Evening star., 1896-10-07
BANCROFT CANNOT ENTER
Russia Opposes Her Passing the Darda-
nelles.
Decision Reached by the Turkish
GOvernment-NO Request Has Been
Made by This Government.

Sofia, Bulgaria, October 1T was semi
officially announced here today that the
Turkish government, after weighing th,
matter over ard consulting with certain
advisers, has come to the decision not to
admit the United States gunboat Bancroft
through the Dardanelles, and therefore, she
will not be able to act as the guardship
of the United States legation in these wa
tiers. The porte, 1T is added, has also de-
cided not to admit the guardships of
Greece and Holland, which countries also
proposed to have ship stationed in the
Bosphorus as guardship, and to furnish
men to guard their legations in case of
emergencies.
1t should be added, however. that the
United States government is not known
to have presented, through it's minister,
Mr.. Terrell, a formal demand for the
passage of the Bancroft or any other
United States warship through the straits
OF the Dardanelles. and it Is recalled that
Greece in 1SSS. was allowed to have a
guardship in the Bosphorus.
Russia Objected.
The exact ground upon which the Turk
ish government takes its stand in this
case Is not stated, but it is known in of
fetal circles here that Russia has object
ed to the presence in the Bosphorus of
United States. Grecian or Dutch guard
ships.
The objections to the presence of the
extra guardships here are said, accord
ing to general report. to be based on the
Berlin agreement, which excludes from
laval representation in the Bosphorus any
powers that We're not party to that agree
ment. and that, therefore, the United
States cannot be allowed to send a warship
TO the straits of the Dardanelles 1t is he
Eeyed that Mr. Tarrell y
ago sent an urgent request to Washing
ton for a United States war vessel 1t is
further intimated that the United States
government will insist. by force if neces-
sary, upon the presence of the Bancroft
IN the Bosphorus, taking the ground that
such a step would not be an unfriendly act
TO Turkey, in view of all the circumstances
in the case, and that the protection of the
lives and property of American citizens
made II necessary.
L he turkish government has also sent a
circular to the different embassies, de-
nandinS the right to search foreign vessels
passing Constantinople for Armenians Ii
Is believed that the powers will not accede
10 this request, up to the present Ar
menians who have sought refuge on board
of British or French vessels have been pro-
tected by the guardships here until the
vessels on which they had sought refuge
sailed for their destination.
The Situation in Crete.
Advices received here from the island OF
Crete state That the crisis there is by nc
means ended. The entire population of the
interior of that island is still under arms,
ana their leaders have announced that they
Will renew hostilities unless the Turks h
sarrisons are withdrawn from Crete This
has caused renewal of the excitement
and the situation has once more assumed a
most threatening aspect. 1t is believed tha
the Turkish government will insist ,non
maintaining it's garrisons in Crete, and thai
turkey Iii this matter will have the SUD-
port OF the powers, who recently brought
about what was looked upon as being a
settlement of the Cretan difficulties by
competing the porte to grant nearly ali
the reforms demanded by the insurgents
ana giving them sort of local self-govern-
ment, which was looked upon as being sa +
lsfactory to the insurgent leaders
ms fresh demonstration in Crete will
IN an probability. bring about furthe i
trouble and postpone again a definite set
tlement of the eastern question
No Request Has Been Made.
The action of the Turkish government in
giving 1t TO be understood that no guard
ships of the powers that were not parties to
the treaty shall be admitted to passage
through the Dardanelles is looked upon her.
as shrewd piece of diplomacy. The fact
is that so far the United States has moi
made any formal request to have a guard
snip at Constantinople, and this announce.
ment. in advance Of the preference of a re-
quest. renders it improbable that one will
be preferred in the face of known refusal
to follow The purposes of the goyernmcn;
in sending the little Bancroft to Turkey
have been carefully concealed by both the
State and Navy Departments all along, and
even row 1t is not possible to secure ar
oihclal admission that it was intended tc
hGr n sto toT,ti
however, 1t was the purpose to have her
near Constantinople, and if events assumed
a serious phase, Minister Terrell was ex.
Pected to seek the iirman necessary to in
sure her safe passage through the straits
This purpose was at last made clear YES.
terday when the little boat sailed from
Gibraltar for Smyrna only about $50 miles
distant from Constantinople. an easy days
sail. and this is probably the reason for the
semi-official announcement of the position
of the Turkish government.
RussIa's Attitude.
So far as the attitude Of Russia Is con-
cerned there Is TO loss of an explanation
She is animated by no unfriendly feeling
toward the United States, but is moved to
take an adverse position from motives OF
large policy. She has consistently insisted
upon an adherence by the powers to the
exact terms of the treaty and is particu.
larry interested in maintaining the theory
that the Dardanelles are not open to pas.
sage, and that the Black sea Is q closed
sea, because she is understood to have de-
signs herself on Constantinople, and desires
to perpetuate the absolute control of the
territory by one power
Meantime the present arrangement great
ly smplifes the defense of southern Russia
in the event of hostilities. Therefore, not.
withstanding her professed friendship fol-
the United States she is unwilling to let
down the bars, and, by permitting one Of
our warships to pass the Dardanelles make
it impossible to refuse the same privilege
to other powers.
So far Mr.. Terrell has not advised the