HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1596, 13 November 1912, Page 7

HARD-FOUGHT BATTLE.

SERVIANS'ROUT TURKS. / ■ i _____ POSITION STORIED WITH HEAVY LOSS POWERS TO HOLD A CONGRESS. '

' ■■ ■■'■'■ ......-'.. By TcJegraph—Presa I (Rec. November 12, 10 p.m.) London, November 12. ; - The Uskub correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph" has supplied a detailed account _of the'battle between the Servians and Turks at Prilep, twenty-threo miks north of" Monastir..':/;.. ' ' The battle was fought in a defile on the highway, and owing to -the difficult I nature of-the pass the Servians could use .only 1 two mountain/guns.': The Turkish foroe consisted of thirty-five! battalions, with eight mountain guns, and was en- | trenched, in a position of enormous strength.. ; - . Part, of the.Crown Prince of Servia's army was'ordered through the pass to dislodge the enemy, and force the way to /Monastir./'.The defile through which the Servians were compelled to approach thd trencheii ■ T7as so. narrow that only, one battalion could bedeployed in the firingline.. , , -; •'..'.'; ~. < v ■': First Line Repulsed. '.; The'Kfth-.Regiment:furnished the first ljiie,; but, despite' horoic bravery, it was repulsed with heavy loss,-/ Fresh troops had a similar experience throughout Mon'day.V' .■'-./;.,/.;■: '. ; ; ■::::; ■Two'-mountain/gunson Monday, night were carried over the pass, and dug. into the hillside/where they could fire on the Turkisih trenches; and,the''Servian 'attempt/was renewed at daylight; on Tues-'day.--/,v:':--' //;.;'*, ~ .;,'/./ ".•.-' .'.'-.. / Later, in the. day,/the. Seventeenth. Regir ment,: despite. fearful '.losses, captured a rugged steep hill,.commanding part of the, Turkish defences. .The Turks desperately' attempted t to. retake the hill; considering it the key of. the.position, ibiit .they, were repulsed. with great carnage, and 'the ground was strewn .for .miles'/with .f.he dead and dying.,/;'://./:/ ;'''". .:/.:"; Adyance During the Night.: ' ■ I--' 'Darkness enabled the 'Servians to gain. //further."positions,/ and':nso the.'bayonet.. •The ground was/covered with; ice and snow land the hardships' -were.■.terrible.... - ■;• j, i. -'/At: dawn oh "Wednesday fresh, Servians. occupied'the firing line," the two guns sup--■porting them,"but- after' a determined at■/tack,; lasting 'for. »somo .hours, /tho' issue stili'huug in the balance, the Turks tena-. ■ciously holding .their /trenches.'■'., .. ~' , ,V/ Finally the Servians advanced ..up : the defile, to within, three hundred/yards of the Turks and charged.'. ; Tho Turks threw idown .boulders, crushing. scores, but the clambering :up:, in; fate "of ;ti deadly l firo, sprang into the- ; trenches, ; bayoneting 'and -smashing . 'the -' Turks, ; whom they clubbed with their rifleswhen -the. bayonets'sna:bped. "/ ■.'.''.', ''.:.The/enemy flight/The scene was - appalling- many scores of dead and .'wou'ndod -were lying in the trenches, :and the/snow was trodden and '/trans--formed:into a crimson mud. . ;../",' ..'The'fugitives .fcaye : joincd the garrison at Monastir, forming 'a total of : forty-five battalions with forty guns.'.'■'■: '■' POWERS TO INTERVENE. 0/:' ROUND TABLE CONPERBNCE. -,- ADSTRO-SERVIAN FEELING RUNS -:'--/. -';':' HIGH. ' '.'/.London,; November'.ll. :/'.'. lteuter's -/Constantinople correspondent ,states',th'at the Powers have agreed'.to - a' r/'round/table conference, in .which the -Bal-kai-States/will/participate:., - The Powers,: tesays, have approached the .belligerents' ; to ascertain on what terms they will cease , hostilities.' ."; Meanwhile, Austria. is : en- , deav'ouring to learh' /Servia's.. protensions ; before entering, the'conference.. ■■'. .-':' A Vienna message states that M. Daneff, President of the 'Buigarian,-'Sdbranje, is Count: Berchtold, Aus- ■ trian. Foreign Minister, arid. the German '.Ambassador;.at - / • Most of, the English ; newspapers are /urging the allies'to--refrain from entering Constantinople as'.a'sigh of-triumph, especially as they do/not intend to annex ■the city. ~ ;., ... , ■■ ; The Italian Ministerial'journal "Popolo Romano", approves of Mr. /Asquith's speech, which has established the ariom that.the victors must not ; be robbed of the fruits of victory. ~: , BULGARIANMEDIATION. ,: • ..(Reo. November 12, 12 p.m.) . .Vienna,' November 12. M. Saneft has'i interviewed'the Emperor Francis Joseph. ' It is understood that ie is seeking to effect a compromise between Austria- and .Servia?.,- :.. KAISER CONGRATULATES GREECE. /' (Rec. November 13,0.35 a.m.)' London, November 12. • ,Reutor's ; Athens corrbsnondent reports .that .the Kaiser has sent a telegram 'congratulating his sister, the Crown-Princess Sophie on .the. capture of Salonika. The telegram concludes with tbree .hurrahs. CROATIANS HAIL PETER .AS KING. -' ,' : '(Rec, November, 12,0.12 a.m.) Vienna, November 12. Demonsti'ations in favour of .the. Balkan States are frequent in tho Southern Slav parts of .Austria-Hungary.'' The municipality of Spalato, in Dalmatia, arranged a torchJight procession in which the flags of the Balkan' States were carried.'. ~■•■■ .. : '. A'Servian hymn was sung at Agram; in Croatia and King Peter 'cheered as King of Croatia. SIEGE OF ADRIANOPLE. BULGARIANS SHORT OF BATTERIES. FOOLHARDY ASSAULTS. (Rec. November 18, 0.35 a.m.) Vienna, November 12. The "Roichpost" states that. the Bulgarians are conducting an ■ assault at Adrianople, and are striving to make up for their insufficiency of siege batteries by foolhardy aud costly infantry attacks. Of sixteen .companies in one charge, only two returned. The Bulgarians are encircling the port' of Rodosto, on the.Soa of Marmora. A Sofia report states that by a murderous artillery fire the Bulgarians repulsed a Turkish sortie at/Adrianople, on the north-west front. There were'extraordinarily heavy casualties on both sides, • Keuter's Adrianople' correspondent has [ sent a wireless message statins that after

