The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 20, 1897, Page 1

VOLUME LXXXL-NO. 141. PRICE FIVE CENTS WILL AL FUROPE BF | IVOLVED? There is Now a Prospect of the Universal War Predicted. SWIFT PROGRESS OF THE | CONFLICT. With the Fury of Demons the| Followers of the Crescent | and Cross Battle. | | TURKS SUCCEED IN CAPIURING MILOUNA PASS. | This Is Considered the Key of La- rissa, and Many Greek Posltions Are in Danger. [Coprrighted by the New York Sun.] Ex6., LONDON, pril 19.—Although 1an forty-eight hours have e declaration of war a cri- close at hand in the fast us campaign between the Greek ies. sis seems to be succession of events ne of the frontier dem- all that war hereafter ys instead of months. coast and frontier of Epirus the Greeks are carrying everything before | them and making a victorious invasion of the enemy The Turks on the other hand have captured Milouna Pass, which is considered the key of Larissa, on there and other points in Thessaly are in the gravest dan- It is impossible to aeny that Turk- ish successes of yesterday and to-dey in- volve great peril 1o the Greek cause. The | loss of Larissa means an open road to | Volo, eventual’y to Athens, end unless | tne T h advance 1s speedily checkedi‘ the Greeks will have littie to hope for. It is already argued in London that Greece | must retrieve to-day's disaster by some such desperate venture as attempting | to force the Dardanelles. All accounts | agree that the Tu are fighting every- where like demons, and the Greeks, al- | though outnumbered at most poin behaving with no less valor and fury. It is important before describing the | military events of the day to indicate the | situation ntry. and the Greek posi , are of the toward tuality — universal the war— bury and Balfour have been | telling the world for months would surely come if w t we are now should happen. any of tk which witnessing Not one of these men or | ir followers now pretend that | this alarm was justitied, or that the war will probably spread beyond the two cou The principally debated by Eu- rope to-d Hes war been permitted to | break out by the connivance of one or | more powers, or has it come despite the | best efforts of conceri by Kurope to preserve the peace? The best judgment still is that Emveror William is chiefly responsible for the Sultan’s declaration of war, after he had become convinced that | the powers were uawilling to act or to | continue to act as full allies against | Greece. It is generally expected that all the powers will take a position of genuine | nentrality in a few days. The London Gazette to-morrow will an. nounce the usual neutral attitude of Great | Britain. In regard to Crete itself the situation is peculiar, and there is no indication what the powers will do. Itisan undoubted | fact that the greatest peril to European peace would lie in Greek success in the present conflict. It is admitted in the opinions telegraphed to London to-night, even from Vienna and Berlin, that the | failure of the Turks in the war with | Greece would mezn the immediate doom | of the Ottoman Empire. That alone is | Tecognized as the probable cause of a gen- | eral war. It is likewise admitted that | Europe will not allow the defeat of Greece | to result in any territorial venalties. It is unecessary to explain further why | the “‘peace-at-any-price’’ people of Europe are praying for the success of the Turks. A final test of praciical value to the con- cert of Burope will probabiy come in a | few days, It is trying to localize the | struggle. The chief question is whetber they will be able to bring its ponderous power to bear in time to prevent the | struggle going too far. Those who be- lieve the presentaction was due to a dead- lock of the powers take a gloomy view. Those who are confident the present| blood-letting was tacitly agreed upon as a necessary outiet to the pent-up passions of the East apprehend no disaster for Eu- | rope at large. which judgment is the soundest. — MILOUNA PASS LOST. But It is impossible to indicate | the Greeks Malntain Other | Positions and Kill a Vast Number of Turks. LONDON, Exc., April 19.—An official | dispatch was receivel! at the Foreign Office this afternoon saying the Turkish | troops have carried Milouna Pass and are | now on the direct road to Larissa, head- quarters of the Greek army. A dispatch from Elassona dated midnight last night says the Turks have captured Milouna Pass and carried two Greek blockhouses at the point of the bayonet. Fighting was hot throughout, every foot | of the Turkish advance bemng desperateiy contested. A number of telegrams were received at the Foreign Office in the course of the afternoon, most of which show that fighting is still in progress and that the Greeks are being beaten aht alony the line. These dispaiches doubtless refer to the frontier of Thessaly as the scene of conflict. All the foreign Embassadors | called at the Foreign Office to-day. A dispateh to the Morning Post from Elassona filed at 10 o'clock to-night gives | a description of the prolonged struggle in Milouna Pass and adds, “I think the Turks will be in Larissa to-morrow.” ATHENS, Greecr, April 19.