Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-19

Davis, chairman of the Senate committee
on foreign relations and Representative
Hit, the probable chairman of the House
committee on foreign affairs.
Among officials who express any opinion
at all the sentiment seems general that
war between Turkey and Greece is no mat
ter In which this government can in any
way become involved, that what few cit
liens of the United States who reside in
the countries are in the cities, where they
are not liable to be molested. and that the
only course for this country to maintain
is one Of strict neutrality
Secretary Sherman had no doubt that
the citizens of the United States would be
amply protected. Very few of them were
in the countries at war, and most of them
are in the cities of Constantinople and
Athens.
Should the presence of ships-of-war Of for
elgn nations be required in Turkish or
Grecfan waters to protect their citizens as
result of the impending conflict the
United States could assemble formidable
fleet, II necessary. In the Mediterranean
squadron at this time the Navy Depart
ment has four ships, the cruiser San Fran
cisco, the flagship on the station, the.
cruiser Cincinnati, all modern vessels of
high type, and the small gunboat Ban
croft. The Detroit is on her way to New
York. Another addition to the fleet will
soon be made by the presence Of the Raj
eigh. which is getting ready to join the
European station.
Other vessels that might be used for ser
vice In Europe IL necessary are the Mont
gomery, Marblehead, Maine and Texas, all
of which are now on the Atlantic coast.
The opinion prevails, however that the
presence of any additional war vessels will
not be necessary
The Turkish minister here has made
statement in regard to the situation, in
which he says:
The Greek troops having, contrary to the
rights of nations. crossed the boundaries
at several points and opened hostilities
without any provocation, and the relations
between the two countries being thus
broken, the commander-in-chief on the
frontier has been ordered to take all neces-
sary steps for the defense of the rights
of the Ottoman government and her terri
tory. The Turkish minister at Athens and
all Ottoman agents in Greece have been
recalled. The representative of Greece at
Constantinople and all the Greek consuls
in Turkey have been requested to with
draw
The protection of Turkish subjects in
Athens has been intrusted to the German
minister.
Ex-Secretary of State John w. Foster be-
lieves that a war of territorial conquest
will not be carried on between Greece and
Turkey without interference by the great
powers.
These nations" he said, may be al
lowed to fight each other up and down the
border of their respective countries, but any
disturbance Of the autonomy of either
would probably seriously impair the rela-
tons of the powers and put an end to that
peace. the maintenance of which has been
the first thought and purpose of every
country in Europe since the Berlin confer
ence in 1878. Russia would not consent for
Greece to take Constantinople, neither
would Austria-Hungary, which has long
had Its eye cast in that direction. Looking
from this standpoint, 1t seams that it would
have been better for ali concerned 20 have
given Crete to Greece