New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-15
BURY's PURPOSE

lne at Sigri. on the lslshu oi 1n''S SiS'Ae'
occupying that place in the name oil ohe queen
Al England. There is good haroor at olgri' anu
:. ;s syrnosed that the British naval officers at
Mtylene intend 10 fortify the island ana 10 MAKE
coaling station and rendezvous for the British
Mediterranean feet Sigri is on the west coast
!, Mitvlene. and is about sixty miles from the
mouth of the Dardanelles.
II is stated that the French and Russian AM
bassadors here have received kilograms from their
,espective consuls in Mitylene announcing 'he
oceupation Of Sigri, and stating that guns nave
heen landed and that the islet has been sur
rounded with torpedoes.
London, Sept l4.-The report Of the oceupa'ioi
:, Mitylene by British force caused consloerSpl0
excitement here. Reporters and correspondents oS
the score have called at the Foreign OInce ana "O
,be Admiralty but the Government oHcialS VINO
have been questioned deny having any khowleuge
OF the landing of British forces at olgn lheS
cav however. that a detachment OF blueJacketS
NAV possibly have landed there for drlil purposes
4 diSnatch has been received here from Con-
stantinople. Stating that the occupation OF the ISL
ond Of Mitvlene is an accomplished fact; the ne
mort found an echo on all the Continental bourseS
to-day.
LATE this evening another and still more start
ling dispatch comes by telegraph from Athens IL
Is that the Greek Consuls al Mltylene ana smyrna
hive telegraphed the Greek Government that rhlr-
teen British men-ofwar landed troops and guns
at Srri on Friday and that they have already
strongly fortified that place
Lord Sahsbury's chief private secretary has re-
,urped Unexpectedly to London, and is busy at the
Foreign Office
An intimation of the intention of the British
Eovernment to occupy an island giving point of
vsntape near the Dardanelles was first heard Of in
,,e inner diplomstic circles of Vienna and Berlin
soo, after Sir William Whites audience with the
Sultan on Friday last. Nothing about it, however,
appeared In the European newspapers till the
Constantnople cables startled the beurses and the
public to-day The reports at first treated as
Incredible, and are still held to be Of doubtful au
thenticity, or at least exaggerated. In the ab
sence Of Foreign Office confirmation Of the re-
ports, and until the details of the action Of the
British warships are known, the full significance
of the movement cannot be revealed. II can be
stated on high authority, however, that Sir Will
lam White asked the Sultan to assent to the
British occupation of some point within striking
distance of the Straits and Offering good har-
borage for the feet. Tenedos and BeSika Bay,
where the fleet rendezvoused from 1876 TO 1873,
have been surveyed recently, and were reported 10
the Admiralty adversely.
The offer made to the Sultan revived the re-
quest which the British Government made in
1877, prior TO the acquisition Of Cyprus, to pur-
chase an island near the Dardanelles This project
was long the subject of negotiations and was
abandoned or the signing of the Anglo Turkish
convention in June, 1878. The seiZing OF Sigri
therefore, cannot have occurred without the cor
niyance of the Sultan. An official announcement
issued in Constontinople yesterday stated that
complete entente had been arranged between Sir
William White and the Sultan, but the terms of
the restored harmony were not mentioned
The intimation that the seizure of the island
would be followed by its fortifcatiOn is modified
by Berlin report tonight that Lord Salisbury
does not contemplate permanent occupation of
the island, but mas designed the movement rather
as demonstration to checkmate the FrancO-RuS-
sian game The movement accentuatcS the diplo-
matte crisis. Admiral lIcskins in command of
the British Mediterranean Squadron, is about TO
be replaced by Admiral Tryon, who hoisted his
flag in 1857 the Nile and who sailed from
Portsmouth for Gibraltar TN Friday to take over
the command
The st. James's Gazette" tonight says that the
startling news concerning the island of Mitylene
obviously possesses political significance of the first
importance. 1t adds that the island has posi-
tion of considerable strategic importance although
possessing little in the way Of Notifications.
" The News" and The Chronicle" both say that
the report of the occupation of Sgri cannot be
without foundation, and that if true. the seizure
will be nothing less than bellicOse act, Of which
Lord Salisbury could hardly have been
capable since he escaped the Beaconsield influence
They hope the Government will, without delay,
inform the public of the real facts. The Chroni-
Gle" says: The fall in American railroads can
only be temporary, even if the worst fears of
European complications are realized. War would
mean rise in grain, TO the benefit Of American
Farmers and trunk lines. Even yesterdays slight
1aH brought crowd of buyers"
Paris, Sept l4.-A decided feeling of uneasiness
has Been caused in diplomatic and financial circles
mere Dy the receipt OF a dispatch announcing that
olgn on the island Of Mitylene, belonging to
Turkey, has been occupied BY a detachment of
British troops or marines, landed there from a
British irorclad. Under ordinary circumstances
little or no cre@eGcc would have been placed in
this rumOr, but, taking it in conjunction with the
story widely circulated on Saturday that Great
brltain, in vi:'' OF Russias practical coercion of
1ufkey IN regard to the passage through the
Dareaneles Of vessels belonging 70 her volunteer
Aeet' ln'eudec to occupy the island of Tinedos. at
the entrance OF the .Dardanelles, more serious at
tentlon Is paii 10 this t;ispatch fron Conston
uhOple he island OF Alitylene would form an eV |
iiiIeHicy auVahtaseous position from which Great
oiII1 o0uia control tie waters Of the HellespOnt
Ct1u .he opening Of the bourse here this morn |
n8 ih8 tneie "ds general weakness of prices
GIe 70 ire reported action Of Great Britain in
. Frankfort. Sept. l4-The report that Great
Dtltaln Ita sezed port on the island of Mityene
mes o ;o mere to-day and It's effect 10
Ihe lshno oi hityiene is within twenty-five miles
OF the Heilespont has an area of 276 square mics
ana a populanon OF 10000. 1t has good harbors
and a ferule soil. The principal towns are Castro |
for Mtyene) and Molivo. Tenedos. on the other hand
though occupying much more advantageous position
being to al intents and purposes at the actual en-
trance OF the Hellespont, Is only fvo mes in length
and is ragged and rocky. 0' =" '0"s"'
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BRITISH MOVE.
TILE RIGHT OF TURKEY TO ALLOW THE Rrss,, AZ
VESSELS THROUGH THE STRAITS
II the Downing Street ofhcis spoke the truth who,