THE BALKAN TROUBLES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 181, 18 December 1912, Page 7

THE BALKAN TROUBLES.

THE PROCIIASKA INCIDENT. SERVIA PROMISES SATISFACTION. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, December 10. The Telegraph's Vienna correspondent says that though satisfied that, the Servians are guilty of a breach of international rights, the Foreign Office, to avoid complications, will not reopen the Proehaska incident, especially a Servia has promised satisfaction. The Reichspost states that the Austrian preparations will cost £21,000,000. TIIJS PEACE CONFERENCE. . THE DELEGATES WELCOMED. London, December 10. Sir Edward Grey welcomed the peace delegates at St. James' Palace. 110, said the delegates would find England a favorable atmosphere for calm impartiality. If successful in their difficult task, they would gain the respect of the whole of Europe. M. Daneff. one of the Bulgarian delegates, thanked Sir Edward Grey, and the confsrence adjourned till Tuesday. The chairman will be the representative of each country alternately. SERVIA'S INTENTIONS. Belgrade, December 10. It is .understood that, in the event of Austro-Servian negotiations, Servia will consent to Albanian autonomy, provided it receives an Adriatic port, which it will engage not to transform into a military port, Servia will be willing to give Austria preference in the matter of loans for public works. The Servian spoils from the war total four million sterling. TURKEY AND GREECE. Received 17, 9.55 p.m. London, December 17. The ambassadorial conference opens to-day. A Renter message states that the delegates discussed the Turkish attitude towards Greece. There is reason to believe that the difficulty created by Greece not signing the armistice has been overcome. The Telegraph says that there is a pessimistic feeling over the meeting of the envoys. The question of questions is the Turko-Bulgarian frontier, whereon tne Turks and Bulgarians arc hopelessly at loggerheads. The only hope is that the Powers can suggest a method of spanning the difficulty.

A NAVAL ENGAGEMENT.

TWEEDLEDUM AND TWEKDLEDEK. Received 17, 11.30 p.m. Constantinople, December 17. The Turkish and Greek squadrons had a two hours' engagement at the entrance to the Dardanelles. Official accounts from both sides claim a victory. The Turks state that shots were exchanged from 3500 to 8000 yards. Three or four projectiles struck the Georgiosaverofl' and silenced her heavy guns. The latter continued tilt battle after her consorts retired, and then followed them. The Greeks says that the Turks retired under the shelter of the forts. Seven Turks were killed on one of tile warships and five on the other. Athens, December 17.

The passengers on a Russian steamer witnessed the engagement, and state that two Turkish ships were seriously damaged. EXCITE MENT IX EUROPE. BOURSES DEPRESSED. RECORD IXSURAXCE BUSINESS. London, December 0. The French and German Bourses today were depressed. The business transacted was of limited dimensions, with sagging tendency. Hie optimism of the London op#rators has given way to uncertainty

There was a slight relapse in giltedged securities, with British 2'/ 2 per cent, consols falling to the extent of ss. London underwriters are amazed at (lie great volume of business in insurance. due to covering risks owing to the tear of war on the Galician frontier with Austria. One risk representing ,£250.000 was placed, and the premiums which passed through the hands of one firm of brokers amounted to several thousand pounds. The general rate was 30s, three months 40s, and five months 455. The volume of business transacted in London was the largest ever done during a war scare. 3

-LET IT COME." SERVIAN NEWSPAPER'S CHALLENGE. London, December !). Continental Europe is still displaying a good deal of apprehension. German v has declared that she will suppor Austria, and the gift of the Canadian battleships has caused consternation in Picrlin. M. Poincare. the French Premier, lias quietly stated that France is carefully watching her eastern border. Great Britain's suggestion regarding an ambassadorial conference representative of the Great Powers has been accepted, and just now all the threads of the world's policies form one web with the centre in London, livery chancellery promises peace. Yet the Bourses still fear war. The Belgraue newspaper " Pravda" complains to-day of the provocative language and conduct of Austria, and says: "If Austria desires war with Servia, let it come. It will be the bitterrs t light: ill 1 listorv. Every Servian, man and woman, young and old. will take part, and Austria will have to exterminate the whole Servian nation before she can conquer." Arrangements are speedily proceeding for the momentous Conference of London on the 14th of this month. The debate will take place in the largest state-room at St, James's Palace. the room in which the present King took the Oath of Accession. This apartment is noted for its priceless paintings and its gorgeous chandeliers.

