Friday's news in regard to the Turco-Italian War will cause
anxiety in every European Chancellery. On Thursday an Italian squadron, including four battleships, a number of torpedo craft, and three transports, appeared off the mouth of the Dardanelles and bombarded one of the outlying forts. According to a Times telegram the Italians fired 180 shells, but very little damage was done. The Turkish batteries replied, and one Italian warship is rumoured to have been hit and to have withdrawn from the fighting line. Floating mines have been laid down, probably by the Turks, but in any case all commercial navigation has been closed, The Italians are also reported to have destroyed the Turkish barracks and fort on the island of Samos. Attacks, it is believed, have also been made at other places. By the time these pages are in our readers' hands further developments will no doubt have taken place, for we may feel sure that the Italians would not have under- taken operations in the Egean unless they meant business, Mere pin-pricks there could not affect the general situation, and at the same time might give serious trouble with other Powers.
