erents.

But the Entente Powers hesitated to force a break on the _Goeben_ and
_Breslau_ question and the diplomatic correspondence of the period shows
that they had strong hope, not only at that moment, but up to the moment
of the final severance of relations of keeping the Turkish nation in a
state of neutrality at least. Signs were multiplying, however, that such
was not the intention of those in control at Constantinople.

In August and September, 1914, great activity prevailed throughout the
country. Arms and ammunition, especially heavy artillery in which the
Turkish army was notoriously weak, constantly arrived from Germany and
Austria. Every train from the central countries brought German army
officers and a sprinkling of German noncommissioned officers with which
to stiffen the Ottoman troops. The army was mobilized and General Liman
von Sanders, a distinguished German officer, was appointed inspector
general of the Turkish army. Immense stores of food and munitions were
concentrated at Damascus, Constantinople, Bagdad, and on the
Trans-Caucasus frontier, while a holy war against the infidel was openly
preached.

German vessels lying off Constantinople seem to have been given more or
less of a free hand and frequently searched Russian and British vessels
for contraband. The Turkish authorities appear to have gone as far as
they dared in preventing Russian supplies getting through to the Black
Sea. Russia protested and at times, along the shores of the Black Sea,
used methods closely bordering upon open warfare. Both sides, however,
seemed reluctant to take definite steps toward an open break.

In so far as Turkey was concerned this was probably due to a
disagreement among the members of the Government and others of powerful
influence outside official life. It was said that the sultan, the grand
vizier, and Djavid Bey, Minister of Finance, as well as a majority of
the cabinet, were opposed to war. However that may be, the issue was
soon decided by a small but immensely powerful clique headed by Enver
Bey and Talaat Bey, two of the more prominent and forceful of the Young
Turk leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress.

Of all the figures in Turkish life during the first months of the Great
War, the most picturesque and probably the most influential in the
events that led up to the outbreak of hostilities in Turkey was that of
the youthful Enver Pasha. He was one of the heroes of the remarkable
rebellio