—Advices from Larissa say that after the capture of Milouna Pass the Greeks fell back precipitately, but re-formed and were largely re-enforced. A late dispatch says the Turks were finally repulsed at Re. veni. Crown Prince Constantine, commander- in-chief of the Greek forces, has left the beadquarters at Larissa and gone to Tur- navo, whence he will go to Reveni. The Greek brigade, which is advancing upon Dumasy, is already in Turkish territory and only an bour and a half’s march from the city. General Mayromichalis’ division 1s ad- vancing for the purpose of cutting off the Turks, who are reported retreating in dis- order. Fighting has progressed at Bong- hari snce ‘yesterday morning. The | Greeks captured two Turkish posts, but they were afterward retaken by the Turks. The Greek battery stationed on Turkish ground began bombarding Vigls, a Turk- ish stronghold. The Turks replied with eavy cannonading and continue to hold their ground, despite the loss of a large | QUEEN FRANCESCA of La Fiesta de Los Angeles, and the Ladies of Her Court. number. The Greeks are being re-en- | the blockade of Crete is a violation oi‘s.sm,ooo, July 8,815.000, September 2,880, forced and likely will capture the town. Edbem Pasha’s plan was to capture Reveni and then enter tbhe plain of Larissa, catting off the retreat of the Greeks with cavalry, thus capturing the city of Larissa without oppos:tion. The Gre after repuising the sttack, pur- sued the Turks as far es Dumasi. It is reported that 7000 Turks were killed or wounded. LARISSA, Greeck, April 19.—This after- noon the Greek troops hitherto held in reserve were ordered to the front to strengthen the regiments which feil back after the reverses at Kourtsiovali and Milouna Pass. The greater part of the Mestrapa brigade has gone to Mati to assist in holding the pass there. The re- mainder, in conjunction with the Dimo- poulo brigade, is sustaining the aitack between Bonghari and Turnavo. The Greeks still hold their po: Nezeros and Reveni Pass. force at the latter place numbers 14,000, ons at - | LATEST FROM THE FRONT. Dispatches From the Turkish Side Say Edhem Pasha Holds Milouna Pass. LONDON, E¥6., April 20.—No news has been received in London from any source in the vicinity of the critical positton in Milouna Pass, of later date than 9 o’clock last night. Dispatches from the Turkish side at that hour credited Edhem Pasha with possession of the pass and all command- ing points. Dispatches dated Monday afiernoon, assert the Greeks have recaptured two or three positions, but no details are given. Latest dispatches from both sides agreed that a decisive battle woula be fought Monday, but up to 5 o'clock this (Tues- day) morning not a word concarning any engagement of the kind has been re- ceived. —— GREECE MAKES PROTEST. Neutrality Violated by a Continu- ance of the Blockade of the Cretan Ports. ATHENS, Greror, April 19.—Skouzes, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has made an official reply to the Turkish note in which he rebuts the charge that Greece is re- sponsible for .the war. He declares that during the last few days preceding the declaration the Turkish army repeatedly committed aggressive acts. The Government has sent a note to the powers protesting that inasmuch as Greece and Turkey are at war the continuance of SECRETARY SHERMAN'S POLICY IS “HANDS OFF.” WASHINGTON, D. C., April 19. —Officials of the administration are more concerned over the war than they were yesterday. They are worried over the idea the United States Government may be brought into trouble through the request for the exercise of its friendly offices. wants to pursue a policy of ‘‘hands off,”” and Secretary Sherman if Minister Terrill can get some other foreign Minister at Constantinople to see that the Greeks in Turkey are protected during the fifteen days given them to get back to Greece he will please his own Government mightily. This afternoon Secretary Sherman went over to the White House and had a talk with the President, presumably on this point. When he returned he said he had nothing to say about friendly offices or a neutrality proclamation. The State Department officials hope the question of right of asylum will not come up during the continuance of hostilities, as far as this Government is concerned. They are afraid, however, there will arise great barbarities, bringing the question to the fore. The department issued a statement to-day explaining the contents of Terrill’s first dispatch, in which there is nothing new. The second dispatch is still undeciphered. ; The Greek | from Athens, | | neutrality. | LONDON, Exc., Apri! 19.