Progress of the Balkan War.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 56, 30 October 1912, Page 5

Progress of the Balkan War.

(By Electric Telegraph —Copyright—United Press Association.)

A TURKESH SHAMBLES. SOME GHASTLY DETAILS. Belgrade, October 29. During pursuit after the battle at Kumanovo, the Servianscaptured an enormous amount of railway rolling stock and bridge material. Tno panic-stricken Turkish troops made flight, lighting each other, several being killed in the frantic struggle to obtain seats in the trains or possession of any sort cf vehicle. A large section cf the fugitives were overtaken on Ovtcliepoly Plain, towards Kuprili, ami again defeated with heavy loss. St. Nocola, midway betwen Ovtcucpoly and Ishtib, was next occupied. i'ne inhabitants of Ishtib rose against the Turks and seized all their arms. . . .. Twenty-five Servians were killed and six wounded at Ferizovitch. A thousand Arnauts were made prisoners.^ Wounded officers describe the Kumanovo light as most sanguinary and stubborn, eventually becoming a i-mambles, tlie combatants hacking each other. The battlefield was littered with corpses still clutching daggers and bayonets. Three divisions of Turkish regulars and numerous irregulars begun tno attack on Wednesday night. It was dear moonlight. /The Servians, with machine guns, waited until the Turks vvero at close lango, when they opened with a withering fire, which, with the infantry fire, mowed the Turks down in rows as they advanced in dense masses. The decimated Turks essayed a bayonet charge, but their numbers were so thinned that the effect of their effort was neg igible. The Servians scarcely suffered from the Turkish fire. Then the Servians charged, with bayonets fixed, into the valley and along the wooded hillsides, anil repalled the Turkish attack with ghastly losses on the part of the latter. SPLENDID SERVIAN BRAVERY. Thirteen Servian regiments, forming the first line, charged with magnihcent courage and swept every clung oofore them. The Turks were pressed cack into the hills. At daylight the Servian artillery joined in the battle, displaying great skill, and decimated the lurks, who retreated to narrow valleys. Tiie Turkish artillery then attemptad to protect the infantry, but tney were badly served, and their range was also bad.’ Many shells did not even explode. iiio. battle lasted throughout L.urslay. , The Servian cavalry, by a long flunk march, came round tno Juries’ right, compelling the latter’s evacuation of their strong position. The road ,lo Uskub was thus opened. 159,000 TURKS ENCAGED. Vienna, October 29. The Tleicbpost’ reports that 15U,u()J Turks were engaged at Kirk Kilissie. 1 no bulk began to retreat on Thursday. A division and a Jiall, by defending the town, covered the retreat. Toe defenders, fleeing eastwaid, made a desperate resistance on the J utidalc Heights. The majoiity, however, acre cut elf, being scattered in all directions. Captives report that the Turks are generally greatly demoralised, the ofacers being first to throw up The sponge. Amongst Mukhtir Pasha's captured baggage was a bejewelled sword, the gift of the Sultan. The ‘Daily Telegraph’s’ Constantinople correspondent reports that Azim Bey, Governor of Kirk Kilissie, said that lip would not be responsible for panic in the town, which is excited. Loudon, October 29. The consensus of opinion among newspaper correspondents is that the Balkan League’s victories have created a profound impression in Vienna, where Austro-Hungarian interests are regarded as economic and not territorial. It is now explained that when the official press refers to the maintenance of the status quo this merely implies the maintenance as far as possible of the Great Powers’ normal influence 111 South-Fastorn Europe. Belgrade, October 28. It is officially stated that the Turkish army is retreating from Uskub towards Petovo. They surrendered-to the Servian cavalry. The latter captured a further 123 guns. The Servian vanguard has reached Ishtib.

Kiii-r Peter on the .success of Ins troops in Macedonia. They had no need to invoke outside assistance. TURKS STILL HARD PRES3ED. Received 30, 8.20 a.in.) London, October 29, The Turks, evacuating Kuprili and abandoning the railway line, retreated towards Monastic. '1 lie Turks at Adrianople made a night attack on the 24th, and tlie Buijf aria ns withheld their fire. Next day a reconnaissance showed nearly 100 Turks killed by their own people at Buuarhissar, which forms a point in the outer line. Tlie Bulgarians are enveloping Adrianople. FLOODS I NU NDATE COUNTRY. Akarasu Valley and the country around Adrianople is iiiund rted ly the Maritza, Tnndarna, and Arda rivers. The result is that the rains are impeding movement. Some foreign military authorities opine that Adrianople is possibly as vulnerable as Kirk Kilissie, inasmuch ar, though Gormans planned the fortifications, Turkish contractors constructed them; hence there is their possible doubtful solidity for resting artillcrv when firing. ALLIES’ STRATEGICAL MOVE. (Received 30, 9.20 a.m.) Sofia, October 29. From the town of Drama, the Bulgarians proceed to Seres. , where they effect a junction with a column from Nevrcknp, and a third force coming down the Struma Valley. The Bulgarians hope to effect a junction non* Salonika, witli the Greeks from Vcrria, and tlie Servians who arc coming by-railway from Kuprili. BULGARIANS HOLD THE KEY.

