Turkey

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 54, 9 February 1916, Page 5

Turkey

TURKISH ACTIVITY AT SMYRNA. United Preps Assooiat.on. London, February 7. Malta reports that 40,000 Turks, with heavy artillery, are concentrated at Smyrna, fearing a landing there. PRINCE YUSSUFF’S DEATH. ; London February 7. Cherif Pasha, head of the Turkish Opposition, who is in Paris, states that he is not surprised at Yussuff’s mysterious death. Yussuff was a sincere friend of France and struggled valiantly against Enver, and repeated furious scenes occurred, arousing hitter hatred.

The Committee of Union and Progress and Enver surrounded Yussuff with spies and put him out of the way. choosing a death that would lead the people to say that Yussuff was haunted hy his father’s death, and followed his method. Cherif lia. ; no douht that Turkey knows that Yussuff was assassinated. Yussuff’s successor, Stain’d Ed-din. is a more hitter foe of the Young Turks. Cherif predicts that he will not have a long life. ENVER PASHA'S REVENGE. Paris. February 7. The journal of Emile Galli. former manager of the Anglo-French newspaper at Constantinople, and who was imprisoned by the Tnrco-Ger-mans for IS months and was a friend of Yussuff, relates that there is no doubt that Yussuff was murdered. He refused to receive General von Sanders when Enver introduced Idm. Enver nrocmded to the Palacp f.he day after the Goehen bombarded Russian ports on the Black Sc- 1 , and reports say that the moment Enver was announced the Sultan stood up. exploding with anger, and thundered: “Am I nobody that the Russians should be attacked without ray authorisation? Are the Germans masters of Constantinople?” Enver said coolly: “The Russians attacked us.” The Sultan shouted that this was a lie. It was aggression.

M. Galli acknowledges that Enver was surprised at the Sultan’s uncharacteristic attitude, and begged leave to postpone his explanations and hastily departed. Yussuff followed and said: “Listen! You and your accomplices are ruining Turkey. Beware of the people’s wrath. Y'ou will die like dogs.” Yussuff continued to vigorously protest and that was his death sentence.

THE SUEZ CANAL.

ATTACK IN THE SPRING BY TURCO-CERMAN FORCES. Paris, February 8. Le Temps’ Geneva correspondent says that Prince Leopold of Bavaria is about to command the Turco-German army to attack the Suez Canal in the spring. It is reported between thirty thousand and forty thousand troops are concentrated at Smyrna. Artillery of all calibres lias been sent to Syria, and a motor road has been opened between Damascus and Jerusalem. THE BRITISH DEFENCES. MORE GERMAN BOASTING. Paris, February 8. Le Temps says Germany has been boasting that a hundred thousand Germans and half a million Turks are about to invade Egypt. If this is so they will find the defence of the canal, on which the British staff has lavished every effort during the year, includes a network of railways, and there will be a greater number ot troops at all the weak spots than the Turks will be able to command. In addition there will be more and heavier artillery and an abundance of ammunition. Despite the boastings everything shows that these preparations have discouraged Germany, who is ready to abandon the expedition. M. Marcel Hutin, in the Echo de Paris, declares that the defences of the Canal in Egypt are most formidable, and the Turco-Gormans will never he able to storm them. The Germans know that the task is impossible, and the announcement of an offensive is intended to pacify the Turks.