THE FIGHTING TURK.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 11, 11 September 1915, Page 4

THE FIGHTING TURK.

Dismissing the Turkish soldier, a writer in I ho Chrisfceluireh Press says: We have had varying accounts from Oallipoli of the qualities of the Turkish SO Idier. H i> has been represented as deficient in courage and dash, and unable to fight unless he is strongly propelled from the rear. On the other hand he has been described as uncommonly brave and impetuous. There is no doubt, however, that the Turks have fought with great fury and valour. In the past the Turkish lighting man was often enough praised by English writers. Thy late .Meredith Town-

shcml, of the “Spectator.” once referred to him as the finest individual soldier in the world, in “Blackwood’s Magazine” for February, -1878,, there is a hue testimonial to the fighting Turk, written by a British officer who had visited the Russo-Turkish war:—• “I passed about .1001) men. infantry and cavalry, on the road. 'I he soldiers were rather straggling, but everyone had his face in the right direction. They were all plodding steadily on through the snow, full of pluck.and only anxious to come up with the enemy. These '! orKish soldiers are perfect heroes, enduring any liard-j ships without a mimunr and always; ready to fight; never conquered except by overwhelm’ug numbers, their motto migjit well be: ‘While we have life we fight.’ ” What makes this ( testimonial interesting and important is the tact that the article in “Black; wood’s” was signed by “H.H.K., | whose opinions about soldiers are obviously unlikely to be challenged by anvbody.