All tlic Rhodope passes leading to Salonika and the Adrianople railway lino are in Bulgarian hands. With the capture of Babacski, the Bulgarians will control the new railway from Babaeskito. SCUTARI AND TARABOSOH. Cettinje, October 29. Six thousand regulars and 18.00!) Mohammedan Albanian volunteers form the garrison at Scutari, and 2000 regulars and 15,000 irregulars comprise the garrison at Tarabosch. j Toe Montenegrins are bombarding I Tarabosch from three steamers on the j western side of the lake. They also j '•onted the Albanians in Moran] Moun-i tains, to the north-west of Scutari; killing several hundreds. (Received 9.35 a.m.) London, October 29. Greeks were captured at Tripotamaos iu defiles which command Vorr'a. (Received 9.50 a.in.) Hague, October 29. i Arbitration has been begun concerning Russia’s claims for the Turkish payment of losses incurred by Russian subjects during the Russo-Turkish war, of which twenty years instalments are in arrears. Cairo, October 29. Ton thousand circulars have been seized at Alexandria, summoning Syrian Roman Catholics to unite in an orthodox anti-Turkish struggle. THE FOG OF WAR. HOW, HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF. A correspondent writes as follows to! the ‘Dominion’ : “To those of us who remember the Balkan troubles of 1876-7, it is curious to see the remarkable manner in which history is repeating itself to-j day. Then, as now, there were the | same kaleidoscope movements of the troops of half a dozen different and unfamiliar nationalities, the same strange places with their weird and diverse spellings, the same lack of reliable and authentic information from i a bewildering number of centres. of operations. The following, which v.ont the rounds of the press not a genera--tion ago, might well he a criticism of the war news that we are receiving to“On Monday morn the news arrived, There had been bloody work, But no one,knew who lied the most, The Christian or the Turk. _ “On Tuesday morn the Christian claimed A victory for his side; On Wednesday morn, from a Turkish, source, The victory was denied. “On Thursday each side swore it had The other put to rout, 1 And Friday’s news the fight confirmed Without the slightest doubt. “On Saturday ’twas whispered round The whole affair was small, And Sunday’s cable news declared Thcre’d been no fight at all.’

FEAR OF COMPLICATIONS. Berlin, October 29.^ There are fears of European complications. The Bourse was panicky today. The banks, however, prevented a general collapse. The newspaper ‘Tageblatt’ states that Generals Pushtchiu and Red rinkoff are negotiating at Dantbic for ilia purchase of ships lor Russia. Constantinople, October 28. Fighting is proceeding at Bunasissar, a town half-way between Adrianoplo and Constantinople. London, October 29 ‘The Times’ declares that Nazim Pasha must now fight or witness the passing of tho Ottoman Empire from I’iurupo. He has a force of four army corps. Many of these troops, however, am scarcely the flower of the army. Probably the bulk of the lur-| k.sji croons south and east of Ln!ebnr-j gas are momentarily almost isolated. The ‘Morning Post’ reports that the] Montenegrin flag flies on the summit 1 of Tara hose h. The Montenegrins have] captured Plevije. Cettinje, October 29. | The Montenegrins are athwart the; Sangiovanni and Medina road, cutting off iDo Turks’ prospective retreat. The Montenegrins have captured ton thousand sacks of flour intended for Scutari. CAPTURE OF DRAMA. London, October 29. The capture of the town of Drama severs communication between Constantinople and Macedonia. Constantinople, October 29. Prince Abdnrrabim, son of Abdul Hamid, serving under Azim Pasha at Kirk Kilissie, was wounded in the arm and leg. Abdul Hamid, the deposed Sultan lias arrived at Rtambonl Icing privately conducted to one ol the pul ce. on the Bosphorous. MESSAGE FROM THE C-ZAR. Belgrade, October 29. The Czar’s message congratulated