—~The opinion is expressed by the authorities at the Foreign Office that in view of the fact that | war has been declared it will be necessary to remove the blockade of Crete. The \ Iraliau .=t in Gretan. waters has been | ordered to proceed to Salonica. | The Times, discussing editorially the | Greek invitation to the powers 1o with- draw their forces from Crete, says i1 | Greece meditates the recall of Colonel | Vassos, commander of the Greek army of occupation in Crete, so he may co-operate in the defense of his country, the powers might strain a point and let him out, but the Greek Government should say so. | Until she does the powers are not likely | to modify their action in Crete. G T CHEFIK IS CONFIDENT. The Consul-General Says It Is | Only a Question of a Short Time When Turkey Wil Win. NEW YORK, N. Y., April 19.—Chefik Bey, the Turkish Consul-General, smoked innumerable cigarettes and shrugged his shoulders as he talked about the war to- day. When asked about the result, he blew aring of smoke in the air, saying: *“It is nothing—mere child's play. Lit- tle Greece, two, three millions—Turkey, thirty-five millions. It may be two.days, | two weeks, two months. We will win. The Turks are great fighters. The Koran tells us that those who die in battle go straight to paradise. They fight hard. You have here but one California; Turkey nas a dozen. We get grain from Asia | Minor and export 1t to England, France and Italy. We want no American grain,'’ “‘What effect wiil the war have upon | the Greek residents in Turkey? May not the excitement lead to massacres?” *So long as they are quiet the people of the Hellenes will be let alone, but if they stir up trouble we will kill them like the Armenians. Welet them alone and allow them their religion and they plot; they go for our homes and we kill, we kill,” The Greek Consul-General said: “I regard the capture of Preveza as most important. We will hold the key to Epirus. From Preveza and Arta is & good highway leading to Janina, the capital of Epirus, and the advance upon that town: wiil bring about a general up- rising of the inhabitants, who are Greeks, and may end in outflanking the Turkish troops.” S WHEAT PRICES RISE. War News Gives a Blg Scare to the Bears In the Pit of the New York Exchange. NEW YORK, N. Y., April 19.—War news gave a big scare to-day to the bears in the wheat pit of the Produce Exchange. They knew they would have to elimb to cover short contracts. At 10:29 the wheat it was jammed, but still one minute later the air was rent with the vells of buyers and the floor was a football match. The hands of the big dial which recorded the opening fluctuations in May fatures spun | round from 77 cents, where they rested | Saturday, and did not stop until they in- | dicated 831 cents. Tney stayed there only a second; then they traveled back and forth a half cent every half minute. The top price was 837 cents, recorded at 10:40. 1t represented a net advance of 63 cents over the close of Saturday. For eigners whose markets were closed sent orders for execution, but many of these orders were to sell. This, with the dis- position among the local bulls to take protits, resulted 1n a reaction, and from 37 cents there was a tumble in less than five minutes 1o 82 cents. The tendency to sell gradually became general. Before noon sales were made ai 807 cents, In the final de: gS prices ngain steadied, with the close-for May at 813{ cents. In the day’s business in wheat futures21,290,- looo bushels were divided as follows: May | & 000, December 705,000, LOCAL WAR AT OMAHA. Seriout Riot Follows the Reading of Bulietins of the Latest War News. OMAHA, Ner, April 19.—A riot broke out in the Greek quarter of Omaha this afternoon, and when the patrol wagons crowded with police arrived on the scene a number of Greeks, Turks, Syrians and Arabians were suffering from knife thrusts and clubs, while the narrow streets of the miserable little place in which these nationalities are huadled to- gether was a withering massof screaming, fighting humanity. Those wounded are Joseph Sava, Ollie Abbott, Hubbub Ye- | kem, Assad Meyour and Gena Nassar. Seven arrests were made. The police soon had the district quiet. The trouble grew out of the excitement incident to the receipt of the afternoon papers containing war news from the Ori- ent. The women and children on both sidesindulged in the fight. The wounded are not dangerously burt, except Saba, who is badly stabbed. He was delegated to read the war news to the riotous crowd which had assembled for that purpose, when some enthusiastic Turk took of- fense, which precipitated the general bat- tle. The feeling over the war between Turkey ana Greece is intense among the colonists of these countries in Omaha and many are taking advantage of the dis- turbed condition to wreak vengeance for personal quarrels. s L To Witness the Warfare. WASHINGTON, D. C., April 19.