HOW THE ADMIRAL ESCAPED.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7752, 22 July 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOW THE ADMIRAL ESCAPED.

ADMIRAL LIMP US’ ADVENTURE WITH THE TURKS. Admiral Sir Arhtur limpus, who recently received his K.C.M.G. from tins hands of h : s Majesty at Buckingham Palace, had a curious and interesting experience at Constantinople at the time when tho Turkish Government went over to Germany against th© Allies. Sir Arthur, it will be recalled, was lent to the Ottoman Government a few yoars ago by the British Admiralty for tho purpose of reconstructing tho Turkish Navy. When Admral Limpus went out to Constantinople he took w : th him a staff of British officers, and during the lew years of their residence in the Sultan’s capital the relations between all these gentlemen and the high officials of the Sultan’s entourage were very cordial. WHEN THE SULTAN’S' DECISION CAME. The Admiral himself became on very friendly terms with his neighbours, most of them pashas and beys of tho old school, ex-officers, some of them, living in affuent retirement, and tacitly at least opposed to the politics of Enver Pasha and his associates. One or two of these gentlemen* indeed, had been educated in England, and all were quietly British in their sympathies. Tliere weivo, however, other members of this aristocratic Turkish community who were openly anti-British, and with them tho English Admiral’s relations were purely formal and almost strained. Then came the time when the Sultan’s decision to join our enemies showed itself irrevocable, and Sir ArthurLimpus and the officers of his staff having tendered their resignation prepared to leave Constantinople. Hostilities had not yet begun. A FRIENDLY WARNING. Dn tli,e eve of embarking the Admiral was surprised to receive a visit from one of tho. most anti-British of nJI his neighbours. But he was still more astonished when his visitor nervously dV closed tho object of his call. It was, he explained, h : .s desire to give Sir Arthur a friendly lint earnest warning. “The vessels of this steamship company,” he said, “are had seaernft and are not well found. Sometimes even they are far from safe. My master (a friend of Enver Pasha’s) desires me to express to you his earnest hope that you will not embark to-morrow on the ship. It is unlikely that she will have a prosperous voyage. “He. further desires mo to say tliai ii.o tenders you this advice merely as from one gentleman to another.” The intimation was -received as it had been intended. Much of the baggage of the English travellers was left on board the steamer, but they themselves were massing when the vessel sailed at dawn, and were instead steaming merrily down the Marmora in a launch lent them for the purpose. They pa-s.sod safely through the Dardanelles and -were taken on hoard a British ship that met them outside. The steamship carrying their luggage met with an accident. She unaccountably blew up and sank inside the straits, not far from Gallipoli.