The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-17
Dodecanese Islands Old
Prizes of War Conquest

=, =, ~ ~NAAiAi1AStI lion WAen
the Italians took over. Castelrosso
came into Italy's hands bv ces.
sion from Turkey in 1924.
The value of the Dodecanese is.
lands is in their position. After
the islands came under the control
OF Italy, the government encourage
ed colonization with Italian farm.
ers, and introduced modern agr;.
cultural methods and machinery
Nature endowed the islands with
an almost ideal climate. Sunshine
pathes the land the year round.
temperatures rarely fall below
freezing, and average from e5 de-
grees to IS degrees in summer.
Rainfall is heavy in winter. From
April to October warmth and dry
ness are the rule. The islands
are virtually free Of mosquitoes
and malaria. Tempestous winds
occasionally sweep over island
waters, driving small craft to shell
ter and dispensing fleets of sponge
and fishing boats.
Living on a combined area less
than that of Rhode Island, much
Of it rocky and barren, the al, 900
islanders face difficult living condi-
tons. The chief export of the is
lands has been people. Islanders
have sought their fortunes in
Australia, in Argentina. and in
the United States. A colony of
Greek sponge fishers, transplanted
from the Aegean, has long operated
at Tarpon Springs, Florida.
At home islanders make a frugal
living by keeping bees. raising
sheep and cattle, producing butter
and cheese, growing fruits and
vegetables, and making sweet
wines and brandies. They quarry
limestone and marble for building
use, work small iron and silver
mines, dig pumice and gypsum,
catch octopuses and squid. Thew
fashion potters' clay into distinc-
tive shapes, make silk goods and
carpets, and process and market
sponges.
For diversion there are cock
fights and harvest festivals. Pill
grimages to island monasteries are
occasions for travel from one is
land to another in flag-bedecked
skiffs.
Biggest city in the islands is
Rhodes (RodD with about 27,400
prewar jewellers. Other STABLE
centers are Calino, population 49,
200; Coo, with $500 people, and
SINH, with 6,100.
Tricky crusted with legends,
myths, and history, each of the
islands has its special appeal to
interest. Rhodes was the head
quarters Of the crusading- Knights
of St. John from 1910 to 1923. The
evidence of their occupation still
stands in ancient walls and stone
barracks along the Street of the
Knights where lived the tongues"
or companies, the national groups
into which the force of knights was
divided. Centuries earlier great
Roman orators were trained in the
Rhodes school of rhetoric, among
them Cicero, Cato, Cassius, and
Brutus. Colossus of Rhodes"
which was said to have spanned a
harbor inlet and which ranked as
one Of the seven wonders of the
ancient world.
Mountainous Soarpanto has the
greatest variety Of minerals. Coo,
green and picturesque, is the site
Of a temple Of Asclepius, Greek
god Of medicine, and reputed
birthplace Of Hippocrates, father
Of medicine" Calino, land Of hone
has the Cavern of the Seven Vir-
gins. Stampalia has been distin-
guished for the quality OF its
sponges. Flat and fertile Lero is
valuable for its spacious Bay Of
Lekki, developed by the Italians
as Naval base.
Butter is the stock in trade of
case. SINH is the home of expert
shipbuilders and sponge divers.
Ancient ruins are scattered over
Piscopi, source of medicinal salves
and herbal ungents. St. John the
Evangelist lived on Patrno, where,
it is believed, he had visions that
he recorded in the Book of Reeve
lations. A monastery on the island
bears his name.
Round and wooded Nisiro is
known for its hot springs and its
high volcanic cone. Fragments of a
time-stained Greek acropolis stand
on Calchi. Lisso's sole tie with the
outside world has been the ex-
portation of dried octopuses and
squid. Tiny Castelrosso, crowned
with the old red-stone fortress
that gave it its name, and with
more houses than families, looks
abroad for some of it's income. 1t
produces charcoal for burning to-
bacco in Egyptian narghiles, smok-
ing devices by which the smoke is
drawn through water.