Telegram-herald., 1891-09-15
UGLY RINORS Oh war
Reported eeizuro Of . Turkish
Port by British Troops
LORD slLISBURY'S BOLD lCIIOy
Ne 0sAsrs the ssfsare Of sisi'-rhs OBJ
feet - 90 6uArd ths Dardaasiies
Against . Fossil bic Increment
~ the SxAr.

ooSsrAxrrSoPEE. sept IA IA de-
tsehmeat Of blue jackets and marines
trom . British ironciad accom-
panied By battery Of light field
piscss and several Calling guns.
wss landed Sunday morning at
eigri. on the island of Mitylens. formal
~ occupying the place in the name
Of the queen of England There is q
good hareor at Sigri. and is Il supposed
that the British naval officers at Nifty
lene intend to fortify the island and
make IL . coaiing station and render
vous for tia British Mediterranean
neecA Sigri is on the coast of Nifty
lene, and is about 90 miles from the
mouth Of the Dardanelles.
PARIS. Sept IA decided feeling
of uneAsiness has been caused in diplo-
matte and financial circles here by the
seceips of IN alarming dispatch an
nouncing that Sigri. on the west coast OF
the island of Mitylene. an island be-
longing to Turkey. near the coast of
Asia Minor. and within easy steaming
distance of the Dardanelles, has been
occupied BY = detachment of British
troops or marines. landed there from
. British ironclad. No details have
been received Under ordinary
circumstances little or no ere
denee would have been placed in
the alarming rumor, but coupled vita
the story broadly circulated on Satur-
day that Great Britain. in view Of
RussiA's practical coercion Of Turkey
4, rsrar1 - tn p-as.~~ <hr,,,n~h al =
Dardanelles of vessels belonging to her
volunteer neet intended 10 occupy the
island of Tenedos, at the entrance to
the Hellespont or Dardanelles, more
serious attention Is paid to this dis
patch from Constantincple. The island
Of Mitylene would form . most ad-
vantageous position from which Great
Britain could control the waters of the
Hellespont
LONDON. Sept l4-As soon as the
report OF the occupation of Mitylene
by . British force was received here
there was considerable excitement
Reporters and correspondents by
the score have called at the
foreign ONCE and the admir-
atty, but the officials on duty
there decline to confirm the re-
port that Great Britain had
taken action in the Dardanelles
question Naturally the fact that the
foreign ofice and and admiralty Off.
cials only decline to affirm" the re-
post gives strength to the reports in
circulation and the general public is
consequently led TO believe that there
must be some truth in them.
OF course in making this order Sails
bury has the support Of the great Euro
pean dreibund, and defies Russia,
France and Turkey. This action means
that no more Russian warships shall
escape from the Black sea to threaten
the Mediterranean under the pretense
of shipping troops through the Suez
canal 70 the eastern coast of Siberia
II will be recollected that in 1878
after the battle of Plevna and after the
Russian troops had crossed the Balkan
passes, Beaconsfeld, then premier
sent fleet Of ironclads up the Darda
nells and occupied the island of Corfu
This action then prevented the capture
Of Constantinople by tho Russians
Tho island Of Mitylens 10 within % mile
Of the Hellespons. has On area Of -
square miles and = population of 5000
las good harbors and . fertile soil. Tn,
principal towns are Castro tor Mityiene
and Moliva Tcnedos. on the other hand
though occupying . much more advantageous
position. being to eli intcnts and purposes a'
the actual entrance OF the Heliespont Is only
miles In length and Is OF . rugged, rocky M
turel