—Sec- retary Alger received a request to-day from Captain George F. Scriven, military attache of the United States embassy at Rome, for permission to join the Turkish army and witness the maneuvers. The request will probably be granted. It is also likely Captain Joseph H. Dorst, mili- tary attache of the legation at Vienna, will be directed to join the Greek army. During the war between China and Japan Lieutenant O'Brien of the United States army was with Yamagata’s army, and furnished valuable information about the methods of modern warfare to this Gov- ernment. i gs e e ..~ . Protection of Amer!cans. WASHINGTON, D. C., April 19.—The contempiated depletion of the Medi [ ranean squadron was countermanded by the orders to-day to Admiral Selfridge in- structing him to retain the Cincinnatiand | | | | | | | i Borot™ Raleigh, previously scheduled soon to re- turn home, until further orders. The admiral has been granted discretionary powers in regard to the protection of American interests. —— Did Great Britain Acqulesce? LONDON, ENc., April 19.--There are several indications that the conrse of events in the East was fully expected, if | not acquiesced in, by the British Govern- ment. Salisbury had a long interview with the Queen at Cimez yesterday, but has not hastened to return to London. | There is no unusual activity at the War Oftice or Admiralty to-day. Reports from Paris, Berlin, Vienna and Rome show that affairs of state in each capital are undis- turbed by the breaki e Greeks Ordered to Leave Crete. CANEA, Crere. April 19. — Placards bearing tbe signature of the Governor of Crete have been issued, notifving the Greeks to leave the island in fifteen days, in accordance with the ordersof the Porte. | This is regarded as annulling the scheme of the powers for the establishment of an autonomous government. AN EXPEDITION ARWIHILATED. The ltalians Given Another Most Disas- trous Lesson in Abyss:nian Etiguetie. PARIS, Fraxcr, Avril 19.—A dispatch | to the Temps states that an Italian expe- | dition under Major Bottego has been an- | nihilated in Southern Abyssinia. The Abyssinian general commanding at Baro requested Major Bottezo to hal: until the | expedition be authorized by the Negus to | proceed. The Italians fired on messengers | bearing a flag of truce and killed them. | In the fight which ensued only two of the Italians escaped. —————— LOST IN 4 Strange Message Found in a Sardine- Fox Dropped on a Barn. | CRIPPLE CREEK, Coro., April 19.—A curious missile fell on James Graham’s barn Saturday night. He found it to be a sardine-box in which was inclosed this message: To Whoever Finds This Note: of us lost in an airship. daresses are: C.J. Pillsbu street, Boston, Mass.; city eneineer, Boston; C. Traffant, Paris. On April 8 we were on terra | firma. Upon that day we descended upon | a town on the Missouri Pacific in Easte Kansas, named Weeks, which is about seven- teen miles north of Emporia. We have since | been sailing, we know not where. We arc out of water and have given up all hope, and trust that whoever finds this note will imme- | diately wire to the addresses given. | Yesterday about 10 o’clock people on the | sireets here were attracted by an object | about a mile above. It was conical- | shaped, like an immense ci:ar, and was | evidently made of some light, bright ma- | terial, presumably aluminum. For two hours the people watched and fully 3000 sawit. Many of these =re emphatic in | There are three Our names and ad- 180 Washington Humbert, R the belief that it was an airship, which finally disappeared in the west. | Merry - Makers ut of the war. | | long stretch of the other side. LAFESTAS GHY HAS BECUN Invade Queen Francesca’s Realm. FIND TEE ANGEL CITY GATES AJAR. | Homes of the Angelenos Dec- orated as They Never Were Before. FEAST OF DELIGHTS FOR ALL WHO COME. To-Night the Civil Authorities Will Surrender to Her Gracious Majesty. | i LOS ANGELES, CaL., April 19.