Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-28
CARS FLEET FLEES
BEFORE TURK CRAFT
IN BLACK SEA FIGHT
Lone Ottoman Warship At
tacks II Russian Ships,
Says Turkish Report.
Batum Shelled.

CoNsTANTtNoPLB. Dec. q.
'-rhe Turkish feet. including the Haml-
dieh. sailed through the Black Sea and
returned undamagsd." an official state
ment issued here today declared. zone
~ our men-of-war on december "a met
a Russian neet. consisting Of FIVE battle-
ships. two cruisers, 10 torpedoboats and
three mine layers. This meant one Tur-
i1sh ship against II OF the enemy. Never
theless the Turkish ship attacked and
bombardsd the battieship Rostislaw and
sank the two mine layers. oleE and
Athos. Two oficers and 20 marines were
ravsd and made prisoners"
In the naval records there appear the
nanaes Of no such Russian mine layers
as me oleg and Athos. There is a Rus
sian cruiser named oleg, but 1t is not
listed as a unit Of the Black Sea heet.
Al the samo time other parts OF the
Turkish fleet successfully bombarded
Basu1n. says the statement. On Decem-
Der ~ two Turk ships tried TO force
the Russian meet into battle, but they
preferred TO neo towards sebastopol.
The Turkish army continues Its VIC
tozi0us advance along tho Caucasian
frona according to the report
The statement denies the Russian re,
sort that the warBhip Hamidieh was
sorpedoed at Sebastopol
The Hamidieh was reported to have
ksen badly damaged by striking a mine
IA the Black Sea on December 4.
ROME, Dec. %.
The Turkish military authorities have
removed the troops and artillery from
Adrianople and are sending them to de-
fend the Dardanelles and the Bosporus,
according 70 dispatch from Athens.
Seventy officers OF tho Turkish army
were arrested a week ago In Constant
nopie by the Turkish commission charged
with conspiracy against the plans Of
tho war party, according to dispatch
from the Turkish capital. They will be
court-martialed.
None OF the Powers has protested
against the italian occupation OF Avlona,
Albania. and the hope is expressed by
many hero that no complications will
arise which will force Italy to abandon
neutrality.
PALERMO, Dec %.
The 10th Regiment OF Bersaglleri (sharp-
shooters) have left for Avlopa, Albania,
where they will arrive tomorrow, and re-
place the biuejaclxets who were landed
last week TO restore order and protect
Europeans and the peaceful inhabitants.
BERLIN, Dec 2s.
The Official Press Bureau gave out the
following yesterday;
"Constantinople reports that the action
against Batum is proceeding favorably,
The holy banner OF the Prophet has been
brought into Damascus amid great re-
iolcing, .p-;,
'iThe Rome newspaper Vita reports an
outbreak OF rIoting in Alexandria, Egypt.
Three thousand men, with machine guns,
the paper says. were necessary TO sup
press the disorder. Eighty-fiye Arabs
were killed"
PETROGRAD, Dec. q.
The Turkish army in the villayet OF
Erzerum is almost entirely ofhcered by
Germans and the population is fleeing in
anticipation of a Russian advance.
The position OF the Armenians, and es-
pecially the Christian Armenians. Is
perilous. The Turks are making hundreds
OF arrests daily where the lack OF SYM
pathy with the Turks Is suspected and
executions of alleged spies are made
every dag.