A Cretan Incident

Southland Times, Issue 13739, 28 April 1897, Page 3

A Cretan Incident

The action of Sir A. Biliotti, with which all Europe is ringing to-day, has been a marvellous achievement, and of great advantage to the British Government. Candamos, about seven miles inland from Selinos, was occupied by over 3000 Moslems, of whom 600 were Turkish soldiers. Six or seven thousand insurgents closely invested the place, and for a fortnight past the rescue of the besieged has been a subject of great anxiety to the admirals. Sir A. Biliotti went to Candamos, passed through the investing lines alone, and got a conference with the Cretan leaders, obtaining permission to remove all who could be got away, the Turkish garrison to retain their arms. At nightfall he reentered Candamos, and seeing the necessity of having a European force, he returned to Selinos. Two hundred and fifty English, 100 French, 100 Austrians, 150 Russians, and 55 Italians, were landed from the mixed fleet, and reached Candamos after a night march. They remained in the outskirts of the town, and the investing force at once stopped firing. Sir A. Biliotti and his escort then conducted 600 Turkish soldiers, 2500 native Moslems, including over 1200 women and children, to the ships. On their way to Selinos the] insurgents snatched clothing, and food, and, in some instance, the weapons out of the hands of the retreating columns. The attitude of the leaders was perfectly correct, but they were unable to exercise proper control over the men. The foreign escort was warned not to resent petty acts of aggression, lest the 5000 or 6000 insurgents might attempt to massacre the refugees. It required the exercise of great tact to keep the mob from committing serious acts of violence. As the crowd neared the shore the insurgents became more threatening, and attempted to loot the outskirts of Selinos, whereupon the t fleet threw a few shells over them, with the result that four were killed and 16 wounded. During the process of debarkation the escort were compelled to fire several volleys into i the insurgent force, in order to keep i them from rushing upon the women i and children to rob them. One of the i insurgent chiefs afterwards came into i Selinos, and apologised for the looters’ i attack. The refugees were taken away to ( Canea by some of the ships, but a thousand r Moslems remain in Selinos under the pro- 1 tection of the fleet. At the time of the r rescue the Christian insurgents were about a to deliver an attack upon Candamos, the I garrison of which place only had a few a rounds of ammunition left. This brilliant t achievement is entirely due to the resource c and courage of Sir A. Biliotti, the man o whom King George and the English Radicals v are asking to be recalled I—Argus corres- 1 pondent. 1