The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1940-02-22
Greek Island Played
Important Role in 9
oEl9s Many Wars.


The Greek island of Corfu (Ker-
kyra to the Greeks) took the leading
place in news headlines when Italy
as part of her Albanian adventure.
seemed bent on seizing it, and when
Great Britain demanded hands off.
The island, 40 miles long and 20
miles across at its widest point, re-
sembles huge cornucopia, slightly
squeezed out of shape by a giant
hand.
Corfu lies at the head of the Ionian
sea like a watch tower over the
Strait of Otranto, door to the Adri-
attic. The northern or wide end is
but two miles from the Albanian
shore, while the south end is about
10 miles off the coast of Greece.
Corfu should be callous to wars
and rumors of wars. For 26 GEN.
turies it has played a part in many
of the major political upheavals in
Europe and the Mediterranean. Ro-
mans, Venetians, Genoese, Per-
SLAMS, the Normans of Sicily, Brit
ish, French, Turks, and even Medi-
terranean pirates, at one time or an
other have had long or short con-
troll of the island.
Once American Naval Base.
During the World war it was an
important naval base, with British,
French and Italian ships thwarting
any attempt of German or Austrian
submarines to venture out of the
Adriatic sea. At one time SO Amer
lean subchasers temporarily were
assigned to Corfu waters to aid the
Allied fleet.
The most recent military occupa-
ton of Corfu was by Italian forces.
In 1923 several Italian officers were
killed near the then vague Greco
Albanian border. Italy demanded
an apology and an indemnity of
So, 10000 The government of
Greece submitted counter-proposals
which were refused. For five days
Italian troops poured onto Corfu.
Italy and Greece came to terms be-
fore the occupation was a month
old and the Fascist troops evacu-
ated.
In range of altitude, as well as in
plan, Corfu resembles cornucopia.
The northern part of the island is a
region of high mountains, the mid
section undulating hills and the
southern extremity low plains
Bathed in Mediterranean sunshine
Corfu has long been, between wars
a pleasure ground. One of the is.
lands prominent vacationists was
Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany who
purchased, in 1907, the Achilleion, g
palace-villa built for the unhappy
Empress Elizabeth of Austria.
Tdyllic Lotus Land
Homer described Corfu as an idyl
! lie lotus land of beautiful people anc
scenery, where figs, grapes and 9th
er fruits grow in abundance. One
of those other fruits today is olives
which cover large areas of the is
land. When the Venetians held sway
for 400 years from 1401, bounty
was paid for each olive tree plant
ed. This aroused in Corfu agricul
turists and their descendants an in
terest in olives that persists today
The town of Corfu is about mid
way the eastern side of the island
| While there are a few reminders O
the occupation of the island by it.
numerous landlords, the lower par
of the town does take the travelel
back to the Middle ages. A laby
rinth of streets, some too steep ant
narrow for wheeled vehicles, wint
through this section. French ant
Italian architecture predominate1
but there is a bazaar that recalls
the flavor of the East when Turke,
had her heel on Corfu and its neigh
boring islands and mainland.