davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
A MoHAMMEDAN MOSQUE IN SMYRNA.

getc protest against the treatment of
the Greeks of Aidlin, city of $4,000
Inhabitants, nearly all of whom are
Greeks. Seemingly there was no fear
of impressing them into the Turkish
army.
There are also Greek farmers in
the agricultural districts. 1t is as
sumed that though the main strength
of Greece is a commercial and mari
time country. Greek colonization would
succeed, since there is sufficient agri-
cultural population in Greece proper
and Zante and other islands to draw
from.
The difficulties Of the situation for
the allies are clear as are the adj
vantages to Greece. Whether Premier
Venizelos and the war party would
consent to giving up part Of Macedonia,
which was gained in the war of the
Balkans against Turkey, is doubtful
although some concession of this kind
would be necessary in order to satisfy
the Balkan states. Penizeos has been
quoted to the effect that his country
would not yield an inch of territory
in Macedonia. Yet it is difficult to see
how they could expect to gain territory
on the Asiatic mainland without sac
rifcing some on the European main
land.
Assuming that an understanding Of
this kind may be reached, there are
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

sovereignty throughout the Aegean
archipelago.
There is sentiment about Smyrna. Few
of the modern Greeks really care
whether Homer was born there or not,
but they recall the relation which
Smyrna once held to the Athenian
democracy, and historic tie stretches
less, the very modern and very practi
cal commercial aspect which Premier
Venizelos has in mind in seeking to
secure Grecian sovereignty Smyrna is
the finest port in the eastern Medlter-
ranean, and is of far greater conse-
quence than Constantinople itself.
There is rich trade in supplying the
wants of the inhabitants of a fairly
prosperous territory and of the wealthy
city itself. There is also a big export
commerce in figs, tobacco. opium.
licorice root, rugs and variety of
other commodities.
Smyrna is not only a splendid sea-
port. 1t is the nucleus for a railway
system stretching out through Ana
tolia to konia, where junction is
made with the main line of the Bagdad
railway. Some of the territory is fer
tile agricultural land, and there are
minerals in the mountain districts.
The Greeks are the most numerous
element in the population of Smyrna.
which. like all the cities of the near
east, has a very cosmopolitan popula-
ton The Greeks are also settled in
the smaller towns along the railway.
When Turkey entered the war as an
ally of Germany. Greece made an ener-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

still many obstacles in the way of
making a part OF Asia Minor actual
Greek territory and establishing Greek
sovereignty there. This would mean
that the allies must not only drive the
Turk cut of Europe, but must also push
him out of a section of Asia.
In the evaporation caused when
Turkey sided with Germany against
her old friend and protector England.
the most that the British threatened
was to deprive her of Constantinople
and the small section of territory that
still remained to her in Europe. No
talk was heard of pushing the Turks
back from the Asiatic shoreline. Nor
was the possibility of Grecian wedge
in Asia Minor then considered. The
inability to crush Turkey in brief
time has caused a change in the point
of view of England and her allies.
They are under the hard necessity of
considering the proposition for a Gre
clan wedge. How far they may have
gone in the diplomatic maneuvers to
secure the support of the Balkans only
future events can disclose, but it is
clear that the demand of the Grecian
war party for Asiatic territory has not
been summarily dismissed.
One of the principal perplexities re-
lates to Smyrna itself. While the Greek
population preponderates in that cos
mopolitan city. there is not only a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

planes. The chief function of his Of
fee is very simply stated by the in
cumbent--to provide the navy with it's
coal and to transport supplies. to keep
account of AL it's property and to pay
all bills. He seldom handles more than
ten million dollars day and always
averages only about a million. He is
accountable for all material in the navy
from a 35.000-to1 battleship to candy
for the bluejackers.
Without the efforts of this depart
ment not a ship could get up steam
there would be nothing for the men to
eat or wear and a sailor could not get
a bit of tobacco. Upon the administra-
ton OF this department depends the
state of readiness of ship to sail
when needed. and in an emergency this
means something.
When Admiral Badger said MCGOWAN
preferred' he knew all the qualities
of the man he asked for. and he had
good opportunity. for this same man
had been the successful fleet paymaster
of the battleship squadron which made
the trip about the world and had made
One of the things of which MCGOWAN
rear admiral himself now-is proud is
that he got his training under such
man as Admiral Badger.
Admiral Samuel McGowan's frankly
avowed determination is to make his
government, and his personality
arouses similar feeling on the part
of every subordinate, so that each man
and woman is now doing his utmost
to produce 100 per cent efficiency.
The first feeling of a visitor to these
Offices is that he must on no account
track a speck of dust where none is
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
Aspiration of Greece Is for Great Asiat

