The state herald., 1895-12-06
TURKISH SITUATION.
ENGLISH AMBASSADOR BACKS
DOWN.
War Vessels Do Not Force the Darda-
noIies-shots Fired by Turks ut Mer-
chantmep.

Constantlnople, Dec. 1.-After all the
war-like talk the British ambassador,
Sir Phillip Currle, has backed down,
and the sultan and his palace advisors
are triumphant. The British gunboat
Dryad, ordered from Salonlca Bay by
Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymore,
the commander OF the British Mediter
ranean squadron, at the request OF Sir
Phillip Currie after the latter was as
sured on Tuesday last by Tewfik Pasha,
the Turkish minister for foreign affairs.
that the porte had decided to grant the
flrmans allowing the extra guardship re-
qulred by the representatives Of the pow
ers here to pass the Dardenelles, mas
been ordered back to Salonica. This is,
10 the diplomatic corps quite an unex-
pected denouement of a situation which
had assumed most dangerous aspect
and the general opinion Is that the
powers have been placed In somewhat
ridiculous position. Following the re
peated threats of forcing the passage or
the Dardanelles II the sultan persisted In
refusing to allow the extra gunboats to
enter the Bosphorus, this looks very
much as II Abdul Hamd and his advis-
ers We're well Informed when they per-
sisted In holding out against the de-
mands of the representatives Of Great
Britain. Russia, Italy and Austria for
additional guardships, believing that
they were justified in so doing on the
ground that the powers are not In accord
as SO frequently claimed and officially
stated, and that the dissenting powers
were behind Abdul Hamid in the stand
he has taken.
London. Dec. IAN Odessa dispatch
to the Daily News says: Many British
captains are complaining of the provo
catlvc attitude of the Turks in the OAR
danelles.
Captain Mobiles of the steamship Loeb
Rannoch says few davis ago he ar
rived Mt Chanakin, In the Dardanclles,
four minutes after shutdown. He OBJ
served that tho shore on either side was
lined with troops under canvas. Field
cannon, only partially masked, were
placed at close stages along the EN-
bankment.
Two blank shots, one from each shore,
Thinking this was done In the course of
military maneuvers. Captain Noble paid
no attention, when three shells We're
fired. one OF them coming within n
yard Of Captain Mobiles head.
lie reversed his engines and signalled
with the syren. He was so astonished
that he thought war had been decla-ed
between England and Turkey. as us
ually a time margin is allowed at sun
down.
The head of the Dardcnellcs is cover
ed with torpedoes. to the great anxiety
OF merchantmen. One exploded recent
ly and nearly wrecked n French vessel.
The Daily News has a dispatch from
Constantinople which says: "All the
Armcnians employed at the palace are
being dismissed upon various pretexts."
''The American missionaries at Khar-
put Bltlis and Marsh are practically
prisoners. They are protected by the
troops but are afraid to venture upon
the streets.
"rhe surviving Christians of the vii
lagos near Moush, Kharput and Arab
kir are being offered the choice between
Islamism and the sword.
''rhc porte has documents purporting
to be written by ArmenIans at Kharput
accusing the American missionaries of
imbuing youthful Armcnlans with rev.
dictionary ideas"