Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1936. THE DARDANELLES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 155, 14 April 1936, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1936. THE DARDANELLES.

The question of restoration of the right to fortify the Dardanelles and to forbid foreign warships to pass through the Straits is to be raised again by the Turkish Government. The matter was brought before the League Council about a year ago, and its revival is a sequel to the actions of Germany and Austria in rearming. The Straits question, which dates back to the eighteenth century, arose through Russia’s imperialistic designs, with her desire for access to an ice-free sea. By the Treaty of Paris, signed after the Crimean War, the Straits were neutralised, but in the first year of the Great War Russia was promised the fulfilment of her ambition as soon as victory for the Allies was won. When that victory came it was a very different and an ostracised Russia that had to be considered; nevertheless the Lausanne Treaty imposed a settlement in keeping with the promise. Strangely, this settlement, which opened the Straits to warships, was strongly advocated by Britain and opposed by Russia —but the war had altered the position, for Russia was temporarily incapable of menacing Britain in the Mediterranean, and the Bolshevik rulers were apprehensive of the entry of British warships to the Black Sea. The arising of a truly nationalist Turkey, centred at Angora, also modified the situation. Russia no longer wanted egress, and Turkey was content with relief from the obligation of defending the strategic waters. On the face of it, the new arrangement ‘was favourable to Turkey and hostile to Russia, and would have remained really so had conditions not been subject to a further change. Now, in view of Russia's renewed naval and military ambitions, Turkey is naturally less happy about the arrangement, and in addition is the risk of revived trouble with Bulgaria. To turn to national fortification of the Straits and ’a prohibition of the entry of foreign warships is a comprehensive Turkish policy in the circumstances. It is a natural reaction to the diminished certainty of international methods or keeping the peace, a,reflection of the recent loss of confidence in foreign goodwill. To yield to Turkey’s reported demand would involve, however, much more than a concession to her fears. It would reverse a policy having wide bearings, in relation to Russia and the countries of the Danube as well as to the Powers having vital interests in the Mediterranean. To frame a satisfactory answer to the demand will be far from easy.