The Grey River Argus And Blackball News.

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1914, Page 4

The Grey River Argus And Blackball News.

Delivered every morninj in Greymonth, Knmara, flokitika, Pobsou, Wallsend, Taylor, ville, Brunnerton, Stillwiter. Ngahere, Blackball, Nelson Creek, Ahanra, Ikatuatua, Wainta, Beetton, Crohodun, BnnaDgra.Dnnollie, Cobden, Baxtei'B, Kokiri, Patara, Kaimata, Aratika, Kotuiu, -Moana, Burn, Te Kinga, fiotomanu 1 Poerna, I bonnie, Jaokions and Otir»» WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1914.

Evidently Turkey intends abandoing; her attitude of neutrality, and is going- to throw in her lot with Germany and 'Austria. As a preliminary to this she has placed her fleet, now. augmented by the Goeben and Breslau, the two German battle-cruisers that took refuge in the Dardanelles, under the command of a German admiral supported by German officers. The. drawing of Turkey into the struggle is a bold effort on the part of Gel-many to stem the tide of disaster t>>at has set in. The Kaiser hopes that witH the Sultan as his ally, he may" be able to count on the trouble that his emissaries are fomenting in Egypt meeting with success He is also hopeful that tiw Sal tan may declare a Holy War hid call all the Mohaqimedans to his banner, we dojiot think, however, that German diplomacy will achieve much by # its recent move. The Sultan has been having a very bad time for some years past, and

hammedans outside the Turkish Empire worrying very much 611 1 his behalf. The British have been long enough in Egypt for the people of that country to appreciate the benefits that they have derived from British rule compared with the conditions that previously existed. It will be found that it will take something more than German intrigues and the appeal of the Sick Man of Europe to cause a rebellion in Egypt. If the worst comes to the worst a few Japanese army corps could be obtained and they would clear up the disturbance in a quick and efffective manner. Turkey's entry into the struggle will in all probability force Greece and the other Balkan States to take sides with the Entente. However tired they may be of continual bloodshed, their very existence will force them to fight. The only doubtful factor /is Italy. Will she still hold aloof and maintain her attitude of neutrality ? Everything points to the contrary. Policy dictates that she must not allow Turkey and Austria to become all powerful in the Mediterranean. It is a well known fact that Austria's fleet was built for no other purpose than to fight against the navy of her quondam ally Italy. It is purely a question of geography. Italy controls the entire western seaboard of the Adriatic ; Austria controls the greater portion of the eastern seaboard and seeks to extend her control right down to the Straits of Otranto, where the Adriatic opens into the Mediterranean. The command of the Adriatic is, however, necessary to her fleet before she can dictate to Italy, and this Italy must prevent at all hazards. Italy so far has maintained neutrality because she sees that the work of demolishing the Austrian fleet may be left to France and Britain, and she will lose none of her ships in the process. The Italian jpeople are extremely proud, and whether they will be content to remain tranquil while the ignominious campaign of 1865 (when an inferior Austrian fleet beat the Italian fleet off Lissa) is avenged by any navy but her own remains to be seen. Austria is acting strictly on the defensive, for she knows that if she risks an engagement with the Anglo-French fleet she will hand over the supremacy of the Adriatic to Italy. Naval experts consider that we may look for a naval engagement in the North Sea as soon as there is a dense fog, for the idea of using such conditions has long held the minds of the German siaval staff. The idea first presented itself In 1904, when during the course of the manoeuvres, ships representing the enemy slipped past the German battleships at the distance of six cables length. The idea was strengthened by the fact that in 1905 the Russian fleet nearly slipped past Admiral Togo's fleet in a heavy fog. The Kaiser was greatly taken with the scheme, and on every occasion possible he has caused the fleet to carry out most daring manoeuvres during fogs. The British navy is perfectly well aware of the difficulties . attending a blockading fleet in a fog, and after a spell of very hot weather it is a common occurrence for a blanketlike fog to descend on the North Sea, and it is during one of these periods that we may expect the German fleet to sally forth.