—Like s | swarm of droning locusts the sob and | sbriek of the fiesta whistle rises upon the | stricken night air from every street and | byway, appzliing the transient and giving | eneerful token to the native that his great annual fesival has begun. There is no Other thing in the world so sad and so terrifying by turns as tbe fiesta whistle, 1o whicn it has been given to yearly herald | thisseason of most unbounded joyousness. | . To-day and to-night are preliminary. | The streets are alrealy alive with (strangers, the hotel clerk has already | taken on that distressed look that indi- | cates congestion and is the harbinger of | the small cot in the hallways and the pwelors, There is no doubtat ail that the fiesta of ’97 will rise distinctly above its pradecess- ors as an event in every way—a successful event. The programme prepared, the elaborate details of every feature of it, the splendor of the spectacle, the imposing arrangements for viewing it and the dre-s and decoration of the city were all put forth on a scale of magnificence to which | the attempts of former years have been | but stepping-stones leading or showing | the way. The tribunes that formerly were | temporary structures. desizned to be torn away immediately upon the close of the gay queen’s short reign have been ar- ranged and constructed as fixtures, to be the scene of her gellant display year after | year. And the place and arraugements | serve the purpose nobly. They are buiit at alarge open space at Grand Avenue and Twelith street, neither too far away from nortoo cleseto the centerof the citv. They are made to accommodate | 15,000 people within the view of the queen and her retinue. The arrangement is that of an oval, open at the Twelfth-street end. At the further end is the throne, and sweeping round on the right and on the left from that elevated and favored position, under Queen Francesca’s eye, may be gathered the multitude. The opening at Twelfth street is just wide enough to admit of the entrance and exit of the great parade. The | plan is that iv shall enter, make the com- | plete circuit of the great oval and then AIRSHIP. | make its exit at the same point and wind away back to the city in anotber direc- tion. By this plan a noble spectacie may be presented before the eyes of the Queen, her retinue and all those enjoying seats in the tribunes, for not less than half & mile of the procession will be immediately within the inclosure. The prancing cabel- leros will thus not merely pass before the Queen in the brief interval of half a block, as under the previous arrangement, but they may be watched as they make their long approach toward the throne, and then, swinging past it in the shorter it | curve of the oval, retire down the equally So with all the splendor and horror of the Chinese pageant with its 500-foot dragon, Heavy rollers were being run over the wide amphitheater within the tribunes to-day, making a level track for the marchers. The finishing touches were being put to the throne. There is plenty of time to get it all into perfect order, the show does not concentrate there until Wednesday afternoon. To-night the committee on decorations has begun its big task of dressing up the city. It has an army at work. It has waited until the last moment in order that the decorations may be quite fresh GREEKS GAIN ATHENS, GREECE, April ment of the city of Prevesa, on the north of the Gulf of Arta, yesterday. the city is in ruins. VICTORIES ON THE 19.—Terrible havoc was caused by The firing was resumad at points along the frontier with varying results. Official information was received this forenoon that Colonel Manos, with 25,000 men, has crossed the river Arachthus and is marching into Epirus. captured. discontented inhabitants to rebellion. Just east of Janina the frontier .line, descending the southern slope of Mount Peristeri, strikes the head of the Arta or Arachthus River and follows it down to the Gulf of Arta, cutting off a good part of old Epirus to the Greeks. Syrako, where Colonel Manos crossed with his troops WEST COAST. the Greek guns in the bombard- Fully three-quarters of The fleet resumed the bombardment at daybreak to-day, but the land force has not yet made an attack upon the city. daylight this morning at various The Turkish advance posts within his line were Several thousand nsurgents crossed the frontier into Epirus and are seeking to incite the is on the Turkish side of the river, between fifteen and twenty miles by the road from Janina, and on the road via Ghardiki to Trikkala. From Syrako roads lead north and south along the river and west to the main road be- tween Janina and Prevesa, which it strikes about four miles north of the fortress of Philipadhia, in the Xero-Vuni Mountains. This position practically controls this whole section, with the roads lead- ing from Janina to Arta, Prevesa, Parga and other points on the coast to the south. ARTA, EPIRUS, April 19.—A strong force of Greeks started to-day for Janina, capital of Epirus,. to capture the city by assault. Fighting is reported at Janina, but no details are given.