean.
| 1t lies like watch-tower in the Ionian
! sea before the narrowing entrance Of
the Strait of Otranto. To the north
of it rugged finger of Albanian
mountain-land reaches out into the
strait, and bending back, forms the
splendid naval harbor of Avlona, one
of the golden hopes of Austrian and
Italian ambitions. To the northwest
of Corfu, the long Italian heel cuts
out into the waters of the Ionian sea.
Together, these three elements domi-
nate the Adriatic'S outlet.
Corfu is shaped somewhat like
sickle or q rough crescent, the points
or horns of which are toward the
! Greek mainland. The northern point
lacks only two miles Of meeting the
mainland, but the southern point is
some ten miles offshore The bulge of
| VIII nysf1 fho oi,,1o Nd
almost make into lake forms won
derful land-locked roadstead which has
| played it's part in naval affairs for
! two millenniums.
The town and harbor of Corfu are
on the east side of the island on the
shore of this roadstead across which
| some twelve or fifteen miles away
rises the rough shore of Epirus. In
| the harbor is the little bristling isle
of Vido, which has often been heavily
| fortified by it's various owners.
Homer Told Its Beauties.
Bathed in Mediterranean sunshine,
with rather dry climate for a con-
siderable period of the year, the island
pleasure spot; and it failed to lose
this reputation even when the sitting
up of a number of arms of the sea and
the formation of stagnant lakes
brought malaria to some of the low
lands.
Homer describes the island as sort
Of paradise in the dim days of Greek
beginnings. He makes it out an idyl-
lie louisiana of beautiful people and
beautiful scenery with an abundance
of figs and grapes and other fruits
The island first energies in history
as the site of Corcyra, city founded
only a few miles from the present
town of Corfu by colonists from Cor
nth. The daSe of Corcyra's birth is
set at 734 B. C-twenty-six centuries
ago. The colony grew rapidly in
wealth, in maritime power, and into a
confident spirit of independence. Cor
cyra'S fleet protected in its wonderful
roadstead, grew strong, and in 664
B. G. fought with its mother-city, Cor
NTH, the first recorded Greek naval
battle. Corinth won; but before long
Corcyra was again Independent. When
a second dispute arose with Corinth,
Corcyra allied itself with Athens,
much as our colonial forefathers al
lied themselves with England's great
rival, France. This move of Corcyra's
led to the Peloponnesian war, the
World war of classic times.
When the great fleet of Athens and
her allies was on the way to Syracuse
there was held In the roadstead Of
Corcyra a review of what was prob
ably the greatest concentration of
naval strength up to that time. Again,
In 1871, the same roadstead was the
world navy, the combined fleets of
Venice, Spain and the pope, which
sailed from there to the battle of Lee
panto, in which they crushed the ris-
ing and formidable naval power of
Turkey.
With the passing of a powerful
Greece the island that Is now Corfu
fell into the hands of corsairs and be-
came a pirate stronghold Rome de-
Iivered it in 900 B. G. and absorbed
it into the empire. Augustus made it
/ his base for operations against Antony
In 81 B. G..
When Rome declined this island off
Greece 'ost Importance, too. The
Normans of Sicily held it in the Elev-
enth and Twelfth centuries, and the
Genoese after them. The first foot
hold by Venetians was gained in 1907,
but seven years later the island passed
to the Greeks of Epirus for nearly
half a century.