The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1917. RUSSIA'S AMBITION.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 January 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1917. RUSSIA'S AMBITION.

It is only natural that Russia, who has borne such a heavy part 111 the war, should regard the possession oi Constantinople as one of the compensations for her huge sacrifices. The Bosphorus and the Dardanelles mean everything to her. For centuries she has been seek-

ing an ice-free outlet. For centuries other nations, suspicious of her intentions, have been thwarting her desire. Daring the past fifty years Britain was the stumbling block. It was her policy to prop up the "sick man," and she fought Russia to prevent her further encroachment upon the domains of the Turk. Before the present conflagration it came to be regained as a fact that Britain had ''backe<J tne wrong horse" in supporting the Mussulman against the Muscovite, and the present war has put the point quite beyond argument. Turkey was used as a convenience to stem the invasion of Russia, playing on the fears of the British diplomats and showing that once Russian warships had free access to the Mediterranean British interests in the great sea would be menaced, if not imperilled. And the nation believed the wily Turk. But as soon as it suited his purpose he had no scruples about throwing over his whilom friend and benefactor and biting t'he hand that fed and protected him tur so many years. In a waj it served t; British right. We should never have .'..•■sociated ourselves with such an unspeakably cruel and degenerate race. As the Turk had proved himself unfit to govern and make full use of Nature's bounteous gifts, we should have assisted, not resisted, the Russians in driving

him out of Europe. Had we done so, it is likely the present war would never have taken place. Russia would have exercised the greatest influence in the Balkans, and the States, instead of warring against each other, would probably have been kept in order by the big stick of the Muscovite, am! gone 011 progressing and developing. Austro'..ltrmnny would in that case never have

ilarcd to attack her Russian neighbor. It is possible that the whole course of the present war would be changed had

'We been able to get full supplies of munitions into Russia by more direct ontl shorter moans. There would have been 110 Hindeuburg drive in Poland, and possibly no ejectment Irom Roumania. Russia has the men in millions, she only wants adequate supplies, and to obtain those through the White Sea cr Vladivostok has hitherto been impossible. The Allies are united in their determination to force the Turk out of Europe and entrust the control of the Straits to Russia. Constantinople is the key to the Russian Empire, which is only partially developed, and its possession is more vital to her now than ever it was. It may be taken for granted that the elose of the war will be followed by closer economic relations between I'iisiia and her great Allies, Britain, 'lialy, and France, and it is therefore important to them that tie natural outlet of Russia should never again be in the. hands of possible enemies. Apart from these consideration;, howi'v 0 ';, Tcir key must be punished—like her masters, Austro-lluiigary—ior her infamous conduct, and she deserves not only the loss of the Straits but of her sovereignity After her inhuman treatment of the helpless Armenians, Turkey should not bo allowed to exist a, a nation. She must never again be given the power to massacre inoffensive Christians. There is another reason why Constantinople should be given to Russia In the Russian Orthodox consciousness Constant!-1 noplo still rcniain« the world centre of Christianity, aji<l therefore it is the natural capital of the future Orthodox kingdom. "With the name of Constantinople," writes a Russian divine, "closely joined the mystical and cultural hopes of the representatives, of the real Russian self-consciousness, such as Tiutchev and Dotoievsky, and these hopes are alive in us to-day with renewed force. Orthodox Russia, which is the spiritual core of the Russian Empire, cannot imagine that Tzargrad (Constantinople) could he anything else but Russian ;ia soon as it, tu belong to Turkey. The failure of this hope will be :,:i unbearable disappointment for Russia, and I know that the British people realise the value of religion and understand that they must consider religious Russia even more than political or intelligent Ru-'sia. We believe that if this war puts an end to the old epoch of Petrograd in Russian history, then after the taking of Tzargracl there will begin a new cultural and historical epoch in Russian life which will give her a new and special place in liistorv. Tzargrad i- Hie spiritual motherland of. Russia, because it iva? thence we got our Christianity. lloiv can we sp-jm our motherland?" British statesmen have given whole-hearted assent to Russian aims regarding Constantinople. She Knows that the freer the inter-com-nnmication the bettor the relations of the two countries, who, the war has pioved conclusively, have tverything in common and can be of real service to each other in many ways. United, the British and Russian Empires could preserve the peace of the world for counties generations, and there is no reason why the unity that this war has forged should be weakened in any way after peace h signed. The control of the Straits by Bussia, on tin contrary, must | make for the preservation i.nd strengthening of the bonds.