The Pensacola journal., 1914-11-19

always have been dtsproved by Off
ciaI dispatches.
Ambassador Morgenthau's reports
| of internal conditions in Turkey since
the Ottoman empire joined the Dual
| alliance in the war upon the entente
| powers, convinced officials here it
would be well TO have both ships re-
main in the Mediterranean for the
/ present. Both cruisers have been 60
| ing from port to port in Turkish
| waters or those nearby.
! So far, Ambassador NIorgenthaus
! reports concerning the safety Of
! Americans has been reassurfng An
u1dercurrent of uneasiness was ere
ated, however, early this month when
! the Turkish commander at Beirut ad-
dressed a note to the American con-
sul-general which he intended for the
Information of the French and British
government, declaring that for every
! Mussulman killed in q bOmbardment
Of any open and unfortified port, three
British or French subjects would lie
put 10 death. The note added that the
Turkish commander could not take the
responsibility for any uprising against
Christians which might follow sucl
an event.
It was pointed out at the time that
bOmbardment Of any open and un-
fortified towns was unlikely as it is
prohibited by The Hague convention.
AN OFFICIAL ACT.
Those Turkish officials who remain
at the embassy here were confident
that if the Tennessee had been fired
upon il was the act of some Io-lI
cfTtoia! which would quickly be taken
up by the Constantinople government.
Further than calling for Inquiries
from other American officials in the
vicinity, it appeared that Washington
was awaiting details from the Ten
nessec before proceeding. 1t became
known also that England and France
were asking their commanders in the
Aediterrar can for information Of the
jnCiGcnt.
The theory of officials here is that
Captain Decker had been ashore at
Smyrna /, pay his respects to Consul /
General Horton and that the consul, /
who hat returned the visit, was being I
taken back to Smyrna when the /
launch was fired upon. It was pointed |
out that iE making visit to Smyrna I
the ordinary procedure for the Ten |
nessee would be to anchor outside /
the Ea~hor and send a launch ashore. /
Another view is that the firing may
not have been intended as an un-
friendly act but merely as a warning
that the port was closed. That is said /
to be a usual form of notifying a
foreign vessel that a port is closed /
when other notification has not been
made. Vourlah is about ten miles
from Smyrna. The cruiser North Car
olina is at Beirut on the coast of Asia
Minor.
Secretary Da1STs Immediately no.
titled Acting Secretary Lansing Of the
firing on the Tennessee, and that off,
cial at once called upon Ambassador
at Constantinople to
make a complete investigation. Com /
however, between Con-
stantinopIe and the United States is I
very slow. The latest message from
Mr.. Morgenthau, received yesterday,
was dated November II. 1t made no
mention Of any disturbances.
Chios, at which port the cruiser
Tennessee has arrived in the capital
# the island of the same name, To-
lated about four miles off the coast
IF Asia Minor and near the Gulf Of
Smyrna.
Dispatches from Athens yesterday
'eported that the Tennessee had ar
lived at the port of Vurla, in the gulf
# Smyrna, and that her appearance
lad put stop to the I'll treatm61t
# British, Russian and American Cit
es Authorities OF Smyrna, the dis
,atch adds, fearing a bombardment,
lad left for the interior.
Captain Benton Clark Decker is IN /
ommand Of the Tennessee which left
<ew York on August 16 with nearly |
6 900, 900 In gold on board for the
elief Of the American tourists strand
d in Europe. The warship first went
o England and then to France and !
nalIy entered the Mediterranean |
where she visited several pprts in |
pursuance of her relief work.