The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-05
French Admiral Finally Halts at
Island of Mitylene.
Where He Will Begin to Bear
Down on the Sultan.
HE MAY TAKE SMYRNA
Later Unless the Promised
Money is Forthcoming.
Original Plans Changed by Tur-
keys Recent Promises.

Paris, Nov. 5-An official dispatch
announces the arrival of Admiral Call
lard's squadron this morning at the ISL
and of Mitylene, where he has occupied
the three principal ports.
Admiral Caillard's squadron arrived
off the island of Syra (Grecian archi-
pelago) yesterday, and detached a dis
patch boat which entered the port of
Syra and received from the telegraph
station a batch of dispatches contain
ing definite instructions from the
French government regarding carrying
out the sealed orders which were hand
ed to the admiral previous to his leav-
ing TOulon. These dispatches directed
Admiral Cai1lard to proceed to the ISL
and of Mitylene, where he will seize
the customs at MidiIli and at another
port.
The foregn office here has not yet
received the sultan's reply to the note
received by NJ Baptiste, counselor of
the French legation at Constantinopie.
following out the instructions of M.
Delcasse, the foreign minister, under
date of November 3. The correspond
ent here of the Associated Press is en-
abled to make the following state
ment.
When the French government de-
cided to send a French squadron to
Turkey it was debated whether to seize
the customs at Salonica, Beirut, or
Smyrna, as it was realized that the re-
ceipts of one of these three big ports
would be required to produce a suffi-
cient sum to pay off the French claims
without a long occupation, which was
considered inadviSable.
The occupation of Salonica was at
once dismissed, because it might create
the false impression that France was
aiming to reopen the Macedonia ques
ton. The occupation of Beirut was
also set aside, owing to the French po-
sition and interests in Syria, where the
population looks upon France as its
protector. The occupation of Beirut
therefore was certain to create effer-
vescence and perhaps even rebellion.
The choice of NJ. Delcasse consequently
fell on Smyrna, which offers equal ad-
vantages to the other ports without
having their political drawbacks. Sat
urday, however, came the dispatch from
M Baptiste, announcing the issuing of
the sultan's trade accepting the Lo-
rando claim in it's entirety, as France
demanded. This dispatch slightly mod
flied the aspect of the situation, mas
much as M. DelcaSSe came to the con-
clusion that the sultan would now set
tie the money claims and would within
few days produce the guarantees
which France demanded for their pay
ment. The necessity for seizing big
customs therefore became less pressing,
although the necessity for occupying
Turkish territory, in order to exercise
pressure and compel the sultan to con-
cede the demands respecting Turkeys
disregard of French treaty rights, still
remained urgent. The government
therefore decided that Admiral Call
lard should occupy a couple of ports on
the island of Mitylene, which is con-
veniently close to Smyrna. So should
the governments impression that the
sultan will satisfactorily settle the
monetary question without delay prove
unjustified and the customs receipts at
Mitylene not be sufficient to meet the
French claims, Smyrna can yet be oc-
cupied. In the meanwhile the occupa-
N
lene is more convenient, from a military
point of view, as the French cannot be
easily disturbed on that island, whereas
Smyrna, being on the mainland, its oc-
cupation might have more serious de-
ve1opments than desired The French
government, however, trusts that the
whole difficulty will shortly be arranged
to it's satisfaction, and hopes that the
treaty stipulations will be carried out
by the issue of trades, such as giving
certain French schools permission to
open, which thus far has been with
held. and also by giving official recog-
milton throughout the Turkish empire
to diplomas issued by the French med
ical faculty at Beirut. etc.
AS THE NEWS REACHED LONDON.
London Nov. 5.-According to a dis
patch from Paris to news agency
here. the French squadron has arrived
at Smyrna and has seized three ports
on the island of Mitylene. The British
foreign office has had no request from
Turkey, as announced Dy the COnStdn-
tinople correspondent of the Echo de
Paris. to fulfill the terms of the con-
vention of 1873. by which in exchange
for the island of Cyprus Great Britain
guaranteed the integrity of the sultan's
Asiatic possessions.
TRIPLE ALLIANCE NOT TOLD.
New York. Nov SIT is learned from
a reliable source that France has not,
up to the present informed the triple
alliance of any contemplated naval ac
ton in Turkey, says the Herald's Berlin
correspondent. The Tageblatt compares
the attitude of M. Delcasse to that of
Napoleon III in 1870 Like the sultan,
King William of Prussia had already
Welded when France by urgently press
ing new claims, critically enlbittered