ns expect to sell their manufactured goods in
Russia in exchange for the raw materials which Russia produces, just as
long as their fleet holds the mouth of the Baltic and the Turk controls
Constantinople. A brisk trade between Germany, Austria, and Russia is
already reported and if it attains the proportions the Germans expect,
their commercial problem will have been largely solved. But its
continued solution will depend upon the maintaining of Turkey in
Constantinople. If these considerations are as important as the
Pan-Germanists have usually claimed, it will be obvious that the
adhesion of the Turk has exceeding importance for Germany and had long
been arranged in advance.

[Sidenote: Control of the Suez Canal vital to Great Britain.]

The possibilities before the Turkish army, well equipped with modern
munitions of war and capably officered by Germans, have been by no means
forgotten. The great objective of Pan-Germanism is not in Europe but in
Asia and Africa. The defense of the English and French dominions in both
will have to be made in Europe. The strength of the German army, the
size of the German fleet, would prevent the English and French from
dissipating their forces over the vast territory which they claim to
control. The experienced troops in India, in Egypt, and in Morocco were
shipped to France upon the outbreak of the war exactly as the Germans
expected and hoped. Their places were filled by less experienced
regiments from France, England, and the English colonies. Egypt and the
Suez Canal, India, and the great defenses would not be so strongly held.
The Turk occupied a position flanking Persia and a position flanking
Egypt. A strong, well-trained Turkish army might conceivably capture
either or both. Assistance from within might well be expected in both,
and victory in either would exert a moral effect upon the war in Europe
which would be of the utmost importance. A few hours' possession of the
Suez Canal, furthermore, would allow the Germans to obstruct it and
effectually block the approach of England to Australia and India except
by the long road around Africa. Conceivably this might interfere
seriously with the English food supplies from Australia and New Zealand,
particularly with the supplies of meat from the latter. This would be
more than usually important in view of the deficiency of meat supplies
in the United States and Canada, and the length of time necessary to
procure them from the Arge