Balkan War

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 156, 19 November 1912, Page 5

Balkan War

THE ATTACK ON CHATALDJA. A TURKISH VICTORY. MEETING OF AMBASSADORS. CHOLERA RAVAGES. THE HORRORS OF WAR. By Cable—Prass Association—Copyright. Received IS, 9.30 p.m.

Constantinople. November 18. Though firing shrapnel daily, a deliberate attack on Chataldja was made at three o'clock on Sunday morning. Six Turkish torpedoers and gunboats are lying close to Bsynk Chckmedje, ready to shell the Bulgarians if they attempt to cross the shallow lake. The artillery duel continues all day. Nazim Pasha reports that he repulsed the centre and left attacks, and destroyed three Bulgarian batteries. The military precautions taken in the city have be>n posted. Mussulman refugees are arriving at the Bosphorus villages from the firing line.

The ambassadors met at the Austrian Embassy and discussed safety measures. There are a thousand cases of cholera at Chataldja, and the daily mortality is 50 per cent. Numberless cholera-stricken men lie moaning in the trenches. Alriza Pasha, commander of the First Army Corps, is affected, and his condition is hopeless. A thousand sick and hundreds of dead are lying on the station platform. Three thousand cholera patients remained in the railway carriages at San Stefano for twenty-four hours, foodless and waterless, pending a decision of their destination. Ultimately, they were sent to the quarantine station. It is regarded as impossible that the Bulgarians will occupy the Turkish lines, for fear of infection.

A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION. TREMENDOUS ARTILLERY DUEL. Received 18, 0.30 p.m. London, November 18. The Times' Chataldja correspondent says that the Bulgarian artillery positions_ are less advantageous than the Turkish ones. The black background disclosed the flash of the batteries as soon as they were unmasked. The Bulgarians threw their shells too high. The casualties were slight. A Turkish warship joined in the duel, firing heavy broadsides and capping the Bulgarian right with great pillafs of spurting mud. The fire was the heaviest artillery combat since the Japanese pounded General Grekoff's rearguard at Liaoyang. Small groups of Bulgarian infantry dribbled loosely hut gallantly fohvard, but the Turkish gunners found them nicely. The movement failed. The Tyrkish machine guns stifled a similar movement in the direction of the Ilededieh forts.

CONSTANTINOPLE DESPAIRS. THE TERMS OF PEACE. A SPIRIT OF FATALISM. Constantinople, November 17. Enver Bey and all the other Turkish officers in Tripoli have entered the service of Sheik Renussi.

A spirit of fatalism prevails in Constantinople. All the officials are apparently resigned to the idea that European Turkey, including Roumelia, is hopelessly lost. Nevertheless, troops are still being ordered to the front, and frantic efforts are being made to reorganise the army with the view to better terms of peace. Nazim Pasha if? urging- peace at any price, in the sole hope of saving Constantinople from the presence of tlie invaders. All the correspondents are agreed that no atrocities marked the Turkish retreat. Villages were burnt only when necessary to prevent the enemy finding provisions and shelter. Excited crowds occupy the housetops, listening to the firing which is audible throughout the city. The Turkish warships were engaged all Saturday in shelling Bulgarian detachments along the coast of the .Sea of Marmora. Refugees state that a portion of Rodosto was destroyed by Are. A large number of cholera patients were placed in a mosque at St. Sophia, surrounded by an army cordon. TURKEY'S OPPORTUNITY. London, November 17. Reuter's Sofia correspondent states that peace terms will be formulated at the earliest moment, and Turkey will be given twenty-four hours to accept or reject. A prompt acceptance may avert the entry into Constantinople.

ANOTHER TURKISH ROUT. FIGHTING AT SAN GIOVANNI. Cettinje, Novomber 17. There has been fierce fighting before San Giovanni. Three thousand Turks retired in disorder. A MONTENEGRIN VICTORY". Received 18, 5.5 p.m. Cettinje, November 17. The Montenegrins have occupied San Giovanni. There was a severe fight before the Montnegrins reached San Giovanni. The losses were heavy the Turks-fled towards Alessio.

CLOSING ON SCUTARI. Received 19, 12.5 a.m. Cettinje, November 18. The Montenegrins are closing in on Scutari. THE REPUBLICAN CONSPIRACY. BEATII AND IMPRISONMENT. Received 18, 9.30 p.m. Constantinople, November 18. It is understood that' 200 arrests have been made in connection with the plot to create a republic under Shevket Pasha. The arrests include Tadaal Boy, Captain Djani Poulat and several Young Turk ex-Deputies. One of the latter mortally wounded a policeman, and was thereupon courtmartialled and sentenced to death. Several were sentenced to five years' imprisonment. Bjavid Bey escaped 'in a Russian vessel.

