The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-11-18

Decker OF the cruiser Tennessee report
cd TO Secretary Daniels early today
that while proceeding from NomIah to
Smyrna to make an official call the
vessel was fred upon, Capt Decker 5
report, confirming last night s news
dispatches which officio4s. heard and
believed We're inaccurate, left them to-
day in a state Of amazed wonder
Every effort Is being made TO get
more complete efforts of the incident
from the Tennessee commander. His
report does not say whether the Ten
nessee or her launch. as we reported
in news dispatches, had been fired up-
on. Aside from being considered as a
hostile act the firing may he explained
in various ways. The first report said
the cruiser : launch had been turned
by three shots from the fort as She
was entering the harbor of Smyrna.
Officials say the launch may have.
been entering during prohibited time
or that the fort may have taken that
message of warning the warship
against mines in the harbor. There
has been considerable uncasiness about
the Tennessee and the North Carolina.
her sister ship. since they went TO
Turkish waters TO look after the inter.
ests OF Americans ut the end of their
voyage to the European continent with
geld for stranded tourists.
Reports Of. mishaps to both ships
have been frequent, but always have
been disproved hy official dispatches.
Ambassador Morgcnthau : reports Of
internal conditions in Turkey since the
Ottoman empire joined the dual alii-
ance in the war convinced officials
it would be we'll to have both ships
remain in the Mediterranean for the
present and both have been going
from port to port in Turkish waters
OF those near by.
So far Ambassador Morgenthau :
reports concerning the safety of Ameri-
cans have been reassuring. An under
current of uneasiness was created.
| however. early this month when the
4 note to the American consul general
which he intended for the information
OF the French and British governments
| declaring that for every Mussulman
killed in Il bombardment Of any open
an,l unfortiGed fort three British or
French subjects would be put to death
and added that he could not take the
responsibility for amy Hprising against
Christians which might follow amy
such event.
1t was pointed ont al the time that
the bomhardmcnt Of amy open ~ un-
fortified town was unlikely as such
action was prohibited by The Hague
convention.
Those Turkish officials who remained
at the embassy here Were confident that
if the Tennessee was fred upon it w:ts
the act of some. local official which
would be quickly repndiated by the
Constantinople government.
Further than calling for inquiries
from other American officials in the
vicinity it appeared that Washington
was awaiting fnrther reports from
the Tennessee before proceeding.
1t bceame known also that England
and France were asking commanders in
the Mediterranean for information of
1.-THE incident
The theory of officials here is that
Capt. Decker had been ashore at sn,yr-
ina to pay his respects TO Consul
General Horton and that the consul
who had returned the visit, was being
ltaken 10 smyrna when the launch was
fred upon
| 1t was pointed out that in making
la visit to Smyrna the ordinary pro.
cedure for tho Tennessee would he to
anchor outside and send 81 launch
ashore.
Another view IS that the firing may
not have been intended as an unfriend
~ act. but merely rs warning that the
port was closed. That is said to be the
Iusnal form of notifying i foreign
vessel that a port is closed.
Vouriah is about 40 miles from
Smyrna. The cruiser North Carolina i.
. at Beirut on the coast Of Asia AIinoi
5 about 500 miles away
: Secretary Daniels immediately notf
: fled acting Secretary Lansing of th,
n firing and that official immediatcls
l..fIlad upou Ani,asa.td dnr NInra4nt h .,3