The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-07
Several Villages Burned by the Sui
tan's Army, and n Panic Started
Among the Peasants.
CRETAN QUESTION SHELVED
PRINCE GEORGE NOT TO BE MADE
GOVERNOR AT PRESENT.
Russia Reported to he Offended at Sir
Michael Hicks-Beach's Recent
Speech at Swansea.

LONDON, Feb 6-There are no startling
Developments in the far East to report to-
day, though the usual rumors are atioat
The powers have another matter to attract
their Notwithstanding nearer home
Dispatches from Athens and Cons tantinople
say that hostilities have broken out afresh
in Thessaly, and that the Turks are
slaughtering defenseless peasants. The
Athens correspondent of the Times says
The Turks, after severe fighting, have oc-
cupied and burned four villages in the
Agrapha district, in the north of Acarnania,
about midway between Arta and Domoko
Eight thousand Turkish troops were en-
gagged in the conflicts. 1t is reported that
in the neighborhood of Palaeokastron the
Turks were repulsed. A panic prevails
among the inhabitants of the neutral zone.
The Greek outposts have been strengthened
and the situation is ominous. 1t is prob
able that the Cretan question will be
dropped until the evacuation Of Thessaly
has been secured.
The Constantinople correspondent of the
Daily Mail says: THE candidacy of Prince
George of Greece for the governorship of
Crete and the Cretan question generally
have been shelved for the present. The
Sultan's progress through Stamboul to-day
There was no disorder"
According to special dispatch from
Shanghai, Admiral Sir Alexander Butler,
commander in chief of the British fleet on
the China station, has arrived there and an
important exchange of views by cable has
occurred between him, the British minister
at Peking, Sir Claude Macdonald, and the
admiralty.
The correspondent Of the Times at Kobe,
Japan, says: THE Corean government
having adopted resolution that no railway
concessions shall be granted to foreigners
the Japanese minister at Seoul, M Kato
Masu. will demand that the contract for the
construction of the Seoul-Fusan Railway by
Japan, under an agreement made in August
1894. shall be signed without delay"
The Daily Chronicle says this morning it
believes that the recent speech of the chan
cellor of the exchequer, Sir Michael Hicks
Beach, at Swansea, when he said the gov
ernment was determined, even at the cost
of war, that the door of Chinese commerce
should not be shut to Great Britain, greatly
offended Russia
The Vienna correspondent of the Daily
Chronicle says telegram received to-day
from st. Petersburg asserts that Russia
and Germany have signed a contract for the
issuance of a Chinese loan. The report is
doubted here.
A dispatch from Hong-kong says it is
rumored there that the British cruiser Ed
gar is slowing all possible ammunition pre-
paratory to going north. The cruiser Bona
venture has been ordered from Devonport
for China and the frst-class battle ship
Harfieur has left Malta for Chinese waters
The Times, referring this morning to the
claim Of France to an outlet on the navi-
gable part of the Niger for her Soudan and
Dahomey establishments, says: France
has no right whatever to such an outlet and
a pretension to obtain it at England's ex-
pense is proposal which could only be ac-
cepted on the hypothesis that Great Britain
had lost the power to defend her legitimate
possessions"
The Berlin correspondent of the Standard
says: THE declarations of Mr. Wilson the
American secretary of agriculture, regard
ing fruit diseases have relieved the minds
of commercial men here who feared re-
prisals for the exclusion of American fruits.
On the other hand, the Hamburger Mach
richten, the organ of the Agrarian League,
is still dissatisfied and declares that Amer
lean fruits imported by way of Holland
and Belgium ought to be covered by de-
manding certificates Of origin 1t regrets
that all American fruit, whether infected
or not, was not prohibited.
At largely attended meeting of the Ber-
lin Society of Fruit Dealers yesterday the
speakers were unanimously condemning the
exclusion of American fruit n the ground
that it would cause a rise in the price Of
all fruit. A resolution embodying this con-
clusion was adopted and will be sent to the
Bundezrath.