HOW THE TURKS GOT THEIR FORTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 84, 3 January 1919, Page 5

HOW THE TURKS GOT THEIR FORTS

BRITISH OFFICER'S TASK AT ; h , - . , CHATAUA. (By G. B. Burgin, in' tlic. "Daily .Mail") '; : They do not' matter inv the least, liow ! : Vthat the British' Fleet, is in the'-Dardah-elles, 1 ' although at one' time the Turks had great ,'hoiMS of constructing impregnable . lines of forts, in three,' 'on the • ■ Chatalja line, thus safeguarding Constan-' ' tinople from-the'Giaour: But they .bad: lio confidenco in their;own engineers,,so entrusted the task to / an Englishman ' ■ - high up in- the. Army. Their troubles, began ,at' once,; forthe Englishman' was . objectionably' energetio and meant to-do his work properly. With' ".' a glittering staff, 5 he.took up his quarters in.the little Turkish,village of Babii : * Nakateh (Father Nakateh), and an army.; •of soldiers -was 'placed at .his . disposal. •, The soldiers .regarded, theiiv" work as u : picnic. 'Whenever they could seize on d pretest for a holiday they- did so, and . employed : it. in. wrestling matches. The ■■■■.." next day'.'they Sveht to work-again. _: ■Every inorning,. after, entertaining it at ■ breakfast at •his. v own / «pe'iise, the .energetic Englishman rode out with'his stalf and inspected .the pirevious day's.:worl;'. At, sundown ho rode 'back on his grey charger, dined, smoked .until midnight, , and .went, to bed. In"reply, to: hig-'iequi-sitions for material from the War Office, he . was,met with endless .delays. "Why 1 ' ::■ 60 much, hurry, Excellency? We will * see, about it in a month: o/ ..two'• The • • Moscov.: (Russian). dogs . cannot break; . thwragh."-: But the 'energetic Englishman said-.emphatic things and tho loafers '•/. learned to dread the.sight of his ,'.big : • Tnrokman charger. Even-Turkish passivity cannot for ever '. withstand.aii-Englishman's, cner®-.. At 1 length the'-brand new. forts were .finished,- -.' the" rubbish, was clpaired' aiy'ay, and this' -whole line in its'neatness .resembled'an ' . English coastguard station.;.. "Now," said the energetic''Englishman, ."I shall have to. begin ail: over again to get the guns." ■ •' '' ' '... '..: "Guns, Excellency,-! Guns!' The War •'.* Office officials', pinned i>nd, surprised.'. "Why this unseemly haste'?:- It-is' . now midwinter' and the mud' will not-, •dry up ,-until the -spring; You cannot ■ " drag heavy* guns through tho mud." ■ .. "But-I can and.l.-yrilT,'V..said tlie.ener-. ' '-, getic. Englishman. - As the last gun was placed in, position . the .staff..looked -on with interest.. - "In the name of Allah;. tlie All-Merci-ful," one of.them confided to me,'"it is a pity it is finished..* We shall have no more good breakfasts." But as a/reward for his . work the energetic-Englishman wns given, at .the same time as the Sultan's tailor;, ' the : Third. Class of the Ordec of the Medjidieh. He said, "——•! 1!" '. ' "