Evening star., 1914-10-30

tense interest of the United States In
the latest development.
The result of Turkeys action, as
Viewed by the military experts here
from a purely technical point of view,
will be to greatly embarrass Russia
at the outset.
In official Washington for months it
has been known that the Ottoman gov
ernment was preparing for military
operations. No dispatches have been
received from ConStantiEOple in sew
eral days.
Consequences of the Act.
Ever since the outbreak of the Euro
pean war official dispatches from Am
bassador Mergenthau have told of the
slight thread on which the issue Of
war or maintenance of neutrality
hung In Turkey.
He has reported the rise and fall in
the strength of the war party. the ef-
forts of the large commercial interests
of Turkey, already weakened by pre-
vious wars, to preserve Turkeys neu-
trality and Of the critical conversations
between the Turkish foreign Office and
the diplomatic representatives of the
belligerent countries
Diplomatic representatives in Wash
ington Of the allied powers have be-
lieved from the outset that as soon as
Turkey had fully prepared her army
and navy for the conflict she would
cast the die for war. Great Britain. Rus
STA and France have. through their am
bassadors, made it plain to Turkey, it
is understood. what the consequences
of her entry might be.
The Anglo French fleet, which has been
comparatively uneccupied n the Mediter-
ranean would lombard the ports of Asia
Minor Greece would probably 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 well.
japanese May Take Hand.
That the conflict might extend to
Egypt. Persia or Arabia with the poss-
bility of the Japanese fleet supporting op-
erations of the allies has been discussed
here in quarters friendly to the allies.
When reports were current of unrest
among Mussulmans in India it was made
clear that Japan would offer her serv-
ices to Great Britain, feeling that the
spirit of the Anglo-Japanese alliance
compelled her to support her ally in
maintaining the special interests OF
England in eastern Asia.
The Greek navy, with its two Ameri-
can-built battleships. formerly the Mis-
sissippi and the Idaho. which must be
reckoned with, is superior to the Turk
ish cruisers in armor and armament.
least In the beginning and for some
time thereafter Turkey would be great
ly circumscribed in her activities.
One of the uncertain elements on the
political side of the problem is the ef-
feet upon the great Moslem population
of India. 1t is pointed out. too. that
there are probabilities that Egypt
would be drawn in through her politi-
cal and religious Affiliations with Tur-
key, thus affecting British suzerainty
over Egypt and the control of the Suez
canal-a very necessary INK IN the
British chain of communications be-
tween England and the great Indian
empire.
Russia Has Little to Fear.
From a purely military point of view
1t Is believed that Russia would have
little to fear from an attack by the
Turkish army. 1t is regarded as GER
tain that such action would doubtless
be Immediately followed by declara-
tions of war against Turkey by several
of the Balkan states, and the expert
ence of the Ottoman government in the
last conflict Is held to have demon
strated the ability of Servia, Greece,
Montenegro and Bulgaria to check
northern movement of the Turkish
army, If not. indeed, to drive it across
the straits into Asia Minor
From a naval viewpoint, Turkey can
not work much mischief. In the opinion
of the experts here. Her navy has been
increased by the addition of two German
armored cruisers, the Breslau and the
Goeben, but the Russian Black sea fleet
is regarded as more than a match for
those two vessels.
q. S. Cruisers Near.
Because of persistent rumors of possi-
BILE anti-Christian uprisings as a result
of general disturbances Ambassador
Morgenthau at one time advised that an
American warship be present in Turkish
waters for salutary effect and to lend
aid to Americans in case of an emer-
gency.
The cruisers North Carolina and Ten
nessee, which were sent to Europe with
gold for relief purposes, are now, and
probably will be, maintained in the
eastern Mediterranean. Recently these
rumors subsided. and for the last fort
night the belief prevailed among State
Department officials that the situation
mad passed its danger point
Concerning American missionaries in
Turkey. Acting Secretary Lansing said
today that the attitude Of the Ottoman
government had been very friendly,
them.
Although Great Britain several weeks
ago asked the United States to care
for her diplomatic interests in Con-
stantlnople in the event of the out
break OF war. State Department Off
cials said no request of similar ma
ture had come from Russia or any
of the other belligerents.
Policy of Greece.
The policy of Greece, as previously
announced by Minister Schliemann
here, would cause Greece to enter the
war in case any of the peaceful Balkan
states should take up arms. No official
dispatches had reached the Greek lega-
tion early today.
Minister Schliemann suggested that
it was possible that the reported action
of the Turkish warships might have
been prompted by a mutiny of the
crew, as in the case of the Potemkin
in the Russian revolution.
Hussein Bey; the Turkish charge
statement of no news" and refusal
to be disturbed. The Greek minister
declined to discuss any future action
of his government until he had received