Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-03
MAINE BOY TURKISH ADMIRAL.
Rams" Buchanan Making Name for
Himself in Ottoman History.

have known MN Ill turkey, RAnS1Ofu
ID. Buchanan is making a name for
himself in Ottoman history. Until
two weeks ago the Turkish fleet had
been a fiat failure except for the SER
vices rendered in keeping the Bull
garian army from thanking the
Tchataldja lines.
Instead of graphing with the Greek
fleet in the Aegean Sea the Ottomans
had maintained themselves at a most
discreet distance. a sortie or two un
der cover of the long range guns of
the Dardanelles forts, a great waste of
powder and shells and a rapid scut-
Ting back to anchorage in the Straits
was all that the naval battles in the
present war had amounted to.
Placards at the Dardanelles signed
From the Women of Turkey" tainted
the Turkish naval officers for their
cowardice and called upon the com
mander of the Dardanelles forts to fire
upon the malinsering fleet.
Better We're it," ran the placards,
that the ships should be at the bot
tom of the channel than encumbering
the surface of the waters"
Then Bucknam came on the scene,
summoned from London. where he ha9
gone at the outbreak of the war to
negotiate for the purchase of new
ships. He had found the difficulties of
an empty treasury insurmountable.
But on arrival in Constantinople he
presented the Turks with the follow
ing plan: One of their best boats
should go out into the Aegean and
draw the Averoff, Greece's one and
only important ship, away from the
rest of the Greek fleet Then the OF
toman fleet, unquestionably stronger
than the enemey should rush out and
annThilate the Greek fleet. The
Averoff could be dealt with later or
course the Greeks might not detach
the Averoff to let it so after the Turk
ish boat, but in this case the Turkish
boat would have the Aegean all to it
self
1t could gather back some of the
Aegean islands recently acquired by
Greece, collect a few islands which
went from under Ottoman rule when
Greece became free and spread terror
and desolation even on the mainland
Of Greece, even to Athens, the very
heart of the Greek world.
Kiamil Pasha, the octogenarian
Grand Nizier, listened to Bucknam's
plan and highly approved of it. Buck
nam, who since the autumn of 1903
had not been in the Turkish service.
was reinstated as Rear Admiral. He
was ready to take command of tina
Turkish fleet. When could he start?
The next day. But before the NOR
evitable delays and changes of plan
which are the curse of almost evety
Turkish act. Buchanan was reserved
for something more important"
The Sublime Porte had ben advised,
not to place in command OF the fleet
foreigner who. along with success.
might attract all the glory: the Turks
had their own men capable of carrying
out the scheme. AS, however, the
Turkish fleet had had five different
commanders since the outbreak of the
Balkan war and was now in charge of
the sixth it remained To be seen
whether or not the Turks had their
own men who could engineer the des
truetion of the Greek fleet. The gen
eral impression was that Buchanan
could do it.
busknam Pasha is IS years old. He
began doing things" Very early. He
was left an orphan at the age of four,
in the State of Maine. AS a lad he
lad reached Duluth, Mimi. homeless
wanderer. and was seeking a chance
10 ship on one of the lake steamers.
cer,ain Capt. Elliott refused to hire
nim. but was 50 attracted by the plucky
little fellow rs TO take him home and
adopt him. He grew up with his fost :
er parents in Clayton, \. Y. Soon he
was off to sea, first in a sailing ship
to Australia, then in command of a
fleet Of whaleback freighters on the
Great Lakes.
AS a young man he became marine
Gperintendent at Cramps shipyard in
Philadelphia and was trial commander
o. the new Maine. In 1904 he was sent
to Turkey with the unarmored cruiser
Mejidieh, which the Ottoman Govern
ment had ordered from Cramps and for
which it was TO pay an extra $4,000 as
Indemnity for American losses during
the Armenian massacres. AS Abdul
Hamid had nobody in his navy capable
of managing his new cruiser he invit-
ed Bucknam to remain in Turkey at
the modest salary of $12.000 a year and
be ready to run the boat in case OF
necessity. Bucknatn accepted.
Bur like many other energetic for
eigners who from time to time have
entered the Turkish service he found
himself in an annoying situation. He
was surrounded by the stultifying ca
marilla of Abdul Hamid, each man of
whom was endeavoring to enrich him
self at the expense of the country and
to put a spike in the riekety wheels OF
the Ottoman State. In spite OF this ca
marilla, however, Bucknam found ia
vor IN the eyes of the sultan and in
turn conceived 4 great liking for the
sovereign.
He became Il unique parsonage in the
Ottoman navy by reason of his ability,
scrupulous honesty and unquestioned
loyalty Though he was allowed to ac-
complisll very little for the regenera
ton of the fleet his exploit with a
Turkish cruiser repaired in Germany
will long be told in Turkish naval cir