INSURGENT SUCCESSES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 23, 21 July 1911, Page 5

INSURGENT SUCCESSES.

Recent news by cable has all l)«en ill the direction of success for the insurgents. Only the other day it was reported that Edhem Paslm's force fell into an ambush, 200 being killed or wounded. The recent Mirdito raid on Alesmo seemß to have been well conceived and carried out. The raid was designed for the purpose of enabling a vessel laden with arms and ammunition, purchased, it is stated, by the Albanian Committees in Italy, England, Belgium and America, to discharge her cargo. The vessel had been cruising along the coast for some weeks, and is stated to have touched at Corfu. Simultaneously with the attack on Alessio there was a demonstration against these Turkish gunboats watching the coast. Then the force of Mirdites descended 'on the southern estuary of the river Matia, north of the Rodoni Promontory, and slaughtered the Turkish Customs officials and took their arms. Guards were station there and received the consignments of arms. Ten thousand rifles were stated to have been laaded.

OBJECT OP THE TURKISH MOVEMENTS. Notwithstanding optimistic accounts from Scutari, the Turks appear to have made little progress in their campaign against the Malissori insurgents. The columns from Scutari and Gusinje did not succeed in effecting the proposed junction at Scluchi, in the Klementi district, where the insurgents had determined to make a stand. The object of the Turkish movements was to divide the insurgent forces, driving the greater number into the mountains on the south and cutting off communication with Montenegro, while compelling tfc<j remainder to retreat towards the Montenegrin frontier. The operation was difficult, owing to the nature of the ground and the gallant resistance of the Malissori, who are making a remarkable fight against superior forces. An obstinate conflict took place in the Seluchi district, resulting in the failure of the Turks to dislodge the insurgents from their positions. CAUSES OP THE REVOLT.

The constitutional regime in Turkey, which could hardly have been established without the help of the Musulman Albanians, ignored from the outset the consideration naturally due to them, and turned against them with' unjust severity (states the Vienna correspondent of the Times). The answer was the Albanian rising of 1910. When it had suppressing the rising with unbridled vigor, the Turkish Government believed itself not to have done enough, and thought right to supplement its bloody work by the forcible disarmament of a nation accustomed to bearing arms from time immemorial. This spring a new insurrection broke out, and again the Turkish Government let the Albanians feel the heavy hand of Torgut Shevket Pasha. However reprehensible may be the decision to put down armed revolt by force, it is equally regrettable that, on this occasion also, the Turkish Government should consider its task to consist only in brutal repression.