OCR Text |
Show I UNITED STATES SENDS CRUISERS Govermment Will Protect Americans Ameri-cans From Fanatics in Asiatic Turkey if Possible. Armored Cruisers North Carolina and Montana, Carrying Large Force of Marines, Expected to Reach Alexandretta by May 8. Guantanamo, Cuba. The armored cruisers Montana and North Carolina are on their way to Asiatic Turkey, under orders to proceed as swiftly as possible. They left here shortly before be-fore noon Friday, and expect to make a record run. Captain William A. Marshall Is in command of the North Carolina and Captain Alfred Reynolds, the Montana. Mon-tana. These two cruisers are among the swiftest and most formidable of the service. The cruisers are capable of a speed of twenty-two knots. It is expected that they will reach Alexandretta Alex-andretta by May 8 at the latest, the distance being about 5,700 miles. Both carry a large force of marines who can be utilized if necessary In helping to preserve order in the disturbed dis-turbed districts. Washington. Realizing the impo-tency impo-tency of the Turkish and the Persian governments adequately to safeguard American lives and property In the present disturbed conditons in their countries, the state department has intimated that it will welcome any assistance In this direction from Great Britain and Russia. Diplomatic representations to this end already have been made to London Lon-don and St. Petersburg. At the same time efforts are being made to learn whether the powers of Bprope have taken steps to check horrors now being be-ing perpetrated against the Armenians. Armen-ians. President Taft and his advisers are greatly concerned for the safety of American missionary Interests In Turkey, appalled at the fate of the Americans there, and perturbed over the desperate conditions at Tabriz, Persia, where the American consular officers fear a massacre is imminent. Everything that may he done by the American embassy at Constantinople and the legation at Teheran for the protection of American life and interests inter-ests in the afflicted country, the officials of-ficials in Washington say, has been done. |