Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-10-19
BANCROFT'S MISSION.
Minister Terrell will Probably Use
the Cruiser as a Dispatch
Boat.

Washington, d. c., Oct. 14.-The clos
est inquiry fails to disclose any change
in the policy of the state department to-
wards the Turkish question, and in par
ticular respecting the movements of the
little dispatch boat Bancroft. 1t was re-
ported last night that Minister Terrell
would meet the Bancroft at Smyrna and
would personally direct the forcing of
passage through the Dardanelles.
From the first the officials of both the
state and navy departments have been
reticent on this subject and have refused
to state where the boat was going fur
Their than to make public the official
orders to her commander. These orders
directed him to report on arrival at
Gibraltar to Admiral Selfridge, COM
handing the European station, and to
take all further orders from him. 1t can
be stated positively, however, that no
orders have gone forward since the orig
inal instructions to Admiral Selfrldge
nor are any on the way now touching
the further movements of the Bancroft.
Due at Smyrna in a Few Days.
The vessel upon arrival at Gibraltar
was ordered by Admiral Selfridge to
proceed to Smyrna and she is due at
that place in a day or two. The Gin
cinnati is also on the way to the same
IL
the flagship San Francisco, the Mime
apolis and the Marblehead. The pur-
pose of the gathering is to meet the
Cincinnati and the Bancroft, which bring
out drafts of new men to take the place
of the sailors on the station, whose terms
of enlistment are about to expire, for it
they are kept longer the government
must pay them extra compensation. The
men relieved are to be placed on the
Marblehead, whose place on the station
will be taken by the Cincinnati, and the
Marblehead will come home.
Naval officers one and all ridicule the
idea that the little Bancroft will under
take to force the passage Of the Darda-
nelles, for this would be absolutely inn
possible single handed and even if she
succeeded she would be helpless when
she arrived off Constantinople. The
probability is that she has been sent to
Turkey to serve whatever useful pur-
pose she can, either as a dispatch boat
to communicate between the larger yes
accommodate Minister Terrell. I'm
doubleday the minister would like to
have near the United States legation
some vessel to serve as refuge for the
legation people and Americans in Con-
stantinople in case of rioting, but it will
be left to his discretion land Minister
Terrell on numerous occasions has shown
that he can be trusted as to the means
by which he shall bring about conces-
sion<desired from the Sultan, with whom
he has much infiuence) to get the right
of way for the boat if he wants her.
No Reason to Look for Trouble.
The state department has preferred to
request for her admission to the Darda-
nelles and in view of the semi-official an
nouncement of the Porte that such per-
mission would not be granted it is UNI
iI1oIxy Iot ItSQIf
snub that might be expected if demand
were made. 1t is regarded as probable
that in the event of real disturbance at
Constantinople, the only case in which
the Bancroft could be of the slightest
use from any point of view, Mr.. Terrell
would be able to bring the ship through
without serious objection, but in the
present aspect of Turkish affairs there is
no reason to look for trouble.
That part Of the Bancroft story al
leging that the French fleet would CO.
operate in securing the passage of the
Bancroft through the Dardanelles is alb
solutely without foundation and it can
be stated on absolute and unquestioned
authority that no negotiations to such an
end have ever been attempted. The es-
sential features Of the entire story are
discredited in diplomatic circles, which
believe that the published report origin
ated in the fact that the Bancroft's adj
mission to the Bosphorus is desired and
that Minister Terrell will use the in
fuence he possesses with the Porte to
bring it about by peaceful methods, but
will not persist if decided objection is
made So far as the United States alone
is concerned the European powers have
no objection to the presence of dispatch
boat in the Bosphorus.
London, Oct. Enquiries made at
the foreign Office show that nothing is
known there regarding the alleged in
tention of the United States government
to force the passage of the Dardanelles
with the cruiser Bancroft supported by
the other vessels of the United States
squadron in European waters.
It was further stated at the foreign Of
fee that no application had been adj
dressed to any foreign powers to support
the United States in forcing a passage
of the DardanelleS.