Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-12-01
atlistellaneons Readin9.
TURKEY AND THE UNITED STATES.
Contract That Will Be On Our Hands In Case
of War;


A Washington dispatch of Wednes-
day says that the United States battle
ship Kentucky arrived at Smyrna on
Wednesday. 1t went on to state that
the vessel would remain at Smyrna for
several days, pending further develop
ments and awaiting further instruc-
tions.
The Berlin Tagblatt, of Wednesday,
had a dispatch from Constantinople
stating that council of Turkish minis
ters had been held to consider the bat
tleship's visit. The ministers were dis
posed to regard the presence OF the
Kentucky with hostile intent, and one
of them recommended that the govern
ment threaten war in case the ship did
not leave forthwith. 1t is believed IN
Washington that the presence of the
Kentucky will make 1t easier for Mr..
Griscom, the American charge da1-
fairs, to collect the 100000 that the
United States is demanding on account
of the destruction Of the American mis-
sion at Harpoot.
Many of the newspapers talk as II
there is a real probability Of war. AS
vet there seems to be no reason to con-
slider the situation critical. However,
especial interest will be found just at
this time in the recent magazine ar
ticle Of General Miles:
According to the latest figures, the
army numbers in time of peace, 244,OO0
men, 4,000 Of these being officers. It's
war footing is 100000. 1t will be re-
membered that when the war with
Greece broke out, in the spring of 1897,
the sultan mobilized 100000 men with
out any great effort. 80 What 1 saw
of the Turkish soldiers in Constanti-
nople convinced me that they are
among the most effective in the world.
I'm the last hundred years Turkey
has had a greater war record than any
other nation in Europe. From the be-
ginning of the century up to January 1,
1897, she spent 81 years in actual war
fare.
1.-The military genius among them is
Osnan Pasha, man about DO years
old, we'll built and of medium height,
strong in physique and intellectually
the peer of any of the field marshals OF
Europe.
with 10000 men, pitted against the
military genius, Skohebff, with 100000
men and 500 guns, Osman Pasha made
.he defense of Plevna, most credita-
bic achievement. During that desper-
ate seige the losses Of the assailants
was 10000, and of the defendants 10000.
The siege of Plevna won for Osman
Pasha the title of 'Goshe the Victor1-
ous'"
Of the sultan General Miles says, af-
ter an interview with him, in 1897:
"He manifested great interest in mil
itary affairs and was thoroughly posted
on the equipment Of armies, the use
and effect of modern appliances of war,
the use Of heavy machinery In the
movement of the heaviest guns, as
we'll as the most intricate mechanism
of the smaller arms, and the use OF
high explosives and smokeless powder.
I'm response to. a remark OF mine
that he must have able generals, ne
said:
"'Yes, I have made them, and they
have fulfilled my expectations
I'm regard to the Grecian war and It's
results, he said that his people did not
desire war; that it had been forced
upon them; that their territory had
been invaded; but that God, being on
the side Of the right, had given victory
to his army"
Of the forts on the Dardanelles,
strait SO miles long, connecting the sea
of Marmossa with the Eagean sea-,
eral Miles says:
About ten miles from the mouth
the stream narrows, and there is
sharp bend. Here are the most formid-
able works defending Constantinople,
consisting of ten forts on the Euro
pean side and five on the Asiatlc. All
these works have been modernized and
mount the heaviest of recent guns"
This is the place where Xerxes cross
ed the Dardennelles with 100000 men.
The largest Turkish ships are the
"Mesoodieh' and the "Harridieh," or
the battleship type.