THE BALKAN WAR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 232, 19 February 1913, Page 7

THE BALKAN WAR

A LTV'ELY CORNER. XAVAL SKIRMISH TX THE DARDANELLES. A.young Xew Xeabimlcr, writing to his parents in Wellington, describes a brush between Turkish and Creek warships at the entrance to the Dardanelles, of which he was u close eve-witness. He is an engineer on a Brills!: merchant steamer, and the minor engagement which lie describes took place in the eariy part of Deeemher last, lie got his first glimpse of the war at the island of Teuedos, where he saw three Greek destroyers holding up a steamer to examine her papers. At the entrance to the Dardanelles his ship was passed by the Turkish fleet, cruisers and battleships passing on one side and destroyers on the other. While they were still quite close to Hie merchant steamer the Turks started Mazing away at the Greek ships, which were away out on the horizon. The Greeks returned the lire, and a number of tlieir shells passed close to the. non-combatant steamer, which, as the young man who tells the story remarks, had got into a lively comer. She could not turn to get away, as there were Turkish warships ali round her. She lu'.d to go astern, and it took her half an hour to get out of the line of fire. There was another British merchantman some distance off, and a shell landid on her deck, knocking splinters all over the place, but it did not burst. The fight did not last for more than half an hour. At the end of that time the Turks returned to the harbor.

Tt was a. thrilling sight, the writer of the letter remarks, to see the destroyers dashing round, with the crews standing by the torpedo tubes, and the bigger craft with decks cleared for action and the crews at the guns. Several shots were seen to strike the Turkish ships, but none of them seemed to do much damage. The Greeks appeared to he somewhat 'taken by surprise, as the Turks had not previously been outside the Dardanelles during the war. As a whole, the Xew Zealander who tells the story remarks, it was a poor kind of battle, but the sight of warships in action and the smsation of being under fire were alike interesting.

HOW THE TURKS WERE HAD. PATXTED WOOHEX BULLETS. '•'We mnilo. (hem. so T ought to know.'' said "Mr. Frederic!; A. Harrison, of Maxim and Co., Ltd. We were discussing tlio cartridges wliic-li one of the war correspondents picked up on. the "battlefield of Kumanovo. wliero they bad been dropped by retreating Turks. They had ordinary metal cartridge eases, but the bullets -wove of wood, painted red. Various surmises are made as to the presence of these wooden bullets. The most obvious is that some Turkish contractor had substituted wood for lead because it was cheaper. / ISut in that case he would probably have had the bullets painted to look like lead, grey paint not being dearer than red. Mr. Harrison supplied this explanation: "T don't know whether there is some veiled suggestion in the report that these cartridges were 'made in Germany.' As a matter of fact, they were only put together in Germany. My firm supplied not hundreds, hut millions of these wooden bullets to fiermany. as well as most other countries in Europe, from our factory. They are made to be used at manoeuvres, and although I am not aware how far they would carry from a rile. I suppose that they are comparatively harmless except at close quarters. They were certainly introduced for the same purpose into the Turkish army by the Herman instructors. Owing to the confusion of the war and the ignorance of ihe Turkish army store officials, some of this manoeuvre ammunition has been served out for use in the field. I am not surprised, because T was in Constantinople after war was declared, and was able to appreciate the demoralisation that, existed in all departments. The painting red of the bullets was intended, of course, to distinguish the wood from tin- real bullet*, though the weight might have been a sufficient indication to any but the unfortunate raw recruits, such as T have recently seen forced to join fhftroops from Asia Minor and European TiU'kev."

A REMARKABLE LEADER. It i- Ji;ir<lly too much to say that the unknown quantity throughout the war has been Hip military genius of Savofi". This remarkahle man' effectually baffled all conjectures and anticipations in the rapiil and brilliant movements which in (luce weeks brought the Allies within striking distance of the Turkish capital: and the reputation that lie then created for himself may possibly have been due in part, to the unexpectedness of his successes. Rut the biographical del ails of Suvoir's career, which are now looming large in all the leading English and Continental newspapers, certainly suggest, a man of extraordinary ability and fnrcc of character, endowed with rare qualifications as an "organiser of victory." A Rnlgarian with French and Ccrman blood in his veins, Savofi' is a typical Slav peasant, taciturn, industrious, methodical, brave and intensely patriotic. Like many great commanders, like Mo1lk(\ to whom his admirers have frequently compared him, Savon" is singularly reserved and self-contained. He scorns luxury, he still rubs down his own horse and polishes his own sword. as in the days when he was a private in the ranks. Tie has earned enough at his profession to enable to travel in France, in Ormany. in Russia, always with the one object of studying the art [ of warfare and perfecting himself in his cho-en work. He is said to be the highest living authority on artillery equipment, and it was his obstinacy which compelled the Bulgarian f!ovcrnnient to purchase Cniezot instead of Krupp guns, and thii" paved the way for (heir victories over the Turks. More than anyone else, he is responsible for the pitiless discipline and the strenuous (raining which have wrought, the Bulgarian army up to so high a pitch of efficiency. Much of (his was'known to Savon' before (he war broke out. But not. even Czar Ferdinand, who has supported Savoff throughout Ids career against hitter opposition, seems to have crediled him with the remarkable ingenuity and resourcefulness that he has since displayed. Both in tactics and strategy he has exhibited to an astonishing extent that unique capacity for adjusting oneself io changed circumstances and for seizing unexpected opportunities that is the sign nfaniial of military genius. And though there is a natural tendency just now among the Allies to over-esti-mate Savofl's abilities, it is no exaggeration to say that he is flip one outstanding figure wdio towers far above j all (he other commanders on both sides of the struggle, and that, upon him more than upon any other man the de=liiiY of the Balkans now depends.

RIFI.E SHOOTING.

SCULLING.

FOOTBALL.

the romroxwKAi.Tir :i!isr.i:v TKA'.VI". I!y Calilo- Association—Copyright., Received IS. .1 o p.m. Sydney, February 18. The following is the complete Commonwealth team for Bisley: —S. EdwnnK ,T. IT. Williams, and Lieut. Loii<r (Victoria). A. Halliday and IT. P. Armstrong (Queensland). Alfred Harris (Westralia). Colonel Dean (South Aus- ! r;ilia) will he commandant and Major Seiiiinciis (Victoria) shooting captain,

P KARC ]•: CMA LLEXC! ED. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, February IS. P.uldon lias issued a challenge to row Pearcc on the Parramatta river for £250 aside, any title held by either man to go with the stakes, the race to lie. fixed before the Pearee-P>arry event, and to be rowed within a reasonable lime after Pearce's return to Sydney.

THE LEAGUE GAME. POSITION' OF COLONIALS. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright London, February 17. The Northern Union Committee a-u decided that, the League must tioi register colonials until they have reside in England for two years.