The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1914-12-01
OMNIBUS POSSIBILITIES OF THE
SMYRNA INCIDENT


That even this remote and neutral
country is not beyond the danger zone
Of the spreading European conflagra-
ton was startlingly emphasized by the
three shots fired by Turkish fort at
the launch of the United States cruise
Tennessee In the harbor Of Smyrna.
While our state department is conf
dent that fuller light on the incident
will rob 1t of much of it's sinister as
pect, correspondents point out that, ev-
en- if the action of the Turkish fort is
satisfactorily explained, there will re-
main disquieting possibilities in con-
nection with the hundreds of foreign
Christians, including a number OF
American missionaries, now under the
protection of our consulate in Smyrna.
Nor is the gravity of the situation les
sened by the fact that Sheik-ul Islam
has proclaimed a Holy War" for the
whole Islam world. There is large
Mohammedan population under the
United States government in the Phil
ippines, and there are American mis-
sionaries in virtually all Mohamme-
dan countries. According to a Wash
ington correspondent of the New York
World the state department has re-
ceived information to the effect that
the least overt action might bring this
government into the war"
The American public had its first
official information about the Smyrna
incident in the following statement is
sued by the Navy department on No
vember IS:
Capt b. c. Decker, in command of
the Tennessee, wired Secretary Dan
iels this morning that while proceed
ing from Vourlah to Smyrna to make
official calls the boat was fired at.
Consul anxious for safety of consulate.
Tennessee proceeded to and left YOUR
lah at request of Ambassador, and is
now anchored in the harbor of Scio
(Chios), from which Captain Decker's
telegram was sent"
Secretary Daniels cabled for fuller
information, at the same time sending
instructions to the Tennessee and the
North Carolina, which are in the Medi-
terranean looking out for American
interests, to take no action which
could involve this government without
specific instructions from the navy de-
partment While hopeful that the in
cident would prove to be of minor i'm
portance, say the Washington cores
pondents, officials of the department
confessed themselves worried over the
statement that the American consul at
Smyrna was anxious for the fate Of
pondent of the New York Evening Sun,
there have been reports that the gov
ernor of Smyrna had declared that, if
war broke out he would massacre all
the Christians in the city" But the
same correspondent goes on to say
1T is certain that German influ-
ence dominates in Turkey, and there
is no doubt in diplomatic quarters
here that this influence is exceedingly
friendly to the United States. The ad-
ministration officials are counting on
the Turkish government manifesting a
much less belligerent attitude than
that of the military governor OF
Smyrna, who is believed to be respon-
sible for the firing on the Tennessee's
boat"
There are said to be about fifty
Americans, mostly missionaries.
at Smyrna The English residents, ac-
cording to the New York World, are
estimated at about eight hundred. A
London dispatch cites the rumor thai
the Tennessee approached Smyrna II
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