BALM WAR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1598, 15 November 1912, Page 5

BALM WAR.

SORTIES AT ADRIANOPLE. TURKS WORSTED IN NIQHT ATTACK. THE POWERS AND PEACE. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright (Eμ. November 14, 10.10 p.m.) Vienna, November 14. , Nehil Bey, commander of the Turkish reserve at Adrianople, who was captured ill the last sortie, gives a yivid description of the. engagement. ; " The fourteen, battalions participating lay for hours on a pitch dark night in wet mud, and were without food except for a small allowance of biscuits. ' The men were dispirited at the start, and on advancing encountered the Bulgarian outposts. .'ln' the roadless plain, under a raking artillery fire, some of the detaohments lost touch, and in the fright,ful confusion following -did not know whether they were fighting the enemy or their own. men.- ' '■ . ' -.'... After two hours' struggle, a retreat began, and developed in an inextricable tangle, the Bulgarian batteries inflicting terrible slaughter. Nehil Pasha was wounded by' o shell splinter. He eulogised the Bulgarians' ohivalrous treatment of their prisoners. , ;:FOUR FORTS CAPTURED. (Rec. November 15, 1.10 a.m.) . : . . Sofia, November 14. , The recent-fighting resulted in the capture of four important forte outside .Adrianople. ■ '•.'■. .-'• ' ; : ■-■ v ;>A DESPERATE SORTIE. ■' . ' Sofii, November 13. It. is semi-officially 'stated, that the Adrianople. garrison made, a desperate sortie on 'Tuesday, but that after five hours' severe fighting it was driven back ;with heavy losses. V ,'.;■• '' . ' , - > . , ' A Turkish officer captured in the sortie from Adrianople states: that the Bulgarian ' artillery fire was so unbearable that, sorties were undertake to relieve the nervous strain. , '■':■ '■'._■ ', . SERVIA AND THE SEA, THE ADVANCE ON DURAZZO: V OUTLOOK MORE. HOPEFUL. ~'".'•' Belgrade, November 13. ' General Yankovitch is marching 128 miles through inhospitable country to occupy Durazzo, on the Adriatic. : The Servian Government believes that the Powers would m'ire", readily sanction the acquisition of the port by Servia if an army had previously occupied it. A SUGGESTED COMPROMISE. I ■■'.-■ ■'■■> Berlin, November 13. The "Berliner Tageblatt" 6ays an amicable solution of the trouble'between Austria, and Servia, is, in sight. Servia is willing to consider the matter of thepos-: session of an Albanian....port connected with Servia by means of a neutral railway through an autonomous Albania. • - ".AUSTRIANDEMANDS. •■'■ : : , v /Vienna;. November 13. '• Austria-Huiigary has formulated its de:mands with respect to Setniii'&ili- intends to press them'.''.";..' . ' '■\, OPTIMISM IN LONDONr ,-•,,. :' London, November 13. ' '.The newspapers are more optimistic. They beliovo that isolated questions .arising in the Balkans will be postponed. "The Times" says Mr. Asquith's remarkable speech has had a calming effect rarely attained by the words even of a Prime Minister. Tho, Stock Exchange is,buoyant, owing to the improved Balkan outlook. The Continental Bourses are similarly buoyant. Consols are now at £H 17s. 6d. \'RUSSUN PRECAUTIONS, (Bee. November 14, 10.10 p.m.) St. Petersburg, November 14. ' ' The. "Novoe Vremya" • reports'.that Russian troops which. are ordinarily disbanded in the middle of November will this year remain 'with the colours, until the middle of January. , • ■ A HOPELESS TASK. DEFENCE OF CONSTANTINOPLE* , I A LULL IN OPERATIONS. ■ (Rec. November 14, 10.10 p.m.) : St. Petersburg, November 14. A Constantinople telegram ' states that the Council of War has decided that the defence of the capital is.hopeless. \ PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. Constantinople, November 13.'. Operations at Chatolja are at a standstill, partly because negotiations for an armistice are proceeding direct with the Bulgarians. It is believed the Porte will ■negotiate with Bulgaria for terme of peace. . ' BAIN CAUSES : DELAY. •, Vienna, November 13. The "Reichpost" says 'the principal attack on: Chatalja was delayed for two days owing to heavy rain hampering the arrival of heavy artillery and Teinforcements from Adrianople. Then fighting began fiercely. ■ ■ ■' ' .' MONTENEGRIN DEFEAT. ALESSIO EVACUATED. Vienna, November 13. It is officially stated that, after n desperate battle, tho Montenegrins evacuated Alessio (21 mile 3 ■ south-south-east of Scutari) and Medua (17 miles south by cast of Scutari). The "Reichpost" reports that the Montenegrins have been driven from tho plains south, of Scutari, and are now on tho banks of tho Bojana River. BALKAN IMPECUNIOSjTY. FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE DISPUTANTS. . Some interesting data regarding the financial position of the Balkan State? was collected by the London. "Daily News" on 'October 4. From it an idea will be gained of the strain which tho war muse be placing , on the rival States. So far as the Daily News" representative could ascertain by inquiries in the city no effort had been mado by either of tho Balkan States to get financial help from England. It was certain, too, thnt were any advances made by either of tho States involved in tho dispute with Turkey no help would be forthcoming. Turkey's Financial Stress. As matters stand (continued the "Daily News") none of the States now involved in tho dispute possesses enough money required nowadays for such a formidable enterprise as a war. Turkey has during tho last few years been systematically working with deficits nnd loans. The former amounted in the last two Budgets to .£T17,800,0D0 and ,£T3,500,000 respectively, and the receipts of the Turkish Treasury dnring the last few months of the present year ehow a considerable..

drop, while the expenditure, owing to tho war with Italy and tho Albanian disturbances, has greatly increased. So great is Turkey's need of money that after the partial emission in 1911 of ■ tho Austro-Geriuan loan to tho amount of over .£T7,000,000, the Turkish Treasury had to obtain in May of tho present year a further advance of from tho Frouch financiers on account of a new loan of JJTIO.OOO.OOO. Bulgaria's Impecunioslty. . It is scarcely otherwise with Bulgaria. Just a few months ago sho arranged for a loan on the French market for .£7,200,000, which was to be floated this autumn, and obtained on it an advance- of Tho loan, of course, will now havo to bo postponed; and tho only other resource sho has is to issue notes through her National Bank. Tho latter's metallic reservo, however, only amounts to about ,£2,500,000 in gold and silver all told, as against which there is already in circulation .an. amount of notes agflregating nearly ,£5,000,000. . Servia No Cash to Waste. The case of Servia is in some respectsbetter than that of Bulgaria. She has not recently borrowed much money owing to the narrow limits of* her credit, and her States monopolies yield a considerable revenue. But sho has very little cash for carrying on a prolonged war," and her. National Bank is still poorer than the Bulgarian; Lastly, as regards Greece and Montenegro, it is sufficient to observe,.. concluded the "Daily News," that tho former is under European control so far as financial operations are concerned, and that Montenegro has always' been living on the doles which were accorded to her by her patrons, Russia and Italy.