ssociartiori—Copyright bombarding on Friday and Saturday, the Bulgarians ceased firing. The Turkish commandant has announced that le repulsed the Bulgarians around Marash. \ ' ■ ■ . ■ ' ATTACK ON CHATALJA. INDICATIONS OF FIERCE RESISTANCE. OUTBREAK OF CHOLERA. . Constantinople, November 11. The attack on tho Cliatalja lines has been resumed. The number of wounded arriving at Constantinople indicates that there has been a fierce resistance.. •■ ■ ; Cholera has broken out among the assailants.' ,■'...'■ ■There are thirty' cases of cholera daily among the defenders'of Chatalja.British residents protest against alarmist, statements concerning. the feeling: in Constantinople. All classes, there have behaved admirably. The Government is disarming the population, and closing the Committee of Union and Progress Clubs; Thb "Daily News" correspondent at Silivri, on the Sea of Marmora, states that eight .thousand Turk's got out of hand at Chorlu, seized the bread in the bakers' shops, and killed a dozen tradesmen who protested against the raid. They also' killed some citizens in order to get money. . The road to Silivri is littered with thousands of carts, and tents, hundreds of ammunition wagons, thousands of .live shells, and hundreds of dead and dying horses. , ADRIATIC REACHED. SERVIANS ON THE SEA COAST. ,- -. JUNCTION WITH MONTENEGRINS. London, November 11. .' News from Uskub states' that the • Servian vanguard .has. reached the Adriatic-, The Montenegrins and. Servians in the Drin Valley are jointly marching on Durazzo, the principal part-of Albania, on, the Adriatic,' 52 miles' south of Sou* tari.:' ■"'' ;: :'■•' ■•■-.:;'•■ The Belgrado 'journal "Politika" states that a portion of/this force has reached Alessio; 21 miles of. Scu-' :tari.-;,.' '■■'-.■' : -' ''■'•'•;' The inhabitants of Dajran disarmed the Turkish soldiers, and welcomed, the "Secvians with enthusiasm; 'A thousand Turkish' soldiers were taken prisoners.". ."■'' '.'''•'■ .Advices'from'.Vienna, state that' asteamer has been dispatched from Trieste /to/{Durazzo, to reni'ovo- r A't(stnan ! subjSdts if it : is deemed, necessary. \ ;. '.'■'■' i NEAR SALONIKA'.'' , - Sofia, November 11. : • The iWestern Bulgarian..' army, after . routing, the Turks in a series of fierce .lights, has advanced towards Salonika from .the east. The Turkish officers at.Salonika wero allowed, by the Greeks to retain their swords on promising, not/to take further .part in the war. . . TURKS ROUTED IN THE-NORTH. Belgrade, November 11. ■In the recent fighting in the Sanjak.of ,Novi Bazar between the Servian column on the'/Ibar and Mo'rava Rivers ■ and / twelve .thousand v Turks defending: pc sitions, 800 Turks were killed and 700 wounded. The Servian casualties num--bered 500. Six Krupp guns, 'fifty-soven quick-firers, 5000 rifles, and muoh aminu- • nition were captured by the Servians. SIEGE OF SCUTARI. • ' Cetirije, November 11. • : .The Montenegrins have landed siege artillery on the north-east shores of Lake Scutari. '~ / < ■ THE POWERS AND PEACE. HOW FAR Will INTERVENTION GO? , POSSIBILITIES DISCUSSED, If Bulgaria and her allies really mean mischief, there is a general disbelief that the Powers will intervene with effect, eo wrote tho Berlin correspondent of the "Westminster Gazette" en October 4. Ho added:. Somo doubt whether all tho Powors want peace. The war plan is ascribed by/a few to Italy; by many more to Russia; and by some (including. tho' .''Deutsche Tages-Zeitung") to the whole Triple Entente. -The "Vossischo Zeitung" publishes a'telegram from Vienna accusing M. Hartwig, Russia's Minister at Belgrade, of being the maker .of the Balkan Alliance, and Russia's Ministers' at Sofia and Athens of backing him up! This intrigue i 9 not put down to the' St.; Petersburg Foreign Office, but to "the 'most influential Court circles." Persons inolino to believe this naturally points to tho diplomatic history, of tlie KussoJiapaneso war, and' tho divergent roles played therein by the Singers' Bridge and by Tsatskoe Selo. Tho Austrian ptess is also treating the Russian trial mobilisation as a threat, and uttering counter threats; and I see that a Moscow newspaper has discovered that Austria herself : wauts trouble as an excuse for reocoupying Novi-Bazar. So tliat so far only Germany seems.to have escaped the accusation of organising the war. Naturally these accusation's are not all credited, but reports from Vienna indicato intense suspicion of Russia. In this- atmosphere of .suspicion:it is hardly likely that really, effective pressure will be put on the four Christian States. To put pressure ou Turkey seems superfluous. Jvobcdy here believes that Turkey wants trouble, and likewise nobody believes that a definite plan of reforms can db forced upon her until either wnr-scare or war is done with. But great disbelief is expressed in the ability of the Powers to put pressure effectively, even if they ail honestly desiro it. ■ It ha 9 for years past been a newspaper assumption that the Great Powers could keep peace in the Balkans; and that only their disunion caused the risk of war Tho'Great Powers havo certainly talked solemnly enough of their sense of responsibility. But can they enforce peaco if the Balkan States really -want war? Competent German judges doubt it. The only effective way to keep peaco would be for tho Powers or one or two Powers as mandatories of tho others io take positive military steps. That would mean Austria-Hungary, threatening to march into/Servia/or Russia threatening an expedition against Bulgaria via Pvumania, or by sea. In this kind of dramatic • interventon few believe. For Austria-Hungary it would bo rclatively easy to threaten Servia; but it is not certain that that would frighten Bulgaria and Greece. For Russia to take direct measures in the Balkans is a much bigger enterprise; it would mean her isolating a largo part of her army iromhor own tMaitarJaa. The internal condition af t]^

