Page:The Russian Review Volume 1.djvu/69

Rh The question of imports is even more important. The passage through the Dardanelles would mean an incalculable increase in Russia's military efficiency, as not only supplies, but trained officers and engineers are needed there. And, as far as the work of the whole Quadruple Entente is conerned, they would perhaps be much more useful in Russia than on the Western front.

The permanent results which full use of the Dardanelles would bring to Russia would be tremendous. Russia is ready for an economic expansion which will begin just as soon as she finds in her hands a suitable export base. In many ways Odessa is an ideal port for this purpose. It has excellent water and railway connections with the whole southern part of Russia, a region immensely rich in coal and iron, in fact the natural part of Russia for a rapid and successful industrial development.

The use of Odessa as a channel for import and export trade would inevitably bring the manufacturing center of Russia from the western and central parts of the country to the southern. These industries sprang up in Poland and the central provinces because of their proximity to, and their good railway connections with Germany, which was the main channel of the Russian export and import trade. The opening of Odessa for ocean transportation would free Russia forever from the main cause of the German economic domination.

There is little wonder therefore, that Germany has been, since the time of Bismarck, so determined to keep the Dardanelles closed to Russia. It seems entirely possible that Kaiser Wilhelm made the statement which is sometimes attributed to him: "We cannot allow Odessa to become a second Hamburg."

But Odessa means nothing and is worth nothing unless the key to it, the Straits of Dardanelles, is within Russia's reach. The moment Russia is assured free and undisputed passage through the Straits, however, Odessa would immediately acquire a new and tremendous importance. And not Odessa alone, but the whole country would undergo momentous changes as a result of this one historic change. One might almost say that the whole history of Russia would have to be written in different terms should this event take place.

Russia's economic development, which must necessarily come as the result of her acquisition of a good port, is bound to change entirely the whole political system of the country, which is even now undergoing rapid transformation. And beyond this