The Yale expositor., 1914-11-05
TURKEY GIVES
PASSPORTS TO
AMBASSADORS
Ottoman Empire Is Now al War
on Side of Austria and
Germany
ULTIMATUM Of ENGLAND
IGNORED BY THE SULTAN
Action Will Probably Bring italy and
Several of the Balkan States
into the Great Struggle
Of Nations.

London-Turkey has Ignored Great
Britain's note of last Friday pertain
ing to hOstilities in the Black SEA,
which means that the Ottoman empire
is at war with the Allies.
The Ambassadors of England,
France and Russia demanded their
passports Saturday night and left Con
stantinople Sunday.
A dispatch from Rome states that
Italy is aAame with war clamor and
the populace is demanding action.
Counting Portugal but not Italy.
there are now eleven powers at war.
That three more will be drawn in,
and shortly. is the general opinion.
These are Greece. Bulgaria and Ru-
mania,
The note which Great Britain
presented to Turkey on Friday was
really an ultimatum to which Tur-
key was required to make a reply by
Saturday evening.
Turkish troops. which had been on
the Egyptian border for some time,
already are reported to have crossed
the frontier, while the Turkish feet
continues to menace Russian towns
and shipping in the Black sea.
Ready to Oppose Invasion.
Neither Russia nor Great Britain
was unprepared for this move by
Turkey, which. government officials
say, was known to have been under
the influence of Germany. and the
allied powers have forces on hand
ready to oppose a Turkish invasion
When the regular forces were
drawn from Egypt to take part in the
war in Europe, they were Immediately
replaced by troops from home.
The problem both for England and
Russia. however, is the attitude OF
their Moslem subjects who, under or
dinary circumstances, would prefer
not to fight against Turkey. In this
war, however, they have rallied to
their flag as have all other races under
British or Russian rules and care is
being taken to explain to them that
IN this case Turkey, under the direc-
tion OF Germany. has been the aggres-
sor.
Another problem relates to the at
titude of Roumania, Bulgaria and
Greece.
Bulgaria, owing her existence to
Russia, and being under obligations
to Great Britain, besides being de-
sirous of obtaining Thrace as far east
frh ha
awarded by the London conferences
after, the first Balkan war, but which
Turkey retook when Bulgaria was at
tackled by Greece and Servia, would
naturally side with the Entente pow
ers. 1t objects. however, political OBJ
servers point out, to fighting side by
side with Greece and Servia.
Russia, however. is expected to ask
Bulgaria definitely on what side she
Is ranged, as her mere neutrality un-
der the circumstances appears insult
ficient. Should she join the Austrians
and Germans, Rumania is almost GER
tain to declare for the Allies, and
Greece even before this may decide to
take her revenge on Turkey.
Says Russia Was Aggressor.
Berlin-An official Turkish report
forwarded from Constantinople by the
correspondent of the Frankfurter
Zeitung says that the Russians opened
hostilities October % by firing upon a
portion of the Turkish fleet after hav-
ing for some time interfered with tho
evolutions of the warships.
Describing the naval action in the
Black sea, which was said to be con-
tinuing at the time of the announce
ment, the report says:
1.-The Turkish feet sank the Russian
mine layer Prut, which was carrying
several hundred mines, the torpedo
boat destroyer Kubanets, captured
collier and severely damaged a coast
4