coura cement to Italy's ambitions for
commercial colonization in the near
east The numerous Italian colony at
Smyrna was to be encouraged by the
investment of Italian capital in the
railways and in the various public con-
tracts. Though Italy has not much spare
capital with which 10 venture abroad as
surances were given that enough could
be obtained for the Italian enterprises.
since these would have the support of
the government.
The extension of the Italian CONNER
cial influence was expected TO strength
en- trade at home. Italian national sent
iment also was gratified by the recog-
milton of the national ambitions.
x =
When Italy went to war with Turkey
in order to get dominion over a strip
of sandy Libyan desert, some progress
had been made in furthering Italian
projects in Asia Minor. That war
stopped these projects. and the Balkan
war upset all cal ulations. Neverthe-
less. Italy yielded none of her expecta-
lions as to participating in the com
mercial and industrial partition of Asia
Minor. In her aspirations there was no
suggestion of political sovereignty.
The present war will not leave Italy
with any surplus capital for Asiatic
enterprises, and the allies themselves
will not have the means of forwarding
the projects in which they were in
terested. This is on the assumption that
the allies may win, and therefore that
it will rest with them to determine the
territorial and political future of Asia
Minor
The certainty that none of the bellig-
erents will emerge from the war with
resources to carry forward the exploit
alton of Asia Minor in accordance with
the benevolent partition they had made
among themselves. will not cause any
of them to sleep on their claims. Some
of them are even talking of how they
will despoil Germany of the Bagdad
railway and the vast concessions which
the kaiser's men obtained along the
route of that railway from Hyder
Pasha, opposite Constantinople, to the
valley of the Tigris and the Euphrates
This boasting may be dismissed from
consideration, but the Italian eXpecta-
lions and the encouragement given to
these expectations in the period of
peaceful partition cannot be di smissed
The query is bound to be raised
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

whether Italy, when she entered the
war as an ally of England and France.
had assurances that her OPERATIONS in
Asia Minor would be respected. or
whether compensation was promised
somewhere else.
The Italian commercial aspirations
and the Grecian political aspirations.
which necessarily include commerce,
for dominion in Asia Minor cannot
be reconCIled.
There is "A natural rivalry between
Italy and Greece in the whole of the
eastern Mediterranean. Italy lays claim
TO sovereignty over some OF the islands
there. and this is not agreeable to
Greece The Asiatic mainland. in the
commercial sense. is merely an extern
sion of the Aegean shore line.
Greece might yield all objections to
Italian control of the Albanian coast
on the Adriatic in addition to ceding
Macedonia If in the game of diplo-
macy, with its tremendous stakes.
which the allies have been playing, an
understanding of this kind is reached.
the way may be opened for the an
neXation of a wedge in Asia Minor to
Greece, always presuming that the
allies ultimately win.
The Greek war party also plays for
q tremendous Sldht IL bTccCt ldiis
to join the allies no encouragement
will be given to Grecian aspiration for
enlarged sovereignty of the Aegean
sea and on the Asiatic mainland.
Should the Dardanelles be forced and
Constantinople be taken through
Greek cooperation, the allies might
feel that the price was not too great
British commercial interests would
not suffer. because they would fare as
well as they do now under nominal
g mt "Ea
ment is true of the French interests.
Nor would Greece be likely to enter
on any schemes Of exploitation which
would interfere with the British and
French concessions She has not the
capital for projects of this kind.
Italy alone would be the sufferer,
and the question again occurs of the
compensation which the allies are able
to offer Italy for subordinating her
interests to Grecian aspirations in the
eastern Mediterranean and on the
Asiatic mainland of which Smyrna is
the seaport.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

stantinople without Greece having aided
them, there would be an end to Grecian
aspirations for Asatic empire. She
would not even be able to retain her
present position as minor Medlterra-
mean power.
The program of Premier VeniZelo as the
leader of the war party is to OBTAIN
territorial concessions in the islands
of the Aegean sea which are not yet
under Greek sovereignty, and to secure
a province on the Asiatic mainland OF
which Smyrna is the seaport. This
would realize the Greek dream of re-
storing the ancient Hellenic republic.
X
The war with Turkey, in which Greece
and the Balkan states were allied. en-
abled Greece to get the big Island or
Crete and some of the other groups.
But the sovereignty of all the isles OF
the Aegean sea apparently is what she
aims at They lie between the Greek
mainland and the Asiatic mainland
which she hopes to make Grecian ter
ritory Their population is largely
Greek.
There is. for example, the historic
Island of Samos, the birthplace of
Pythagoras. the philosopher.
Vathy, the capital of Samos. has an
excellent harbor A few years ago, on
going ashore at Nathy, l found that
this aspiration of the Greeks for the
restoration of their ancient authority
was quite a live issue.
Turkey controlled Salnos. but the So
called Christian powers-England,
France and Russia-haG modified Tur-
keys sovereignty by compelling the
porte to name a Christian prince as
ruler. When the people fell out with
their ruler they usually started local
revolution and then Turkey would have
to name a more popular prince. But al
ways he had to be a Christian.
The religion of the prophet. notUith-
standing the Turkish sovereignty.
never got footing in Samos. There
are few Mohammedans. The popula-
ton of the island. about 10000. is al
most exclusively Grecian, with many
traces of the traditional life of the
Ionic Greeks remaining.
Possession of Smyrna and the contig-
uous section of the Asiatic mainland is
the corollary to the extension of Greek
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22


