Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-15
TURKEY BUILDS UP
NUCLEUS OF NAVY
Sum of 100000 Set Aside
in Budget to Aid Fleet
Once Supreme.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special DlSpatcn 10 Inc OtaT.
ISTANBUL, Turkey, September IS
Ismet PaSha, general, statesman, hench-
man Of the GaZi, has adopted another
weak infant under the overspreading
wings of his premiership. His first, the
railroads. born under the Kemalist
regime, has become sturdy and
capable child, able to stand on its own
legs. The Turkish Navy was no more
than a name until Ismet Pasha turned
his eagle eye in that direction. A bigger
and stronger navy is now the cry in
Turkey. An increase Of $1,000,000 in
the 1931-1932 budget will make this
possible.
The Ismet cabinet has already started
to work in earnest. The Yavouz, the
ex-Goeben of World War fame, was
thoroughly repaired and modern dock
built for her. The YaVouz constitutes
Turkeys chief naval power. Two sub
marines. constructed in Holland. have
been added, and four destroyers, two
more submarines and three gunboats
have been ordered from Italy, but have
not yet been delivered.
Although the Turkish Republic fol-
lows faithfully a peace policy, her
frontiers are not neglected. The army,
under the republic, was thoroughly
organized; so well, in fact, that, forced
to economic, the government dictated
a $4,500,000 cut for the forces. The air
line was also created by the KemaliStS
before the Republic, Turkey had a few
airplanes that were of no use. But a
strong army and air force were not
deemed enough for a country which
boasts of 3,000-mile coast line. Sooner
or later Turkey had to think of her
neglected navy.
Strategy Of Mehmed II.
The Turkish fleet. once the terror of
Europe and the master OF the Mediter-
ranean, had very humble beginnings.
! Thirty-f1ve years after the foundation
of the Ottoman Empire I299) a few
miserable RATS were constructed which
enabled the Turks to cross from Asia
to Europe. This was the first Turkish
fleet. The years that followed in no
way improved the primitive RATS.
In the middle of the fifteenth century
Mehmed II, hook-nosed eagle-eyed
ruler of Turkey, decided to conquer
ConStantinople and build a vast empire
Then the need of fleet came to the
fore. Mehmed ordered many ships to
be built, each carrying big guns.
Early one morning white sails on a
background of blue dawned before the
Queen City and terrified people. Con-
stantine, last Emperor of ByZantium.
ordered the chains to be drawn across
the Golden Horn so as to keep out the
enemy. When Mehmed drew near with
his feet he saw that his ships could
not pass the chains, and his hopes Of
bombarding the city from the sea fell
Undaunted, the Sultan withdrew to
think over plan.
A few weeks later, when the Greeks
Onpned their evoc al DAYLIGHT ",
the Turkish feet within the Golden Horn
and the chains still barring the en-
trance. Amazed, they rubbed their eyes.
but the ships were real and the guns
we're menacing the city. When Mehmed
had seen the chain across the Golden
Horn he had decided to resort to
strategy. He sailed away as If dis
couraged. Then his soldiers occupied
q hill overlooking the Golden Horn In
the dead of the night the sailboats were
pulled ashore. Then a wooden chute
was constructed from the hill to the
sea. This was generously creased and
the boats slid down one by one. Con-
stantinople was doomed and soon fell
into the hands of the Turks.
Pirate Made Admiral.
The name of Barberousse Haireddin
can never be separated from the history
3
sailor and famous pirate, soon became
the terror of the Mediterranean. He
had conquered Algeria and Tunis with
his handful of followers Sultan Selim,
called the great YavouZ, realized the
value of this man and called him to
ConStantinople to head the Turk; sh
Navy. BarberouSse came, bringing with
him two provinces and rich presents.
Under Suleiman the Magnificent he was
made grand admiral and given free
hand with the navy, so that the Turkish
feet became peerless. Barberousse added
one victory after another TO his fame
his most famous was over the Venetian
admiral, Andre DORA. For a century,
the Turkish feet was supreme and the
Mediterranean in the hands of the
Turks.
Gradually the feet went into decline
especially under Sultan Hamid in the
nineteenth century. Hamid, afraid OF
his own shadow. did his best to ruin
the navy. He had an idea that the
battleships would point their guns at
his palace and lombard it. Thus re-
duced, the Turkish Navy never recover
ed. During the Balkan war, Turkey
suffered ignominous defeat at the hands
of the Greeks. Now the Turkish feet
is beginning to arouse from its torpor
And if Ismet Pasha keeps up his work
of reconstruction, Turkey soon will have
the nucleus of small, but well organ
led navy.
(Copyrisht. 1917