64 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



ests of the entire community of European nations. In this a determin- 

 ing factor is obtained which may lead to the eventual formation of an 

 independent political unit formed by the elongated zone of coastland 

 enclosing the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmora and the Bosporus. The 

 boundary of this territory in the Balkans, if made to coincide with the 

 line determined for Turkey's western boundary at the Treaty of London 

 of May 30, 1913, would conform fairly accurately with natural divi- 

 sions. On the Asiatic side the valley of the Sakaria and a long fault 

 line revealed by the lakes east of the Marmora provides ready-made 

 frontiers which could be conveniently extended to the iEgean. This 

 line had constituted the Asiatic boundary of the Latin Empire of Con- 

 stantinople in the period intervening between the years 1204 and 1261. 

 To-day the establishment of an internationalized area or neutral zone 

 in this region would be an added instance of conformity to geographical 

 principles observable in many sections of the world. 