by radiogram from Rear Admiral Bad
ger, commander-in-ch chief of the ATTAIN
tic fleet, soon after his arrival at Vera
Cruz in the spring of 1914. He needed
an officer and he knew the manner of
man he needed for the difficult job OF
looking after the supplies for the fleet.
He wanted the man who could lead.
command. threaten, if necessary, plan,
whip things around if it had to be
done, a man who could do things on
time and have things when they were
needed, and who never offered an cX-
cuSe and never accepted one. So he
sent the word-"McGowan preferred
But MCGOWAN was not sent to Bad
ger, for he was booked for higher Of
fce-really one OF the most important,
If not the most conspicuous, in the
navy to be filled by the newly appoint
ed Secretary Daniels. MCGOWAN was
about to be appointed paymaster gem
eral of the navy. chief of the bureau of
supplies and accounts.
That position does not seem at all
spectacular. The paymaster general
does not design new battleships, cruis-
ers or submarines; he takes no part in
selecting guns or armor. No one looks
to him to create naval reserve, or to
organize a squadron of hydro-aero-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

allowed-upon the imma culate polish
ed bare floors. One carries a scrap of
paper rather than drop 1t in a place SO
orderly. No files of papers are lying
around in negligent heaps. Only the
sets in use are allowed on the desks.
Stacks of letters to be answered are
laid in an orderly manner in especial
boxes or baskets. Every subordinate
takes pride in following the example
of the chief.
Hilton. where is the Nereus?" was
the question put almost at random at
Paymaster J. c. Hilton. the officer hay
ing fuel and transportation under MS
charge. Quite as incisively as the
question had been fired, came back the
answer:
"One day out. sir. from Honolulu on
her way to the Philippines"
How much coal aboard"
Seven thousand two hundred tons.
when will she arrive?'
should arrive in twenty-three days.
allowing for stop-over at Nagasaki to
take on bunker coal"
How do you know ths?"
81 remember it, but l have the rec
ord" and from it's place in the desk is
flashed a peculiar book filled with
movable celluloid strips on one of
Nereus collier; and Mr.. Hilton was
prepared with or without the book to
locate any of the fuel ships in the serv-
ice and to tell all about her.
does it take to feed a thousand men
for thirty days?" was the question un-
tremendously thrown at the admirals
private secretary, and quick as flash
pounds. which take up 66S cubic feet
in the hold of the vessel
How do you know"
~ have worked out he-guantities and
made up a table showing all these
things"
Here Mr.. Ryan produced a printed
table showing all the provisions non
perishable furnished for the food of
ships crew of a thousand men for
thirty days, with quantities, weight.
size of packages and various other
data.
Formerly" resumed Mr. Ryan, "if
ship were in need of additional. stores
the captain telegraphed or sent
radio, enumerating whaT things were
needed and instructing US where to
send the supply ship with them. Now.
he sends a message of three or four
words, telling us to send food supplies
for so many days. We know the num-
Der of men in his ships company. and
1t takes very few minutes to calcu-
late from these tables what quantity
of each of these articles to send him.
From the same tables we can easily
determine how much of these stores
each of these vessels cap stow away,
for we have records of the storage ca
pacity of every ship in the navy.
A question put to another assistant
elected the facts that the opening price
of copper, large quantities of which are
bought for navy use. that morning was
1871; that tin opened at So. 1t, was
easy for him to answer such interrog
atories, for it was his business not
only to keep track of the general prices
of such commodities. but to know all
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

peace can be readily applied should
war conditions arise.
The introduction of card systems per-
forated by means of machinery driven
by electricity; by additions and tabula-
ton making mechanically half dozen
identical sets, has made it possible to
reduce the clerical force in the account
ing division by nearly SO per cent, and
the officers placed in charge have
greatly added to the efficiency of this
branch of the office. handling $4,000
600 annually, besides accounting for
all the material carried by the Navy
Department. whether afloat or ashore.
If fourteen-inch gun should be blown
overheard in a cyclone. or a seaman
lose a squeegee, the ships paymaster
would be chargeable with 1t, and would
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

