Show i I I TURKS THREATEN TO TOi TOI BLOW UP CHURCH i I I OF ST ST. SOPHIA i They Oppose Restoration of Edifice by the Christians By Associated Press LONDON April 18 Warning that the Turks had threatened to destroy I Ithe the Church o of St St. Sophia In Constantinople Constantinople Constanti Constanti- I nople I If any movement nm was undertaken en to restore th that church to lo the Christians Christians Chris ChrIs- has been received by government go officials of ot Great Britain The subject ct was brought up In tn the tho house of commons the other day when Arthur J J. J Balfour the foreign min rain minIster minister ister W was lS asked It If he had received a communication from Constantinople stating that the tho Turks Turc Intended tl to blow up lh the church o of St St. Sophia if f fany any public expression of ot opinion took I place In tho United Kingdom In favor or ot of of the restitution to Christendom otono of ot one ono of or tho thu oldest Christian churches In Europe ADMIRAL INSTRUCTED Mr Ir Balfour replied that no official communication to that effect ha had been r received but that such Information had been conveyed by Interested par par- j i lies ties Ho lIe announced that Admiral Cal Cat thorp British commander In Constantinople Constantinople Constan Constan- had been Instructed to lo take measures to protect the building and that he would fico fCO that these instructions Instructions lions ero carried out Despite tho warning there thero Is a definite definite den den- I nite movement looking to lo the restoration restoration restora restora- tion o of the great cathedral church of ot of I ancient Constantinople to tho use uso of or i tho the Christian religion Erected at i first in A A. D D. and re rebuilt In as a a. Christian cathedral St Sl Sophia was appropriated b by the Turks as lS a 0 house of ot worshIp an and Is now no the princIpal mosque of or Stamboul I MEMORIAL PREPARED I A memorial signed b by the archbishops ops eps of or Canterbury and York and others has been sent Premier to Lloyd Llod Geor George tj urging that while tho great Imperial mo mosques ques of or Constantinople should re remain romain romain ro- ro main In the hands o of Islam Justice requires that the tho Christians of or that city who form torm a 0 large laige majority of or its Us inhabitants should have hac their prIceless priceless priceless price prIce- less building St St. Sophia restored to lo them It has no special sacredness for tor Moslems ms Its value In their eyes ces I la is merely political I Tho The great creat church Is now In n a serious se- se e- e rious condition and must Inevitably I collapse e If It It Il Is not placed In capa capable capable- le hands says sas tho the memorial The Tho glorious glorious glor glor- ious lous mosaics a n precious heritage among imong the lie artistic treasures of ot the tho world should be uncovered from lh the defacement which I Is necessarily Im Imposed Imposed Imposed Im- Im posed so lon long as the tho building constructed con- con and decorated for one faith is alienated and devoted to lo another |