The herald., 1897-02-12
THE CONCERT OF EUROPE
Is Badly Disturbed by Cretan
Discords
A MOST FORMIDABLE FLEET
Lies At Anchor 10 the harbor at
Canea
The Bagilsh 0ovsrnmsnt Fears tine orsve"
Consequences Prom the Dispatch OF
the Greek flotllia
Press Special Wire


CANEA. Feb. 1.-THE warships here
at present are the British first class bat
tleship Harfleur, 10, 500 tons, four 29-t ton
guns, ten 4.7-inch rapid fire guns ana
smaller guns, with crew OF 4o6 men,
the British first-class battleship Re-
yenge, 14,100 tons, four 67-ton guns, SIX
5-inch quick firing guns and thirty-eight
smaller guns, 730 men; the British third
cls.ss cruiser Scot, ALSO tons, four 5-inch
and eleven smaller guns, LAT men; the
French second class cruiser Suchet, S4ao
tons. four 62-inch quick firing guns,
four 39-inch guns and Twenty-Five
smaller guns, 246 men; the French third
class cruiser Wattignies, 1910 tons, hve
3.9-inch quick firing guns, thirteen
smaller guns, 1870 men; the French third
class cruiser Norbin. 1S48 tons. four
5.5-inch quick firing and twelve smaller.
guns, 1870 men; the Russian turret ship
Emperor Nicholas l, first class, 8440 tons,
two 12-inch 52-ton guns, four 9-incn
guns, eight 6-inch guns and twenty-fonr
smaller guns. 604 men; the Russian ar
mored cruiser Grozjastchy, 1892 tons,
one 9-inch gun, one 6-inch gun and eight
smaller guns, $50 men.
1t will thus be seen that the British
have rs, ,230 tons Of warships in Cretan
waters, with 1883 men the French have
65SS tons and GIG men, and the Russians
have 1892 tons with 720 men.
The French and Russians combined
have 1880 tons of fighting vessels here
and 1886 men to handle them, leaving
Great Britain the advantage of 9710 tons
and LAT men.
In addition to the warships of the pow
ers mentioned the Austrian armored
cruiser Kaizerina Maria Terese with two
4-inch guns. eight quick firing guns and
twenty-five smaller guns with 400 men,
is at anchor here.
"A band of Mohammedan families
which had been permitted to leave here
under agreement with the Christians,
while proceeding to Herakilon. escorted
by troops, were attacked by Christians
and suffered considerable loss.
SOME CRETAN HISTORY.
LONDON, Feb. 1.-THE uprising on
the island of Crete Is attracting no little
attention here. Since the massacres of
Scio in 1922 none of the Greek islands
has given the Turkish government so
much trouble as Crete. After many in
surrections, Crete got a constitution in
1885, but this did not stop the insurrec-
tion because the Turkish subjects were
constantly violating 1t and the Turkish
officers failing to enforce it. In the
meantime the Christians on the islands
have been continually longing for an
nexation to Greece, and they made
frantic application for this to the pow
ers at the Berlin conference in 1877.
but Premier Disraeli of England was not
disposed to weaken Turkey at that time
and to this end did not consider the SUD-
ject seriously. So the mutual pickering
between the Turkish authorities and
the Christians has continued, varied by
occasional little wars and massacre:s.
1t was supposed some months ago that
the Turks would enforce the constitu-
tion, but they have not, hence the pres
ent uprising in Crete in which the
Greeks seem likely to take part. and
which may endanger the concert of the
powers. Greece continues to send war
ships to the island, and the powers have
landed armies there and are sending
more warships into Mediterranean
waters.
The Pail Mall Gazette this afternoon
says there is reason to believe that the
government Of Great Britain regards
the dispatch of the Greek flotilla to Crete
as a very serious matter and is likely to
involve the gravest consequences, add
ing: mo intimation of the intentions
of Greece was conveyed to any of the
powers and the preparations to carry
them into effect were carefully kept
secret. 1t may be confidently expected
that the Marquis Of Salisbury will adopt
a very firm attitude and that immediate
and vigorous steps will be taken to neu-
tralize the effect of Greece's action"
dispatch to the Times from Athens
says that the Central Cretans with arms.
ammunition and supplies on great
scale. The first installment, 1t is added,
sailed on Wednesday with 600 armed
Cretans. The same dispatch states that
the departure of the Greek torpedo fleet
for the island of Crete was due to tie
announcement that the Turkish torpedo
boats had left the Dardanelles and that
the Turkish troops had embarked for
Crete.
REINFORCEMENTS READY.
ATHENS, Feb. ia fresh fotilla of
four torpedo boats is held in readiness
to sail for Crete and reinforcements of
troops are being hurriedly dispatched
to the frontiers.
The departure of Prince George with
the first torpedo flotilla has aroused the
greatest enthusiasm In the provinces as
well as In the city. Patriotic demon
strations are taking place in all parts of
Greece. The chamber has voted SOC, ,00c
drachmas to the Cretan refugees.
Later advices from Canea show that
six Christians have been killed or
wounded In the fighting around the con-
vent OF Chrisopyghi, near Canea, and
sAoe eSAA AAAuccoihioho AAA nave Deen Killed.
DISORDER INCREASING.
LONDON, Feb. 11.-A dispatch to the
Times from Canea says that the latest
kilograms from Sitia report thirteen VIII
lages now in flames. Christians are
killing the Mohammedan inhabit ants
Those who have succeeded in escapting
from the scene Of the massacre are flock
ing to Sitia, which is still in the possess
sion OF the Turks. 1t is feared that this
news will produce dangerous reaction
at Heraklion. 1t is probable that the
persistence of the Mohammedans in
preventing the departure of Christians
and foreigners will make necessary ac-
tive measures on the part Of command.
ers Of the foreign fleet. An Italian Of
fcer of the new gendarmie has gone to
Kisami to investigate the report of the
atrocities there. The italian battleshin
francesca Morosini has arrived at Ca
nea harbor.
A dispatch to the Times from Con-
stantinople says that a special cabinet
council Is now sitting at Yildiz palace
for the purpose of discussing the stu
alton In Crete.
a dispatch to the Times from Vienna