New-York tribune., 1912-01-27
FRENCH SHIP SEIZED
AND TAKEN TO TR|POU
TuniS Passenger Steamer Held
by.Italian Torpedo BoatS-29
Turks To Be Released.
MANOUBA AFFAIR SETTLED
Questions Arising from Detention
of That Vessel and the Car
thage To Be Referred
to The Hague.

Tunis. Jan. 26.-The small French pas
senger steamer Tavignano. belonging TO
the Mike Navigation Company of Mar
seilles and which carries mails from
Tunis to Sfax. Susa. Zarzis and Biban.
all on the east coast of Tunis, was ar
rested last night ten miles off Biban by
Italian torpedo boats. The Tavignano
was then taken to Tripoh. where she is
being held.
Paris, Jan. 26.-The Franco Italian in
cident arising from the seizure Of the
French steamers Manouba and Carthage
by Italian war vessels was settled to-
day satisfactorily to both nations. The
twenty-nine Turks, said to be members
of the Turkish Red Crescent Society,
who were taken off the Manouba by tho
Italians and sent to CagIari. are TO be
turned over Immediately to the French
Consul at Cagliari, who will send them
to France, where their identity will be
verified by the French government. All
questions of law arising from the seizure
of both the Manouba and the Carthage
Court at The Hague.
The announcement was made at the
close Of a meeting of the Cabinet Pre-
mier Poincare Immediately afterward
sent a wireless dispatch to the captain
Of the. steamer Vile d'Alger, which is
now on its way from Tunis to Marseilles.
instructing him to call at Cagliari anu
take the Turks on board.
The note agreed upon is couChed in
terms of moderation and shows a spirit
Of conciliation. The preamble insists
that it has been the desire to arrange
the incident i'm a manner which would
safeguard the dignity of both countries.
The first paragraph is devoted to tho
case of the Carthage and the second TO
that Of the Manouba.
The second paragraph says the French
government shall be responsible that
necessary measures are taken to pre-
vent such Of the Turks captured on
board the Manouba who do not belong
10 the Red Crescent, but TO combatant
branches of the Turkish army, from
proceeding from a French port to Tunis
or to the seat of war. France has OBJ
tanned all she stood out foT, and all
questions arising from the two incidents
may be referred to The Hague.
The long deliberation Of the diplomats
on the subject was beginning to pro-
woke a spirit of evaporation on the part
Of both the public and the politicians,
and the settlement Is therefore most
timely. Premier Poincare was informed,
to-day by two members Of the Chamber
of Deputies that they purposed TO in
terpellate the government on the sub
ject of Italys dilatoriness. The temper
of the two Deputies was only partially
smoothed by the assurance Of NJ. Poin-
care that he had sent further instruc-
tions to NJ. Barrere. insisting that the
matter be pushed TO a conclusion.
N. Poincare had a long conversation
on the subject last night with NJ
ClemenCeau.
The news received tonight Of the
capture off Tunis Of the French steamer
Tavignano. coming on top of the an
nouncement of the settlement of the
Carthage and Manouba incidents, Gre
sted an unpleasant sensation here, but
pII6lic opinion is disposed to await fur
ther details of this seizure before d,s-
cussing its probable outcome.
The action Of the Italian naval author
tiles seems at first sight to be totally in
explcablc. the steamer being seized not
on the high seas, but in Tunisian waters.