The Manawatu Herald. Saturday,November 7,1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1321, 7 November 1914, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday,November 7,1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

We cannot, for the life of us, understand why politicians have been making such a fuss about getting voters on the roil. If people do not recognise the great privilege of the franchise, and are too indifferent to see whether or not their names are on the electoral rolls, then they richly deserve to be disfranchised. If a voter does not take the trouble to ascertain whether his or her name is on the roll, then they should pay the penalty when they line up to record their votes. This would make them appreciate their respousibility iu the matter.

Thk Allies are not taking any chances with Turkey, and the latter’s treachery in respect to the alleged purchase of the Goeben and Breslau and the uncalled for bombardment by the Turks in the Black Sea, without provocation, and apart from the Grand Vizier’s apology to the Powers, clearly indicated that the Germans had succeeded in influencing the Turks against Russia and her allies, A state of war now exists between the Allies and Turkey—the tenth combatant in this great struggle. Estimates as to the war strength of the Turkish Army vary from 500,000 to 1,000,000. In the Balkan war Turkey placed in the field in Thrace, Macedonia, and Albania about 350,000 first and second line troops. Since 1909 military service in Turkey has been theoretically compulsory on Moslems and Christians alike. Liability for service commences at the age of 20, and lasts for twenty years. Service in the first line, or active army, called the Nizam, is for nine years. The soldier next passes to the R£dif, or second line, and remains in it for about nine years. Finally he comp'etes his service with two years in the Muslabfiz, In 1911 there was a complete reorganisation of the Turkish forces into 14 army corps. In 1909 a German military mission, under the auspices of FieldMarshal Von der Goltz, was invited to reorganise the Turkish Army and superintend its instruction and training. In 1913, after the Balkan war, it was decided to extend and amplify this scheme, and a German General was invited to become the director of the mission- The total area of Turkey and tributary States, excluding Egypt, Cyprus, aud Samos, is about 710,224 square miles, aud the population is about 21,287,900. The boundaries are very long. There is a short frontier to Russia In Europe, a frontier to Persia, and the strip of land owned by Turkey running down the coast ot the Red Sea gives a long frontier to Arabia. There is also the new boundary in the Balkans resulting from the recent war, and coasts to the Black, Mediterranean, Caspian and Red Seas. The nations now involved in the war number ten. On the one side there are Germany, Austria, and. apparently Turkey. On the other there are Britain, France, Russia, Belgium, Servia, Montenegro and Japan.