The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1918-04-30
TWO Of OUR
BATTLESH|PS
The Idaho and Mississippi Sold
to Greece Are Said
to Have
FASTENED THE

The United States Government
unconsciously forwarded the World
War in 1914 by selling two obsole:e
battleships to the Greek Govern
ment. The Idaho and Mississippi,
sold to Greece, put that country In
a position to conquer Turkey, the
vital link in the Kaiser's Pan-Ger-
man scheme, and inclined him t.
find an early pretext for war. Hen.
ry Morganthau tells the story in his
"reminiscences of his experiences as
American Ambassador at Constantl.
nople. His article appears in World s
Work for May, just published.
Shortly before the outbreak Of
the world war-on July s, 1914 to
be exact-the United States sold to
Greece two battleships. It was at
this time that relations between Tur-
key and Greece were strained al
most to the breaking point, and the
sudden acquisition by Greece of tw,,
battleships gave her the predomi-
nence Of power at sea. Negotiations,
for the sale Of these ships had, OF
course, been going on for some time,
and they had created unusual inter.
est in Turkey. Turkey was merely
awaiting the contemplation of a SUI
per-dreadnaught that was being
built for her in England, before at
tacking Greece, and the possibility
of the Greeks gaining the upper
hand was not at all to the liking of
the Turks.
Djemal Pasha, the Turkish MiG-
lister of Marine, and one of threa
men who dominated Turkey at that
time, was greatly worried by tha
Greek negotiations for the two Am
erican battleships, and asked the
American Ambassador at Constan-
ltinople to intervene. He even offer.
ed to buy the ships for Turkey. / n,
bassador Morgenthau in the World. :,
Work for May, tells the rest of the
story as follows:
Evidently the clever Greeks had
turned the tables on their enemy.
Turkey had rather too boldly adver-
|tised her intention of attacking
Greece as soon as she received her
dreadnaught. Both the ships TO-
which Greece was now negotiating
were Immediately available for bat
tie! The Idaho and Mississippi wer2
not indispensable ships for the Am
erican Navy; they could not take
their place in the first line of battle;
they were powerful enough, howev'
er, to drive the whole Turkish nav.
from the Eagean. Evidently the
Greeks did not intend politely tt
postpone the impending war unit
|, the Turkish dreadnaught had beef
finished, but to attack as soon as
they received these American ships
Djemal's legal point, of course, hat
. no validity. However much wa
might threaten, Turkey and Greecs
we're still actually at peace. Clear
: ly Greece had just as much right tt
purchase warships in the United
States as Turkey had to purchase
, them in Brazil or England.
But Djemal was not the onl'
/ statesman who had attempted tt
prevent the sale; Wangenheim, tn
: German Ambassador, displayed tn
keenest interest. Several days afte
) lDjemal's visit Wangenheim and
: were riding in the hills north o
, Constantinople; Wangenheim bega!
: to talk about the Greeks, to whor
he displayed a violent antipathl
2 about the chances of war, and tn
projected sale of American worships
: He made a long argument about tn
1 sale; his reasoning was presicel
+ the same as Djemals-a fact whic
II aroused my suspicious that he ha
: himself coached Djemal for his IL
terview with me.
!, "Just look for the dangerous prt
y cedent you are establishing" sal
a Wangenheim. 1T Is not unlikel
i that the United States may somt
J. time find itself in position lik
n Turkeys to-day. Suppose that yo
% were on the brink Of war with j
e pan; then England could sell fie'
q |of dreadnaughts to japan. Ho
i .Lwould the United States like that!
y And then he made statemei
Q, (which indicated what really lay bat
y lof his protest. II have thought Of
b many times IN the last three year
T.ss sSsna = indelibly impressed !