The Balkan War

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10717, 22 October 1912, Page 5

The Balkan War

HEAVY FIGHTING CONTiNUES CONTRADICTORY REPORTS GREEKS DISLODGE TIIE TURKS

THE TUZI CAPTURE

A TURKISH REPORT. (Reived Last Night, 10.5 o'clock.) (''ONSTANTINOPLE, October 20. The War Office denies the capture of six battalions and eight quickfirers. Tu/,i is an unimportant village, without fortifications. Three hundred troops were merely sent to watch the Montenegrin movements. They retired when tho Malissori attacked thom from the rear. A small rearguard was captured, with eight worthless bronze guns. Only skirmishes have taken place on the Bulgarian frontier. FEARS OF INTERVENTION. (Received Last N'iglit, 10.5 o'clock.) LONDON, October 20. Mr Donohoe, the Chronicle's Constantinople correspondent, interviewed Ka.mil Pasha, who stated that Turkey feared the intervention of a certain great Power in tho Asian provinces, which were now undefended. He appealed to Britain to see that the ring was not rushed and Turkey absolutely crushed at the prelude of a gigantic struggle, involving the whole of Europe

DARING WAR ("ORE ES POND EXT. DASH TO Till'] FIGHTING LINES. SHARP ENGAGEMENT REPORTED. (Received Last Night. 10..30 o'clock.) LONDON, October 21. , Mr W. H. Beaumont, the Daily Telegraph's Sofia correspondent, made a daring dash in a motor ear across throe mountain ranges. When lie reached Philipopolis t.lio authorities threatened to arrest him if he continued in his effort to roach the fighting linos. Mr Beaumont states that a mera--I)Cr of King Ferdinand's staff told him that 1100 Bulgarian cavalry had a sharp fight with 2000 of the enemy'scavalry. A general melee ensued, and the Bulgarians lost 100 killed, but were* finally victorious. King Ferdinand watched the onslaught. The wounded wore taken to a wait- j ing room at Philipopolis railway staHon. < The Bulgarians occupied villages, and are enrolling non-Mos-lems, who are capable of service. Mr Beaumont also heard that Macedonian rebels are masters of the Salonika highway and have dynamited bridges a»d great stretches of railway. WARSHIPS AT VARNA. A GAME OF BLUFF. ! (Received Last Night, 10.30 o'clock.) \ SOFIA, October 21. Five Turkish battleships reappeared at Varna on Sunday. It is semi-officially stated that this is merely a mn/e to bluff the Powers, which are regotiating with a view to neutrality in the Black Sea.

TURKISH ACCOUNT. BULGARIAN® REPULSED WttXTH LOSS. (Received October 21, 8.15 a.m.) CONSTANTINOPLE, October 20. Official accounts of the- Bulgarian movement stated that on F"day the Bulgarians attacked an inferior body of Turks at Kirk Jaali, and that, aftev several hours' fighting, the Bulgarians were repulsed with serious loss. On Saturday the Turks counter-attar'.-ed, and seized the Harmantope Mountain, an important strategic position.

ALBANIANS AMBUSHED. ATTEMPT TO RECONQUER BERNA. (Received October 21, 8 a.m.) PODGORITZA, October 20. Hassini Boy and Main raid Begovie, with 2000 Arnauts (Albanians) J marched from Plava to Kossovo to reconquer Berna. The Montenegrins fl ambushed them, and after a despera- ; to fight the Avnauts were cut up. j Hast-im Bey and 280 men were cap- j tured and taken to Podgoritza. BERGRADE, October 20. j One hundred and twenty thousand | Servians have crossed the frontiers. | A cold rain is rendering operations very difficult. Arnauts ambushed seventy Servians at Oomitajis, killing them all. I ' SOFIA, October 20. j Sandansky, the brigand chief, is securing recruits daily in the mountainous district of Prin. Ho has already armed 3000 peasants with Mannlicher rifles. The Montenegrins captured Plava after two days' fighting. A NTT-TURK TSH SPEECH. BY MR O. F. MASTERMAN. (Received October "21, 8.27 a.m.) LONDON, October 20. Mr O. F. Masterman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, made a strong anti-Turkish speech at Bethnal Green. He said if Britain had another opportunity of intervention slie must not, as in 1878, ptvfc her money , on the wrong horse.

