Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-31
WILSON REPORTS
ON ODESSA AFFAIR
Charge Says Some American Prop
erty Was Destroyed When Turks
Bombarded the City.
MOVE CAUSES A SENSATION
Belief In Washington that Balkan
supply of Food in Europe
VIII be Shortened.

| WASHINGTON. oct. SO.-Aeting secre-
| tary Lansing today announced receipt Of
a telegram from the American charge d.
affaires at Petrograd. saying Odessa has
been b. bombArded and some American
/ property destroyed. The dispatch from
Charge Wilson transmitted message
from the American consul at ODESSA
who said he would send fuller report
] later on the extent OF American property
damaged. He did not say by whom the
! bombardrnent was done. but It Is pre-
sumed here that it was Turkish ships
Turkeys entrance into the field Of war
like operations, though not unexpected
has caused a sensation in official circles
here because of its probable far-reaching
effect. Probably no one factor in the
great European struggle is regarded so
uncertain in quantity and quality as the
Turkish empire. The probability that by
yesterdays act of war against Russia
the Balkan states may be drawn into the
vortex OF the great conflict, thereby cut
ting off a vast quantity OF food supplies,
which 1t had been expected would go to
the maintenance of the northern Euro
pean countries during the war. has
brought home to the officials here a
realization Of the very close and intense
interest Of the United States in the latest
development 81
The result of Turkeys action as viewed
by the military experts here will be tc
greatly embarrass Russia at the outset.
For months it has been known that the
Ottoman government was preparing for
military operations. No dispatches have
1 tfin fOr
several days. .,.-
Ever since the outbreak of the Euro
pean war official dispatches from Am
bassador Morgenthau have told Of the
slight thread on which the issue OF war
or a maintenance of neutrality hung in
Turkey. He has reported the rise and
fall in the strength of the war party,
the efforts of the large commercial in
terests of Turkey, already weakened by
previous wars. to preserve Turkeys neu-
trality, and of the critical conversations
between the Turkish Foreign office and
the diplomatic representatives OF the bel
ligerent countries.
Turkeys Action Expected.
Diplomatic representatives in Wash
ington of the allied powers have believed
from the outset that as soon as Turkey
had fully prepared its army and navy
for the conflict II would cast the die
for war. Great Britain. Russie and
France have, through their ambassador,
made II plain to Turkey, IL is understood,
what the consequences of its entry might
be. Ths Anglo-French fleet which has
been comparatively unoccupied in the
Mediterranean, would lombard the ports
of Asia Minor; Greece probably would
join the allies against Turkey. and the
Balkan states drawn into the general
imbroglio, with, the prospect that Italy
might be found fighting Turkey as we'll.
That the conflict might extend to
Egypt, Persia or Arabia, with the posi-
biity OF the Japanese fleet supporting
The Greek navy. with its two Ameri-
operations of the allies, has been dis
cussed here.
can-built battleships, formerly the Idaho
and the Mississippi. which must be reclx-
oned with. are superior to the Turkish
cruisers in armor and armament.
One Of the uncertain elements in the
political side OF the problem is the eff
feet upon the great Moslem population
OF India 1t is pointed out. too, that
there are probabilities that Egypt
would be drawn in, through its political
and religious utilization with Turkey,
thus affecting British suzerainty over
Egypt and the control of the Suez ca
| nal. a very necessary link in the British
chain of communication between Eng
land and India.
From a military point OF view. It is be-
lieved that Russia would have little to
fear from an attack by the Turkish
army. II is regarded as certain that
such action doubtless would Immediately
be followed by declarations of war
against Turkey by several of the Balkan
states.
From a naval viewpoint, Turkey can.