Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1901. TURKEY’S NAVY.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 21 October 1901, Page 2

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1901. TURKEY’S NAVY.

A Housk divided against itself can never stand, and a nation wherein rankles disunion and distrust upon national affairs, where finances are shaking, and corruption rampant, cannot hope to become strong, to be ready, in the hour of need, to take her part with or against the Nations of the Earth. A striking example indeed of this is to be found in the recent dispute between France and* Turkey. The former—we will not refer to the merits of the case—simply forced her decree upon the latter, which ought to be, and easily could have been a stronger nation, because of superior strength and naval preparations. There was a time when Turkey had a navy that commanded respect, but Turkey frightened of her own creation brought about its distinction. The reigning Sultan has been anxious to rival the other Powers, or at least not to be at their mercy at sea. On the other hand, what he dreads far more than other Governments are his own subjects, so that as soon as the navy is worked up to a certain pitch of efficiency he begins to fear that it may be turned against himself by the revolutionary party. To prevent this a respectable sum is spent in spoiling

the ships. The modern Turkish fleet was first created by the famous Englishman, Hobart Pasha, who raised it to the point of being one of the principal navies in the world. The crews were drilled on a kindergarten system, and, as the Turks have no nautical terms, well-known vegetables and other every-day articles were fastened to the ropes, and the orders given were—“ Hoist the potato,” “Let go the cucumber,” and so on. The Sultan, however, feared the fleet was getting too efficient, so he curtailed its supplies, and consequently when war broke out with Russia, the navy was in a crippled state. As a punishment, it was laid up in the harbour of Constantinople for twenty years, and the money that should have been spent on it went towards building forts, which could be directed on the ships to destroy them if ever their commanders or crews fe l under sus-

picion. This is exactly the' same policy the Sultans have always followed to their principal viziers and pashas. At last, in 1890, it was decided to do something for the navy, and another British officer, Woods Pasha, was made Admiral. He modernised the rusty old battleships, and bought some swift torpedo boats and destroyers. But in the war with the Greeks, the crews could not be trusted because they themselves were partly Greeks, so the squadron con fined itself to masterly inaction. Lately, Abdul Hamid became inspired by the example of his friend the Kaiser, and decided to have another try. Many Turkish coal merchants were made pashas, so that they might have the privilege of supplying coal for nothing, and it was proposed to send several old ships to Italy or Germany to be reconstrutoted. Two fine torpedo boats were ordered from , Genoa, but when they arrived an i Imperial commission took away their • propellers lest any of the Young Tur- 1 key party should use them. One J battleship got as far as Germany for ; reconstruction, but the Germans de- ( dined to go on with the work until they were paid, and the crew, who had c received nothing themselves, pawned r everything available on board, and f finally sought refuge in the workhouse, a