ADiIIAXOPLE'S STRENGTH. DEKENTES AND GARRISON. WHERE THE BULGARIAN WAVE BROKE. The military correspondent of the London Times gives the following description of the defences and, garrison of Adrianople, where the wave of the Bulgarian advance has so far broken vainly. Standing at the junction of the Mavitza, the 1 lindja and the Arda. and covering with its work the chief roads and the only railway in this section of the frontier, Adrianople is well placed to facilitate defensive or offensive operations, and much has been done fo,r it during the last seven years. The positions and names of the chief works are shown upon the map. The modernisation of the defences began in the year 1905, hut it has been particularly during

the past three years that serious endeavors have been made to enable them to resist attack. Many of the old permanent works have been transformed or abandoned, and there has been added an almost continuous chain of semi-perma-nent and field warks, which have no doubt been extended' and completed during the three weeks which have now elapsed since the allies mobilised their armies.

The Adrianople position has, in fact, been expressly designed to meet the actual ease which has now presented itself. In addition to the garrison of the place, which may not exceed 20,000 men, there have been in occupation of the defences for some years nearly CO comIMaiM of fortress artillery, and the armament, which numbers approximately 400 guns, has some heavy cannon, a medium armament of 5.38 in Krupp guns, and a large number of field and machine guns. The defence is arranged by sectors in the usual manner, and each part of the defences has its separate organisation, garrison and armament, while a strong central reserve exists to meet any threatened attack. We must take it that the finishing touches have been put to the place during the last three weeks, and that mines, obstacles, barbed wire entanglements, fougasses and supplementary infantry redoubts and deep trenches have been accumulated at all points open to attack. The Turks have a good number of ."iCin projectors which we must expect to find in the chief works, and these will increase the difficulties of night attacks. Adrianople is no Port Arthur, but unless the Turks have lost their military virtues it' is 110 place to treat in a cavalier manner. It may be expected to fulfil its mission, which probably is to break the first wave of invasion, to give time for the assembly of the Turkish field army, and to facilitate a subsequent Turkish offensive. Until its resistance is overcome the railway cannot bo utilised lor a Bulgarian advance, and without the railway it will not be easy to supply a quarter of a million men. It is often possible in a ease of this kind to run a branch line of rail round the town at a safe distance from its guns and so to ensure uninterrupted railway eemmiinicatioii, but the topography of the llaritza Valley does not really lend itself to this design.

THE BULGARIAN SIEGE ARTILLERY. The importance of the possession of the railway is so immense from the Bulgarian point of view that a desperate effort to take the place by assault is almost justified. Considering the time which has elapsed since mobilisation was ordered, this attempt should fail. The Bulgarian fortress artillery possesses a good many Krupp and Canet 12cm. and 15cm. guns and howitzers, besides a surplus of field guns of new and ancient type. With these it might hope eventually to establish superiority of fire on the front selected for attack, but, 011 the other hand, the Turks have prepared many emplacements for their movable armament, and they are adepts at fortress warfare. Nothing but gross incompetence, or some failure in the Turkish moral upon which we have no right to count, is likely to deliver up cheaply Adrianople to the allies.

So much for the technical side of the question. But we must remember that Turkish defence has been made in Germany, and that in this military nation certain very clear views are -Mekl concerning the interaction of fortresses and armies. Marshal Von der Goltz can scarcely have been in Turkey so lon J without causing these ideas, which the writer has often described, to filter down into (lie minds of the Turkish staff. It is to the mutual play of the field army and of Adrianople that we must look for the meaning of this defended position. If the two Bulgarian armies are converging itpon the places they must, to invest it, hold and defend a perimeter of not less than 30 miles, and this duty will occupy and engage a considerable portion of their field army. When they are fully committed the Turkish field army, which is quite intact even if its *xact position is for the moment indeterminate, should be able to attack its Miemv with some' advantage, while if file Bulgarians gamble and attempt inTestmeni with too weak a force they arc always open to an offensive movement from the garrison of the place. It is not an agreeable mission for the Bulgarian staff to tackle Adrianople while Abdullah Pasha's army remains unbeaten and within call of the place.