The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-15
DISPATCH BOAT BANCROFT.
The Little War Ship Has No Inten.
ton OF Entering the ~DardaneIIcs.

WASHINGTON Oct. 1.-THE closest in
quiry fails to disclose any change in the
policy of the State Department toward
the Turkish question, and in particular re-
Specting the movements of the little dis
patch boat Bancroft. From the first the
officials of both the State and Navy de-
partments have been reticent on this SUBJ
ject, and have refused to state where the
boat was going further than to make pub
lie the official orders to her commander.
These orders directed him to report on ar
rival at Gibraltar to Admiral Selfridge,
commanding the European station, and to
take all further orders from him.. 1t can be
stated positively, however, that no orders
have some forward since the original in
n on the way now touching the future
movements of the Bancroft. The vessel,
upon arrival at Gibraltar, was ordered by
Admiral Selfridge to proceed to Smyrna,
and she is due at that place in q day or
two: The Cincinnati is also on the way
to the same point. At Smyrna are now as
Sembled the flagship San Francisco, the
Minneapolis and the Marblehead. The pur-
pose of the gathering is to meet the Gin
cinnati and the Bancroft, which bring out
drafts of new men 20 lake the places of the
sailors on the station whose terms of en-
are kept longer the government must pay
them extra compensation. The men re-
Eeved are to be placed on the Marblehead.
whose place on the station will be taken
by the Cincinnati, and the Marblehead will
come nome.
Naval officers, one and all, ridicule the
idea that the little Bancroft will undertake
to force the passage of the D~ardanelles,
for this would be absolutely impossible sim
gle handed, and even if she succeeded she
would be helpless when she arrived of
ConstantinOple. The probability is that she
has been sent to Turkey to serve whatever
useful purpose she can, either as a dis
patch boat to communicate between the
larger vessels of the United States squad
ion or to accommodate Minister Terrell.
From the best of official sources it Is
learned that the movements of the Ban
croft have not figured in any way in the
meetings held since the return OF
the President to this city, and equally good
all the sensational features of the pub
lished reports. Indeed, the matter has not
engaged the attention of the administrative
officers of the State or Navy departments
the commander of the European squadron.
At no time was there the slightest inten-
ton of undertaking to force a passage OF
the D~ardanelies, least of all at present,
when almost daily the cable brings the
of the Porte TO some of the
shall be initiated at once in the
province, and that the Turkish
officials shall be held to a rigid RESPONSE
bility for the maintenance OF order and the
protection of life and property in their re-,
spective provinces. The administration has
strongly recorded itself, notably in the
Venezuelan correspondence with Great
as bound to refrain from interior
ence in European policies that do not di-
rectly affect the United States, and, while
to the Dardanelles for the benefit
of Minister Terrell, it is not disposed to
make any issue that would tend to compli-
the situation.