The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1911-10-05
ITALY DECLARES WAR
Turkey Refuses to Comply
With Ultimatum and Hos
tilities Befin



italian Forces Occupy Tnpoli and
Benghaxi Immediately -- Turkish
Representatives In Italy Handed
Their Passports-Report That
Ottoman Fleet. Except One Cruiser.
Has Been Destroyed-The Cause Of
the Hostilities Between the Tive
Countries.
London, Sept. 2s.-Anairs devel-
oped today with extraordinary rap
idity. A state OF war exists between
Italy and Turkey. and hostililes
have begun.
No sooner had the time limit fixed
in the ultimatum expired than. is-
noring Turkeys conciliatory request
for a period OF delay, Italy declared
war. The Turkish representatives
In Italy were handed their passports.
The Turkish commander at Tripoli
was asked to surrender the town, but
declined, and the Italian forces inn
mediately occupied Tripoli and Ben
ghazi.
Apparently, the Turks offered no
resistance, but this is only an as
sumption, as Immediately on landing
the Italians evidently seized the tele-
graph lines. From the hour of their
landing, no message of any kind has
been received from Tripoli, and des-
patches sent to that place remain un-
answered.
The Turkish cabinet, which had
been for some time insecure, resign
ed as soon as war was declired, and
a new ministry was formed under
Said Pasha, but retaining the former
able war minister, Mohmoud Snefket
Pasha.
Turkey continues her efforts to Sc
cure Intervention by the powers. In
the meantime, Italy Is actively pur-
suing hostilities. Italian battleships
are reported to have appeared of
Smyrna and Salonika. The Italiass
cruiser landed troops at Prevesa, af-
ter destroying a Turkish torpedo
boat destroyer, and the Italian fleet
has blockaded the whole Tripolitan
coast.
There are unconfirmed reports
that Turkey intends to send IN ulti-
matum to Greece to aban6ca1 her
claim on Crete, and is massing troops
on the Thresalien frontier.
The greatest activity ensued in all
the European chancellories and On
the announcement that war had been
declared and notification of block
ade. 1t is expected that the various
governments will issue the custom
ary neutrality notices and will de-
vote their diplomatic efforts as fan
as possible to localizing hostilities to
the combatant powers, and especially
to avoid complications in the Balk-
ans.
Turks Refused to Surrender.
Tripoli, Sept. 29.-The Italian
squadron, which has been cruising in
the offing, came in close inshore this
morning, and the destroyer Garibal-
dino steamed into the harbor at noon.
flying white flag. Great crowds
gathered and watched her approach
After accommodating, the destroyer
launched a boat, which came to the
beach. An officer landed. He was
preceded by a bluejacket carrying a
white flag.
Turkish soldiers surrounded the
pair. The officer asked for the Turk
ish commander. When taken to him
he formally announced that the Ital-
ian fleet had been ordered to occupy
the town. He, therefore, demanded
the instant surrender OF the whole
Turkish garrison. The Turkish COM
mander replied that he was unable
to comply with the demand and en-
phatically refused to surrender. The
incident was witnessed by the foreign
residents, who gathered around the
Italian officer and cheered him en-
Enthusiastically. The boat then re-
turned to the destroyer, which re-
Joined the feet
A great many of the residents OF
Tripoli spent last night encamped on
the beach, alarmed lest the Arabs
should get out hand and begin pill
Laying. Arabs are constantly arriv-
ing from the country. The mosques
are. kept open and throughout the
night were filled with praying Arabs.
The trouble between Turkey and
Italy, which eliminated this after
noon In declaration OF war at Rome,
dates back to 1878, when, with the
making of the treaty concluding the
Russo-Turko war, the powers are
understood to have agreed to permit
Italy s.pacific penetration OF Trip
oil.' Turkey claims that this is a
right which has been respected ever
-