New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-22


White House Statement.
The statement follows: "lhe public
already knows what happened, namely,
a boat from the Tennessee tried 10 en-
ter the harbor harbor which the
Turkish government had declared
closed. A shot was fired across her
bow to stop her. The captain OF the
Tennessee reports that il was not in
tended as hostile act.
"A full investigation Of the matter
is being made and explanations have
been asked of the Turkish government.
Previous attempts 20 communicate
with Ambassador Morgenthau, in Con-
stantinople, have led to delays of as
much as a week"
No attempt was made at the White
House TO explain the omission or sup
preston Of the but unfriendly" part
Of Captain Decker's report. Whether
Mr.. Daniels admitted, with the APP
proval of the President, that "but un-
friendly" was in the report did not de-
velop, but there were comments in ad-
ministration quarters TO the effect that
there had been poor team work"
Tending to confirm a belief that the
administration is still Withholding i'm
portant facts and Information about
the situation in Turkey and possible
danger TO Americans. not only in the
vicinity Of Smyrna but other parts Of
the Ottoman Empire, was the en-
phatc refusal Of Secretary Daniels 10
make public the full text of Captain
Decker's original report regarding
the firing on the launch.
Captain Decker's cable was pretty
badly mixed up" said Mr.. Daniels. 81
suppressed the part about the act not
being hostile, but unfriendly, because
it was confusing and seemed to express
an opinion of Captain Decker, who
could know the motive of the firing only
by having gone ashore. Il was sup
position. and he could not know the
situation. thought
Mr.. Daniels said he assumed that all
Captain Decker knew about conditions
at Smyrna and Consul Horizons anxiety
over the safety of the American Con-
sulate was what he had learned from
Ambassador Morgenthau, who had or
dered the cruiser to Smyrna.
In regard to the orders to the COM
manders of the Tennessee and the
North Carolina not to take any action
which might draw the United States
into the war without specific instruc-
tons from Washington, Mr.. Daniels
made it clear that it was intended that
the directions should be interpreted al
most literally, although he said he be
lieved Captain Decker would go to the
rescue of Americans in the event of a
massacre.
lie indicated, however, that except in
case of the greatest emergency il was
aI ha4 Il Of ha
two armored cruisers would keep hands
off until they had instructions from
Washington to act.
"The orders are not intended 10 be
permanent" said Mr. Daniels.
Possibilities Of one of the American
cruisers running into a mine in the
Mediterranean were pointed out by Mr..
Daniels as one of the reasons for the
temporary orders for the Tennessee TO
remain at Chios and the North Caro-
lima at Beirut. Warnings about the
presence of the mines have already
been conveyed to the United States
government and in turn transmitted to
the commanders of the two cruisers.
Should il be necessary for launches
TO enter Turkish ports in the future il
is considered most probable that pre-
vious arrangements will be made by
the American consulate. Officials here
are at a loss to understand why such
an arrangement was not made in the
case Of the Tennessee's launch and
await further advices as to this and
the general situation before they will
be able TO form a final judgment on
the responsibility for the incident.
Hussein Bey, charge Of the Turkish
Embassy here, issued statement ex-
pressing qualification over the govern
ment's advices from Ms Morgenthau.
"The most cordial relations have al
ways existed between the two govern
ments," he said. land it is the desire
OF both the Ottoman government and
its people that such relations should
always be maintained
81 should like TO take this oppor-
tunlty to repudiate certain statements
which have recently appeared in the
press inslnuating that rigorous and in
territorial censorship on the part Of the
Ottoman authorities was the cause of
the unnecessary delay in the exchange
OF cablegrams between Turkey and the
United States. This is not so. Cen
sorshIp undoubtedly exists in Turkey
at the present moment. as IL does in
other countries with whom Turkey is
at war, and through which the mes
sages have TO pass hence the delays.
"ln proof of this | NAV mention
that this embassy has not received a
s ingle cablegram since close upon
month. II has no official information
even Of the existence of war between
I urkey and the Allies. The last cable
gram received at the embassy was
message from the Imperial Ottoman
government 10 the government of the
United States expressing its grateful
acknowledgment of generous gift
from the American Red Cross to the
Ottoman Red Crescent Society IN Con-
stantinople.'