THE ADRTAXOPLE SORTIE. AN EXPENSIVE FORLORN HOPE. Sofia, November 17. The swollen river enabled two Bulgarian spies to quit Adrianople for Maizest roj on a I'M ft. They report that 800 men were killed by the last sortie. THE SITUATION AT CIIATALDJA. PITCHED BATTLES DENIED. Sofia, November 17. The Mir states that the reports of pitched bnttl-'S at Chatnldja are pure inventions. There had lieen merely brushes with the Turkish advance guard.

Official despatches state that the Bulgarians concentrated their front on the Turkish lines, and occupied Lazarkenr and Chataldja, aided by Avnauts.

ITALY AND SERVIA. AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT. Rome, November 17. The Tribune, in an inspired article, states that while Austro-Italian interests are identical, Italy recognises the Servians' right to an Adriatic port/but adheres to Albanian autonomy. PEACE IMMINENT. TIIE ALLIES' TERMS. Vienna, November 17. The Reichpost says it is reported that fighting has ceased. The Allies' terms include the surrender of nople and Sc atari. The Politsehka correspondent says that General Daneff's visit justifies the hope of a satisfactory settlement on all question*. The Reichpost's correspondent states that it is forbidden at present to defer operations, as the Bulgarians want to establish an accomplished fact before making further communications. THE DYNAMITE EXPLOSION. I Salonika, November 17. , The explosion killed 312 Turkish prisoners and injured 430. It is believed to have been an act of vengeance on the part of two Bulgarian band leaders, Sandansky and Mendjoff, for the Turks destroying their bands. ! Received 19, 12.5 a.m. Athens, November 18. i All the houses in the vicinity of the j Salonika magazine were destroyed. The i magazine contained Servian ammunition. ANOTHER EXPLOSION. Received 19, 12.5 a.m. Cettinje, November 18. A shell exploded a magazine in the town of Martinmtch. THE ATTACK ON CHATALDJA. Constantinople, November 17. The Bulgarians began a general attack on Chataldja this morning. A heavy cannonade was heard. The foreign warships landed bluejackets to guard the streets leading to Pera. A PANIC-STRICKEN CAPITAL. SITUATION AT CONSTANTINOPLE. A cable message, dated November 8, to the Sydney Sun, says:— The situation at Constantinople becomes more and more ominous and alarming. The dread of a great and bloody massacre obsesses the people, and in hushed suspense they await the thunder of the guns of the Confederate States, fearing that it will be the signal for the commencement of a carnival of lust and slaughter. The slightest noise outside the ordinary clamor of a great city produces a panic. Every precaution is being taken to guard against disorderly outbreaks on the part of the unruly hordes who occupy the lower-class portion of the city. The bridge across the water between Stamboul and Galata is opened at dusk every evening to prevent the rabble from rushing the European quarter. Consternation has been caused by the report that 25,000 Kurds are marching on the city from Asia Minor. Urgent messages have been sent out by the Ambassadors to the commanders at Tchatalji to bring in 150.000 men to build entrenchments and stop the hordes from getting r.ear to the city. The arrival of the nations' warships is slightly tranquilisiiig It-c people.

The weaknesses of the Turkish army which have been made so apparent during the, war were pointed out as long afro as" 1008 by a military correspondent of the London Times. "The great want in the Turkisli army is education," he wrote, "education, first of all, of the rank and file, and then of the officers, on more practical lines than at present. The material, both of officer.? and men, is excellent —good fighting material as any in Europe —but the training is far behind date. Eighty per cent, of tile conscripts are illiterates. With its existing organisation and present methods, the Turkish army is the weakest in Europe. Courage, endurance, patience —high military qualities with which the Turkish soldier is richly endowed —are useless without the scientific training which is necessary to ensure success in a modern field of battle." Three regular wars have been fought in the Balkan Peninsula during the last 35 years. iOf these the most recent, that between Turkey and Greece, was fought in the months of April and May; the Ser-bo-Bulgarian conflict of 1885 was begun late in November. In the Kusso-Turk-ish war of 1877-1878, several decisive battles were fought in cold weather. Osman Pasha made bis desperate sortie from Plevna, on December 0, 1877. The heroic assaults of Suleiman Pasha took place in winter. It was in December that Ourlco effected his second crossing of the Balakns; he entered Sofia on January 3, IS7B. The capture of Shipka Pass by the, flanking, movements of Skobeleff and TVlirski over the mountains took place in January.