be held accountable. If dry dock
should collapse or a hammer head be
lost overheard, the naval storekeeper
charged with it would have to give an
accounting for his losses. 1t keeps
account of the detail cost of work done
at all the industrial navy yards. or
those where construction work is done.
The bureau also handles the trans
portation of all naval supplies. and for
this purpose controls all golfers, oil
ships, supply boats and merchant YES
sells. 1t also has charge of all railroad
transportation for the navy.
Its most interesting activities, how
ever. are done in the way of COM
missary and supplies. When ship is
put in commission, except her ammu-
milton and armament, which are in
stalled by the ordnance deDar- ent,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22
pY CHARLES M. PEPPER.

~ RECIAN aspiration is for Asiat-
m ic empire. That is one reason
II Il why the allies have had SO
W much trouble in bringing
Greece into the war.
The Greeks are a sentimental people.
They dream of ancient glories Popu-
lar sentiment in favor of joining the
allies is very strong because they hope
to realize those glories again.
That the war party is in the ascend
ant was shown when Premier VeniZelos
resigned and the king undertook to
form a peace ministry under Demetrio
GhounariS.
The parliament was dissolved. and the
peace cabinet of the kings selection
took up the reins of government. But
in the election the former premier was
sustained by an overwhelming major
fly, and he has the new parliament
back of him. The kings illness has
operated in fayor of the German
party, and the new premier. whose pol
tci was Endorsed at the polls, has not
Yet taken office, hut he cannot be indefi-
nitcly kept out unless the kings party
is ready 10 face a revolution.
When Premier Nenizelos resumes re-
sponsibility the head of the govern
ment the question of Greek expansion
in Asia will be to the forefront.
The failure of the Greeks to join the
allies in the attack on the DardanelleS
was a costly one for the allies. Their
want of swift success was laid to this
cause rather than to their own poor
strategy and ill-advised military oper
ations. The feeling against Greece is
still strong, but they cannot afford to
give free expression TO their resent
nent. They want the help of Greece in
getting Constantinople, and must pay
a price for that help
1t is a period of dickerng and bar
gaining in the great war, and the
smaller countries see their chance to
extend their territories and expand
their own power At the same time
Greece takes chances if she does not
Join the allies. Should England and
France and Russia force the Darda
neles and become the masters of Con-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

son of Treasury laws enacted many
years ago when the volume of national
business was much smaller. The neces-
sity of following these venerable rules
causes some delay, but the bureau in
conjunction with the Treasury makes
every possible effort to avoid red tape
entanglements, for it is well known
that one of the great objections which
contractors of the best sort have to
deal with the government is the delay
often experienced in securing their
payments from the safest paymaster in
the world.
But the system of payment and &C
counting has been made as simple and
thorough as possible. 1t is so plain
that the methods which are working
easily and satisfactorily in times of
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

the hospital stores selected by the
surgeon general, and some few other
things, the bureau of supplies and &C
counts provides everything.
1t furnishes clothing of all descrip
ton likely to be needed by the men.
The bureau must furnish all the
sleeping gear, including hammocks.
blankets. bedding for the officers. fur
ntshings and the mess gear. with
which to serve the food for perhaps
thousand men. 1t must put in the
ship professionalism than fresh
quantities sufficient to last from four
to six months. 1t provides coal to fill
the bunkers and fresh water for the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

tent factors in the success of the or
ganiZation.
The paymaster general is chief of the
bureau of supplies and accounts, and
hence Admiral McGowans duties en-
brace the handling of all the moneys
appropriated by Congress for the navy.
These funds are on his voucher placed
by the United States treasurer to the
credit of some designated disbursing
officer, who is then permitted to issue
warrants on the treasurer for the pay
ments which he (the disbursing off1cer)
has been directed to make.
X
The system of vouchers and pay
ments is somewhat complicated by rea-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-22

about them each day. The chief might
have to pass upon contract at mo-
ment's notice. The chief would offer no
excuse if he made mistake. but it
would be an unfortunate day for the
assistant If he misnformed him on any
subject which it was his business to
know. The joking, helpful chief can be
a very stern officer to any one who
makes an error about something in
trusted to him; that is almost treach-
cry; he must not make mistakes.
Admiral MCGOWAN is free in praise of
all his officers and civilian experts, who
are so loyal to him. He describes his
chief aid, Paymaster Christian Joy
Peoples, as the man who does all of his
worrying and most of his work. This
cooperation between chief and his
loyal followers is one of the most po-