The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1895-11-27
A FAMINE THREATENED
MANY DEATHS EXPECTED IN
ARMENIA FROM HUNGER
AND EXPOSURE.
FOREIGN FLEETS CONCENTRATING


FOREIGN FLEETS C0kCENTR TING
The United States viii Be represented
by Two CTuisers-The Powers Have
Not Yet Been Granted extra Gum-
Boats in the Bosphorus Estimated d
That In the District al Anatolia
Alone $50, 900 OF Property and f0,-
90 Lives Were Destroyed.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 25, via
Sofia. Bulgaria, Nov 26.-Now that the
matters seem to be quieting down
again here and in the Asiatic provin-
ces, people are beginning to form esti-
mates of the amount of damage done
and the number of lives lost during the
recent disturbances. Well informed
Armenians estimate the losses through
the events which have just taken place
in Anatolia alone at $50, ,000,0 900 and the
number of victims at 100000 OF course,
these are Armenian estimates, but
there seems good reasons for believing
that the property destroyed, the num-
outrages committed, are far beyond
anything hitherto estimated or de-
scribed.
But this is not all. People compe-
tent to pronounce an opinion on the
subject say that with the coming of
winter there will be very many more
deaths from exposure and famine and
that even the prompt collection of re-
Of al nt
avert much loss of life and great suf-
fering. Famine is threatened in a
number of districts and there seems to
be no way of preventing it.
Details have been received here re-
garding the outbreak at Marash on
November 18th, showing that the mas
sacres were of the most terrible ma
ture. The missionaries declare that
many hundreds of people were killed
and that all the school buildings were
burned to the ground by the rioters.
The powers, instead of ordering their
fleets away from Turkish waters, as
the Sultan earnestly requests, seem to
be determined upon keeping them in
this vicinity for an indefinite period.
A portion of the British Mediterran-
can fleet. it is reported, will soon
leave Salonica bay for Smyrna, where
the powers are mastering their fight
ing ships. The warships of Great
Britain, expected to rendezvous at
Smyrna this week, will consist of nine
battleships, four cruisers and four
smaller ships.
Italy's flag floats from two battle
ships, two cruisers and four small
craft in the waters of Smyrna.
Russia has two cruisers on the way
to Smyrna, in addition to a powerful
fleet cruising in the western portion of
the Black Sea.
The United States will be represented
at Smyrna by two cruisers, and Ger
many has one small gunboat there,
but it is thought that the German bat
tleships are on their way there.
Austria, off Smyrna, has one battle
ship, two cruisers and two small gun
boats.
OF course this not naval demon
stration," SO it is simply the concen-
tration of the foreign fleets at a port
agreed upon, apparently between the
powers.
No process has been made in the
matter of the application to the Porte
of the representatives of Great Britain,
Russia, Italy and Austria for permis-
sion for the passing through the
straits of the Dardanelles and into the
Bosphorus of an extra gunboat to act
as an additional guardship for their
respective embassies.
The impression prevails that if the
Germans are not very soon granted
the extra gunboats, they will pass the
Dardanelles without the Porte's per-
mission, even if they have to be con-
veyed through by the battleships strip
ped for action.
Indeed, nobody here can see how the
powers can retreat from the position
they have assumed without serious
loss of prestige, especially as their de-
mands are based on treaty rights,
which are admitted by the Sultan and
his advisers. In some quarters it is
said that the Sultan's objection to
granting the request for extra gun
boats is really caused by mis- belief that
he cannot do SO with impunity, in view
of the objection raised by Russia to
Austria's proposal on the subject, and
that this constituted a difference OF
opinion among the powers
A member of the diplomatic corps,
to whom this view of the affair was
submitted, said that if the Sultan actu-
ally thought there was any material
difference of opinion among the pow
ers he would do well to get rid of that
belief as fast as possible.
News from the interior of Asiatic
Turkey is more difficult to obtain than
for long time past, although it is ru-
nored that Turkish operations against
Ieitoun have commenced.
Another report says that negotia-
tions for the surrender of Zeitoun ARE
still progressing. The main trouble
seems to be that the Armenians are
afraid to trust the promises of the
Turks that their lives will be spared il
they surrender.