Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-11-30
STUBBORN SULTAN
Continues to "Monksy" with the
European 6uzz.SaW.
w1THHoLDs THE DEsIREDF1RM

Salisbury Now Wrestling with the Question
Whether . British Gunboat Shall He
Stopped ut the Mouth Of the Straits or
He Escorted to the Golden Horn by Bat
tleships-Forcible Entry Grows More Inn
n,inent Every Hour.
CoNsTANTINoPLE, via Sofia, Bulgaria,
Nov. 30.-There seems no doubt at this
writing that events are more rapidly ap-
preaching crisis in tho Bosphorus than
at any time since the Armenian troubles
began. Sir Philip Currie, the British am
bassador, when assured by Tcwik Pasha
that the flrmans would be forthcoming,
promptly tclegraphed to the admiral in
command Of the British Mediterranean
squadron instructing him to dispatch q
gunb'at to the Dardanelles, to be used in
the Bosphorus as an extra guardship ut
the disposal Of the British embassy. As a
result the twin-screw torpedo gunboat
Dryad, 1910 tons, carrying two AZ inch
and four 6.pounder quick-firing guns, was
dispatched to the Dardanelles, and is ex
pected hourly to arrive at Chanakkal and
pass right on to the Bosphorus. And
still the sultan delays supplying the FIR
mans asked for by the powers.
Which of Them Will Rack Down:
Tho failure Of the porte to grant puts
Sir Philip Currie in a somewhat embar-
RAISING position, the only escape from
which is to order away the Dryad or to in
Sist that she be allowed to pass, backing
up the order by force. The sultan is
known to be in state of the greatest agi-
tatiOn at the news that the extra British
gunbOat is he ading for the Dardanelles on
the strength OF the assurances given the
British ambassador by the minister of
foreign affairs, and consequently the posi-
ton or Tewfik Pasha is not pleasant
one. The sultan instructed Tewfik Pasha
to do everything possible to induce the
British ambassador to countermand his
order for the gunboat. Sir Phillip, how
ever, refused to do SO, saying that he was
tired Of being trified with, and reminding
his visitor that Great Britain was acting
fairly within her treaty rights.
Asks Instru notions of Salisbury.
Tewfik, however, pleaded SO hard that
Sir Philip finally consented to wire the
case to his government and ask what to
do. He is now waiting Salisbury's reply
The Turks believe that the delay indicates
that Great Britain has decided upon
further delay, but this is not the general
opinion here. The attitude of the sultan
on the question Of the extra guardships is
much commented upon by the members of
the diplomatic corps here, especially as the
powers arc asking only for the rights to
which they are entitled under the treaties
with Turkey, The ambassadors, more
ever, believe that trouble in this city
can only be averted by an extra show of
force here, and that in any case reinforce
ments are necessary to insure the safety
Of the foreign residents of Constantinople.
Tired Of Palace Caprices.
They hold also that further submission
to the caprices Of the palace would be a seri-
Gus mistakeupon the part Of the powers, and
rs this dispatch is sent they are anxiously
awaiting final instructions from their
governments to proceed to reinforce the
foreign warships here without the sui
tan's consent, which would mean that the
foreign fleets would be called upon to es-
cort the extra gunbOats through the
straits Of the Dardanelles even if a bonn
bardment Of the forts should be necessary.
Tolerance, it appears, has ceased to be q
virtue in the present case and even those
who have been in favor of the most pa
cific treatment in dealing with the sui
TIM now appear to have arrived at the con-
clusion that nothing but a show of armed
forces will bring Abdul Hamid to his
senses. The time for diplomatic ex-
changes Of views seems to have about ex-
pired and everybody here is hourly OK
pecting the news that the warships of the
powers arc heading for the entrance of the
DarflnpelleS