226 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 



ground. Geologically the islands are related to south-west Asia Minor and 

 Crete, and volcanic formations and agencies prevail in the more northerly isles. 

 The climate is on the whole temperate, but the rainfall for the most part is 

 scanty, and the islands are exposed to -winds often violent and treacherous. 

 Conditions of human existence, with some exceptions — notably Rhodes and 

 Kos — are hard : there is little arable ground, often little water, and ceaseless 

 toil is necessary to maintain cultivation. Methods are backward, and Rhodes, 

 mainly owing to Turkish occupation, is largely undeveloped. Most of the islands 

 produce some fruit, vegetables, grapes, olives, a little corn, and live-stock. 

 Some are able to export a little ; others are not self-sufficing even in these 

 respects, and all depend largely on the import of grain and other commodities. 

 There are no industries of importance ; the mineral resources have not been 

 tested, and, with the exception of sponge-fishing — which is interesting in itself, 

 the sole means of livelihood to some of the islands, and productive of considerable 

 wealth — marine pursuits are unimportant. The people — ^nearly all Greeks — are 

 simple, hard-working, enterprising, and hardy, patient agriculturalists, cunning 

 mariners, daring and skilful fishermen. They are becoming more sophisticated 

 with the growth of better communications and Western ideas. Their historical 

 social institutions are highly interesting and show them to possess a strong 

 sense and capacity for self-government, not inferior to — though little better 

 than — that of ancient democratic States. They are devoted to education and 

 religion (Greek Orthodox Church). The nature of their towns and sites of 

 settlement is also instructive. The chief motives controlling the choice of these 

 are evident and are climatic and economic, but far more those of security, 

 especially security from pirates. The development or shifting of the site from 

 seashore to lofty crag and vice versa reflects accurately the phases of historical 

 evolution in the .^Egean as well as modern commercial influences. Rhodes has 

 an historical interest of its own. The modern towns are mostly solidly built, 

 prosperous, and well kept, occupying striking sites on harbours often naturally 

 fine. The standards of education, comfort, and personal refinement are fairly 

 high, especially in the richer sponge-fishing communities. Rhodes is more 

 backward. The population was about 120,000, all of whom, except some 16,000, 

 were Greeks, but during the last ten years emigration has gone on apace. The 

 islands have had a chequered history, iDut under Turkish rule (1522-1912) enjoyed 

 a large degree of autonomy and throve upon it. The Turks became oppressive 

 in proportion as the islands grew wealthy. The Italians occupied the islands 

 in 1912, and subsequently retained them as a guarantee for the Turkish evacua- 

 tion of Tripoli, and the outbreak of the European War found them in the 

 hands of Italy, to whom they were later pledged in the 'Secret Treaty' of 

 1915. The Greek claim to the islands is based on racial and linguistic, historical, 

 religious, and sentimental grounds. But the possession of these islands, while 

 not without economic profit {e.g. Rhodes, Kos, in agriculture and minerals; 

 Syme, Kalymnos, etc., for sponge-fishing) is valuable mainly for the facilities 

 they offer — with their fine natural harbours — for the exploitation of the south- 

 west Asia Minor (Adalian) coast, and for the control they afford of the .^gean 

 communications with Syria and Egypt. 



5. Tlie Geography of Imperial Defence. 

 By Vaughan Cornish, D.Sc, F.R.G.S. 



International security is founded on the fact that no Government commands 

 nearly half the population and resources of the world, so that none can engage 

 the rest with a prospect of success. Consequently, the one purpose common 

 to the foreign policy of each Government is the prevention of dangerous pre- 

 ponderance by any other. At present there are about fifty Sovereign States, 

 of which seven administer about two-thirds of the world and its population. 

 Of the remaining third the Chinese constitute one-half, so that the minor 

 States, about forty in niunber, have only one-quarter the population of the 

 seven Great Powers. Consequently, strategic geography to-day is concerned 

 chiefly wdth the territorial relations of the Great Powers, and with certain 

 strategic positions between their territories which are in the occupation of 

 lesser States. The British nation is unique in its geographical condition, for 



