Meanwhile the Near Eastern problem has been complicated by an
act which the Powers did not foresee and for which they cannot be blamed. Turkey has bought a new battleship and Is apparently making a bid to turn the scale of naval strength against Greece. The statement made a fortnight ago by the Constantinople correspondent of the Ti11146 that the Porte was about to purchase the new euper-Dreadnought built to the order of the Brazilian Government by Armatrong•Whitworths and launched last January is, in fact, confirmed. The vessel Is of 27,500 tons displacement, with an armament of fonrteen 12-inch and twenty 6-inch guns, and a speed of twenty- two knots. It is stated that the Perier Bank has been instructed to transfer CEL000.000 to London to pay the first instalment towards the purchase of the battleship. Thus a large sum is abstracted for a warlike purpose from the new loan raised in France, although the salaries of Turkish officials are known to be five months in arreak. The ship's name will be changed from Rio de Janeiro to Birindji Osman—the name of the founder of the Ottoman dynasty. M. Venezelee hue declared that the balance of Greek naval strength is suffi- cient; on the other hand. Greece actually tried to buy the vessel herself, and it is a more powerful ehip than any in the Greek Navy.
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