DECORATING THE WOUNDED. THIRD BULGARIAN ARMY ADVANCING. (Received October 21, 8.10 a.m.) SOFIA, October 20. The King, the Princes, and their suites went in motor cars to a hill overlooking the scene of battle, and | with field glasses watched the' troops occupying the fortifications of Mustapha Pasha one after another. The King, mooting the first of the wounded men, decorated them. He afterwards visited the headquarters of the first army at Tinovo Seimenli, and then returned to Yarazagora. One hundred and seventy Turkish prisoners were taken to Mustapha. The Third Bulgarian Army is advancing along tho Valley of Arda. The Bulgarians captured Mehoza at the poiiit of the bayonet. is 2300 ft above the soa. It commands the Maritza and Arda Valleys. GREEKS DISLODGE TURKS. AFTER FOUR HOURS' ENGAGEMENT. ATHENS, October 20. The troops commanded by the Crown Prince of Greece, after four hours' fighting, dislodged the Turks from Elassona. The troops showed great dash. Two battalions and two batteries have occupied the heights at Grimbooa, Eoirns. . CONSTANTINOPLE, October 20. The Turks are bloeading Burgas, 53 miles south-west of Varna. The Greek fleet arrived at Varna at 6 o'clock, and began bombarding at 2 in the afternoon. They are searching for torpedoes, two of which took refuge in Varna. SOFTA, October 20. A telegram sflntes that three battleships harmlessly bombarded. torpecToers in the roadstead of Varna at ten miles' range, and then sailed away. BLOCKADE DECLARED.

(Received October 21, 0,10 a.m.) I • ATHENS, October 20. Greece has announced a blockade of the Adriatic between Preveza and Corfu. R ESER ! STS RET UR XING. (Received October 21, 10 a.m.) ATHEN'S October, 20. The Pan-Hellenic Union has collected half a million drachmal to enable the transportation of 6600 American reservists, who are too poor to return otherwise. Two thousand are paying their owii fares. CAIRO, October 20 1 . . Ten thousand Greek reservists and volunteers have left Egypt for Pir-a-ous. VONCOUVER. October 20. Hundreds of Greek and Montenegrin reservists are leaving the United States and Canada to prartieipate in the war. Large sums have Beenraised in their native countries to aid their return. BETWEEN GREEK AND TURKS. THE TURKS REPULSED. | (Received Last Night, 10.40 o'clock.)' ATHENS, October 21. Six thousand Turks with seven siege guns occupy the Heights behind Elassona. Five Greek divisions conducted a preliminary artillery duel, and the new Schneider guns wrought great liavoc. At 2 o'clock the Crown Prince ordered the first division to charge with 'bayonets. The Turks made a desperate resistance, but the Greek cavalry completed their discomfiture. Meanwhile a second division • was clearing the hills to the east. Fearing that they would be cut off from their retreat, the Turks withdrew to the Servian road, leaving 80 prisoners and seven guns. ■ The Crown Prince's eldest son received a baptism of fire. The Turks retreated through stone gates into a heavily-fortified defile. TURKISH ARMY.

700,000 STRONG. (Received Last Night. 11.40 o'clock.) LONDON, October 21. The Times' Constantinople correspondent states that 700.000 Turks will' he with the colours by the end of October. Twelve thousand are passing over the European railway daily, irrespective of the infantry which has been despatched by the ranrolling routes. Bulgaria has given Turkey an unexpected ten days' breathing space, I enabling the Turkish general staff to surprise European observers. The Salonika correspondent estimates the Macedonian army at 170,000 strong, of which 30,000, under Hassim Bey, and Tahsin Pasha, are defending the Greek frontier. Ali Nabir Pasha, with another 40,000 is on the Struma. River, while Zeki Pasha, with 100,000. is operating between Kuprili and Uskub. These figures are being rapidly augmented from Asia Minor. Zeki Pasha is expected to fight his way to Sofia, via Egripalonka, and assisted by 40,000 Albanian irregulars. The Commissariat Department is the chief difficulty with the western army. I The harvest has been a failure, and 'the situation in Macedonian village* Is pitiful,