St. Paul daily globe., 1891-09-15
REDCOATS At SIGRI.
Thirteen British Men-of-Wap
Land Men and Guns on
.MityIene Island.
Reports by Way Of Athens
Say Fortifieations Are
Being Built.
The Connivanee Of the Sultan
in the Seizure Is Evil
dent.
Great Excitement Created On
ALI European Bourses
Over the Affair.

LONDON, Sept. 14.-Late this evening
startling dispatch comes by telegraph
from Athens. 1t is that the Greek con-
suls at Mitylene and Smyrna have wired
the Greek government that thirteen
British men-Of-War landed their men
and guns at Sigri on Friday, and that
they have already strongly fortified that
place. Lord Salisbury's chief private
secretary has returned unexpectedly to
London and is busy at the foreign
Office. The st. James Gazette this even
ing says that the startling news con-
cernng the island of Mitylene obviously
possesses political significance of the
first importance. Continuing, the same
paper adds that the island of Mityiene
has position of considerable strategic
Importance, although possessing little
in the way Of Notifications. An
intimation of the intention of
the British government to occupy an
island giving point of vantage near
the DardaDelles was first heard of in
the inner diplomatic circles of Vienna
and Berlin soon after Sir William
Whites audience with the sultan Fri
day last. Nothing about it, however,
appeared in European newspapers till
the Constantinople cables startleduthe
bourses and the public to-day. The re-
ports were at first
Treated as Incredible
and are still held to be of doubtful
authenticity, or at least exaggerated.
In the absence Of foreign Office con-
firmation of the reports, and until the
details of the action of the British war
ships are known, the full significance of
the movement cannot be revealed. 1t
can be stated on high authority,
however, that Sir William White
asked the sultan to assent to
the British occupation of some
point within striking distance of the
straits and Offering a good harborage
for the fleet. Tenedos and Besika bay,
where the fleet rendezvoused from 1876
TO 1878. have been surveyed tly
and were reported to the admiralty adj
Versely. The offer made to the sui
tan revived the request which
the British government made in
1877. prior to the acquisition of Cyprus,
to purchase an island near the Darda-
nelles. The project was long the subject
of negotiations and was abandoned on
the signing of the Anglo-Turkish con-
vention in June, 1878. The seizing of
Sgri, therefore. cannot have occurred
without the connivance of the sultan.
An official announcement issued III Con-
stantinople yesterday stated that
a Complete Entente
had been arranged between Sir William
White and the sultan, but the terms of
the restored harmony were not men
toned. The intimation that the
seizure of the island would be fol-
lowed by its fortifcation is modi-
fed by Berlin report tonight that
Lord Salisbury does not contemplate
permanent occupation of the island,
but has designed the movement rather
as a demonstration to checkmate the
Franco-Russian game. The movement
accentuates the diplomatic crisis. Ad-
miral Hoskins, in command of the Brit
ish Mediterranean squadron, is about to
be replaced by Admiral Tryon, who
hoisted his flag in 1857 Oh the Nile. and
who sailed from Portsmouth for Glib
Taltar on Friday to take over the
command. AS soon as the report
the occupation of Mitylene by British
force was received here there was con-
siderable excitement. Up to this hour,
$50 p. M, there has been no official ut
terance on the subject. Reporters by
the score have called at the foreign
Office and at the admiralty, but the Off
cialS on duty decline to confirm the re-
port that Great Britain had taken
action IN the Dardanelles QustIon. Nat
hn hot %E,0
and admiralty officials ''only decline to
affirm" the report, gives strength to the
reports in circulation. and the general
public is certainly led to believe that
there must be some truth in them. A
dispatch has been received from Con-
santinople stating that the occupation
Of the island is
An Accomplished Fact
and it has found an echo on all the con-
tinental bourses to-day. The general
opinion seems to be that if the British
forces had not landed in the neighbor-
hood of the Dardanelles, neither the
foreign Office nor the admiralty would
have refused to deny rumor calculated
to awaken the gravest apprehension in
financial and diplomatic circles. The
1SIdiu VI MlIyltHo Is Wlunln
twenty-five miles of the Hellespont:
has an area of 276 square
miles and a population of 10000. 1t
has good harbors and fertile soil. The
principal towns are Castro (or Mitylene),
and Motive. Tenedos, on the other hand,
though occupying much more advan-
tageous position, being to all intents
and purposes at the actual entrance of
the Hellespont, is only five miles in
length, and is of a rugged. rocky nature.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, Sept. IA. = 1t is
stated that the French and Russian am
bassadors have received kilograms from
their respective consuls in MityleDe an
nouncing the occupation of Sigri and
stating that guns had been landed and
that the islet has been surrounded with
torpedOes.
LONDON, Sept. 15.-The Daily News
and the Chronicle do not believe the re-
ports of the Sigri seizure. If the re-
F~ts are true, then the seizure is a
bAlicose act, of which Lord Salisbury
could hardly be capable.
Turkish Securities Dropped.
LONDON. Sept. 14.-This is settling