The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-04-23

he is at the seat of war he is better pre-
pared than any one here to act to the best
advantage"
The first sign that the admiral has be-
gun the disposition of his little squadron
to meet the war epoch was the receipt of
a cablegram at the navy department to-
day announcing the arrival of the United
States cruiser Minneapolis at SYRIA. This
is an island in the Greek archipelago.
lying at the foot of the Aegean sea, and
at a point almost equally distant from
Crete, where war has been actually going
on for weeks, Athens, and the entrance to
the Dardanelles, so that it is admirably
selected, in the judgment of the depart
ment officials. as a place of observation
and a base of action in either direction
where an American warship may be
needed.
The officials of both state and navy
department, however, nave little appre-
hension of the in-treatment of American
citizens in either Turkey or Greece, which
is regarded as about the only possible
cause of friction now. Possibly, at a later
stage in the war, in the event that the
Turks are defeated, there may be rioting
at Constantinople or some of the larger
Turkish cities, but that is not feared at
present.
The Turkish minister, Moustapha Bey,
has communicated with Secretary Sher-
man On the status of the Turko-Grecian
conflict. He officially informed the Amer
lean secretary of state of the termination
of diplomatic relations between Turkey
and Greece and of the attitude of Of
Tense which Turkey had been compelled
to take by reason of the aggressive
course OF Greece. 1t was expressly made
known. however. that no declaration of
war had been issued. Until this official
step is taken. the hostilities along the
frsssier are regarded in the light of pre-
summary movements. designed TO secure
strategic positions, but not constituting
wa as contemplated by a formal declara-
ton of war. Until this declaration OF
war is made the United States govern
ment is not likely to give official recog-
milton of the existing state of affairs by
an announcement of neutrality or such
other step as the authorities may regard
as necessary to- safe guard American in
tereStS.
It is noted here with curiosity that the
cablegranS so far received are SO con-
flicting on one point-namely. whether
war has Or has not been formally and Of
ficially declared. that it is not yet posi-
BILE to decide what the state of affairs is.
The conmon belief in diplomatic circles
is that there has been no such thing as
a formal declaration OF wal and it is re-
called that of late years il has become
rather the rule than the exception to
wage war actually without a formal dec
laration. In the present case. however.
the fact is regarded among diplomats as
Of the first Importance, for the reason
that the powers have given notice that
the nation that is the aggreSSor in the
conflict will not be permitted to reap
any advantage from a war. While Tur-
key may be strongly armed with evil
dence going to show that Greece has been
been the first to declare war formally,
that fact must have technical weight
in affecting the Judgment of the powers.
The president is taking an active in
terest in the struggle between the Greeks
and Turks. and is being constantly adj