On Tuesday last a report was current that the Turkish
fleet had to put to sea, but proved to be without foundation. On Friday there was a recrudescence of the rumour, and the Daily Mail contained a definite statement that a Turkish
squadron had left the Golden Horn and reached the month of the Dardanelles, its destination being unknown. No doubt if a Turkish squadron, however feeble, put to sea, it would cause a good deal of anxiety and embarrassment to the Italians until it could be caught and destroyed, but considering the overwhelming power of the Italian naval force such destruction would in the end be certain, and probably would take place before the Turks could do any damage to Italian shipping or Italian transports. In other words, the Turkish fleet, for what it is worth, would be thrown away without any real result. That being so, we can hardly believe that the Turkish Government will be so foolish as to order their navy to commit suicide.