Empire, and still more so the disturbed condition of the army do not favour tliis. It is also highly improbable that- Russia under any circumstances Would take measures against Bulgaria, the Slav State for which there is tho strongest sentiment in the Tsar's empire. Taking measures to preserve peaco is, therefore, hero regarded as the sending of monitory notes. But will these, even if backed by all Great Powers, havo their offect? _ This is considered unlikely— that is, if tho Balkan allies really want war. The one threat which tho Powers can make is not to intervene to save the aggressors if they aro bsaten, and not to tolerate their annexing Turkish territory if they succeed. But these threats will hardly frighten the allies. If they intend .war they are confident, with reason or not, that they can overthrow the Turks, and need- no saving. As for appropriating the spoil, who will stop them ? .The only effective Powers again, are. AustriaHungary anil Russia. Austria-Hungary oould prevent any annexations by.Servia which threatened her own interests; but she would not be likely to do more, And the reasons, partly material and- partly sentimental, which prevent. Russia compelling Bulgaria by force to keep the peace wonldf still more actively operate against meddling with a victorious Bui-' garia. These are the reasons .Why German opinion mostly holds that the issue of war or peace is already decided. If the Balkan States from the first intended war/, they will make war, and the negotiations between the Powers will not prevent it. The position of Germany seems to. be that, of looker-on. A few days ago (concludes the "Gazette's" correspondent) an official note was issued directed against the expected aggression from Bulgaria. Feeling is, as always in Germany, on the side of the Turks. But directly Germany can do nothing. The (prospective quarrel between Austria-Hungary ahd Russia is the matter in which.-she is directly concerned. As for Turkey, the complaint is mado in the Berlin press that Germany has now no leverage, and can do nothing. England since the fallof the iYoung Turks is represented to be tho Turkish Government's, friend. For some Germans .there is consolation in the fact that Turkey is faring no better ;when she has a-British friends than she did, in the case of Tripoli, when tho friend was Germany.