The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-11-18
Firing upon j. S.
Vessel Confirmed


ance IN the war upon the entente pow.
ers, convinced officials here it would
be well to have both ships remain in
the Meiiterraneaa for the present and
both have been going from port to port
in Turkish waters or those nearby.
The Safety of Americans
So far Ambassador Morgenthau s re.
ports concerning the safety of Ameri-
cans have been reassuring. An under.
current of uneasiness was created. how.
ever, early this month when the Turk.
lsh commander at Beirut addressed a
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 a bombardment of anv nm
fortified port three British or French
SUBJECTS would be put to death. and
added that he could not take the re-
sponslbillty for any uprising against
Christians which might follow such an
event.
1t was pointed out at the time that
bombardment of any open and unforti.
fed towns was unlikely, as it is pro.
nlolted by The Hague convention.
ihose Turkish officials who remain at
the embassy here were confident that
II the Tennessee had been fred upon
1t was the act of some local official
which would quickly be taken Up by
the. Constantinople government. Fur
ther than calling for inquiries from
other American officials in the vicinity.
1t appeared that Washington was await
ing further reports from the Tennessee
herself before proceeding 1t became
known also that England and France
were asking their commanders in the
Mediterranean fg information of the
Theory of Washington oficials
The theory of the officials here is
that Captain Decker had been ashore
at smyrna TO pay his respects to Consul
General Horton and that the Consul.
who had returned the visit. was being
taken gack to Smyrna when the launch
was fired upon. It was pointed ont
that IN making visit to SMYRNA the
ordinary procedure for the Tennessee
to take would be to anchor outside the
harbor and send lunch ashore. An.
other view is that the firing NAV not
have been intended as an unfriendly
act, but merely as warning that the
port was closed. This is said to be a
usual form of notifying a foreign YES
sci that port is closed when other
notification has not been made. Your.
lah is about ten miles from Smyrna.
The cruiser North Carolina is at Beirut,
on the coast of Asia Minor, about 500
miles away.
To Make Complete Investigation
Secretary Daniels Immediately mott
he'd Acting Secretary Lansing of the
firing and that official Immediately
called upon Ambassador Morgenthau at
Constantinople to make a complete in
vestigation. Communication, however.
between Constantinople and the United
States is very slow. The latest message
from Mr.. Morgenthau, received yester-
day, was dated November 12. It
made no mention of any disturbances.
As Captain Decker's report mentioned
the fact that anxiety had been felt for
the safety of the American consulate
at Smyrna, the opinion was expressed
in some quarters that the launch might
have been taking a guard from the
Tennessee to protect the consulate and
such Americans and other foreigners
who would naturally seek asylum in
that quarter.