evious communications.

The rescued Russian officers are five in number, one of them a
Lieutenant Commander. The prisoners have been sent to Ismid.

This successful action on the part of our squadron, which only by
chance came to be on the high seas at the time of the naval battle, is
itself one of the utmost importance for us, as it assures the future
of our fleet.

THE SULTAN'S PROCLAMATION.

_As soon as war was declared against Russia, England, and consequently
France, the Sultan issued the following proclamation to his troops:_

To my army! To my navy!

Immediately after the war between the Great powers began, I called you
to arms in order to be able in case of trouble to protect the
existence of empire and country from any assault on the part of our
enemies, who are only awaiting the chance to attack us suddenly and
unexpectedly as they have always done.

While we were thus in a state of armed neutrality, a part of the
Russian fleet, which was going to lay mines at the entrance of the
straits of the Black Sea, suddenly opened fire against a squadron of
our own fleet at the time engaged in manoeuvres.

While we were expecting reparation from Russia for this unjustified
attack, contrary to international law, the empire just named, as well
as its allies, recalled their Ambassadors and severed diplomatic
relations with our country.

The fleets of England and France have bombarded the straits of the
Dardanelles, and the British fleet has shelled the harbor of Akbah on
the Red Sea. In the face of such successive proofs of wanton hostility
we have been forced to abandon the peaceful attitude for which we
always strove, and now in common with our allies, Germany and Austria,
we turn to arms in order to safeguard our lawful interests.

The Russian Empire during the last three hundred years has caused our
country to suffer many losses in territory, and when we finally arose
to that sentiment of awakening and regeneration which would increase
our national welfare and our power, the Russian Empire made every
effort to destroy our attempts, either with war or with numerous
machinations and intrigues. Russia, England, and France never for a
moment ceased harboring ill-will against our Caliphate, to which
millions of Mussulmans, suffering under the tyranny of foreign
domination, are religiously and whole-heartedly devoted, and it was
always these powers that started every misfortune that came upon us.

Therefore,