Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-04-06

Athens, April 5.-All the prepara-
ton for the celebration tomorrow of
the anniversary of the declaration OF
Greek independence in 1872 has been
completed. A public meeting will be
held here to protest against the action
Of the powers toward Greece and pledge
support to the Greek government in
any action it may think proper TO take
in the premises. The decorations Of
the city are being completed. At night
Athen will be brilliantly Illuminated.
In this connection there has been a be-
lief that the celebration of tomorrow
would be followed by a declaration of
war against Turkey. This feeling,
however, is not general.
Tuesday in Greece is regarded as an
unluCky day to enter upon anything
Of great importance, and upon this
more than for other reasons political or
military, is based a hope that the inde-
pendence celebration will pass off with
out the frontier incidents which are
likely to precipitate the struggle for
which Greece has been preparing for
the past two months.
Although this week is likely to be a
fateful one for Greece, the orders of
Prince Constantine, the Crown Prince
and commander in chief Of the Greek
forces in Thessaly, are strict that any
thing in the shape of a demonstration
in the direction of the Turkish frontier
must be suppressed. The soldiers and
armed peasants, however, are in no
mood to be curbed, and nobody would
be astOnished to hear of an aggressive
movement at least upon the part of the
Greek circulars.
The Turkish commander in chief,
Edhem Pasha. is fully alive to the diff
Guilty and dangers of the situation and
has already strengthened the frontier
outpOsts. besides taking other means to
meet any contingency which may
arise. Fifty thousand Turkish troops
at a few hours notice, can be sent
across the Greek frontier, and, accord
ing to unbiased military experts, the
Turkish flag might be flying over
Larissa a few days later. The Greeks,
while animated by fierce enthusiasm
and desire for war. are not nearly so
well disciplined as the Turkish troops,
and the German officers assisting
Edhem Pasha in the campaign prepar-
ations anticipate little difficulty in
winning the first battles.
1t is stated to-day that the Queen of
Greece has decided to start immedi-
ately for Thessaly in order to superin-
tend. with her daughter-in-law, the
Crown Princess Sophia, the field nurses
attached to the Greek ambulance
corps.
The next actual step anticipated in
the eastern game is the proclamation
of the admirals of the foreign fleets to
blockade the Gulf of Athens. This
was to have occurred to-day, but a
hitch has occurred at the last moment.
Nobody here seems to doubt that the
blockade of the Gulf of Athens would
be followed, if not preceded, with a
declaration of war against Turkey.
Numbers of correspondents Of English
newspapers have arrived here and at Sa-
Ionica. and others are at Larissa or at
Elassona. There are men whose advent
on any scene naturally means that war is
regarded as almost certain. The English
correspondents who landed at Salonica
were provided with letters from the Mar
quis Of Salisbury's secretary, but while
they have been accorded every courtesy,
they have not been allowed to inspect the
Turkish fortihcations.
A dispatch from the representative of the
Associated Press at Elassona, the Turkish
headquarters. says that the report that the
Greeks intended to mount cannon on the
unoccupied point of the disputed territory
of NIilesna. three miles distant from Elias
soma. caused Edhem Pasha TO order the
Turkish officers in that vicinity to fire
upon the Greeks at the first sign of such
an attempt.
T-pon another occasion. an explosion of
dynamite caused by party of Greek en-
gineers who were blasting rock TO make
road. so excited the Turks that Turkish
officer sent a message warning the Greeks
of the extreme danger of such proceed
ings. and pointing out that it might be inn
possible to restrain the Turkish troops.
Later dispatches from the front say that
Fdhem Pasha has ordered all the Turkish
troops on the frontier to be under arms
all day tomorrow (the anniversary of the
declaration of independence of Greece.
RIOCKHOUSE AGAIN ATTACKED.
Canea. April 5.-The blockhouse of
Butsania was attacked from several di-
rections by the insurgents to-day and
the international troops replied with
artillery fire. The fighting lasted four
hours.
The French commandant reports that
the Greek troops took part in the ac-
tion. Two European soldiers were
wounded.
ACo1-TTTED THE PUBLISHERS.