The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-05-20
Isolation of Constantinople by
British Is Complete.
MOSLEMS HIGHLY ENRAGED
Food Is Short in War District-2,OOO,-
600 Christians in Asia Minor Are
Threatened by Massacre-Railway
Communication Between 6osporus
and the Interior Has Been Cut Off by
British.

Constantinople is as much Isolated
from Asiatic Turkey as if the Allan
tic ocean separated them. Railway
communication between the Bosporus
and the interior has been cut OH by
d~etachments of British, who burned
the large bridge south of Bilejik, aft
er getting out all their Indian troops
which had been guarding the line.
British headquarters is in ISmid, and
the protective area is restricted large
~ to districts within range of the ma
val guns.
Anatolia is the source of the food
supply of Co%nstantinople and S
quently the prices Of meat and vege-
tables have already doubled. The huge
profit taking is not checked by the
high commissioners, who maintain the
fiction that the Turkish government 10
functioning.
Communications virtually are sus-
pended and the allied newspapers are
filed with statements that the Nation
aliSt movement has been nipped In the
bud. News which reaches Constanti-
nople through couriers from Anatolia
and passengers from the various Black
sea and Mediterranean ports does not
support such statements. Mustapha
Renal Pasha, the Nationalist leader,
has called q congress to meet in An
CORA, with five representatives for
each vilayet. General mobilization has
been ordered and all military NUM-
tons ordered removed from the sea-
coast.
Prepare for Defense.
Definite statements have been made
By Mustapha Renal that he will not
recognize the Sultan's orders. At ST.
vas, Amasia, Tokat, Samsoun and
many other places there are trench
digging and other preparations for de-
Tense. Captain Forbes, the British
passport control officer, has been
seized at Amasia and taken TO Sivas,
and it is feared the taking of allied
hostages may become general.
The French again have failed to re-
lieve Aintab, and Armenians from Ada
ma are moving, with French permits
sion, upon Hadatin in an effort to re-
lieve the Christians threatened there.
A message from Aintab, sent two weeks
ago and Just received in Constantine
pie, says that the Moslems will not
sell food to $4,000 Armenians there.
Turkish leaders who were at Marash
have arrived In Aintab and 1t is feared
another great massacre may occur.
The Italians and French are both
critical of the allied occupation of Con-
stantinople, which they blame entire
~ upon the British, and declare that
If the 100000 unprotected Christians
In Asia Minor are killed by Moslems
enraged by the seizure Of Constantine.
pie It will be the fault Of the British
move.
Uncertainty As to Future.
SO far there has been no fighting OF
any consequence in Thrace, hut there
Is great uncertainty as to what will
happen II the French complete their
evacuation as planned and the Greeks
occupy the region. The French troops
are unwilling to fight In Thrace, de-
claring they will not take territory for
the Bulgarians and Greeks.
A delegation Of four members Of the
Turkish chamber are en- route to An.
CORA for a conference with Mustapha
Renal. They were allowed to pass
by the British passport control and
are expected to return here In ten
days. The delegation is composed en-
tirely Of Nationalist, but they are as
serted to be anxious to persuade the
Nationalist leaders that the Sultan will
not support them and the movement
cannot succeed unless modified.
While the British we're repairing the
bridge near Bilejik, Nationalist d.
rected a heavy machine gun fire upon
them, but their aim vas so bad that
there was only m casualty. After
crossing the bridge the British bat
talions burned 1t to check the Nation
alists, whose game seems to be to
force the allied troops to pursue them
into the interior and keep up guerilla
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