IF WAR IS RESUMED

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 10 January 1913, Page 6

IF WAR IS RESUMED

POSITION AT TCHLATALDCHA. WHAT WILL HAPPEN. Writing six weeks ago the correspondent of the London "Daily Telegraph" with tho Turkish Army at Tchataldeha said:— "As 1 have mentioned in a previous despatch, the whole spirit of the army lms changed with the arrival of tho picked battalion* from Erzoroum, Trcbizond, and Smyrna. These men have not suffered defeat or privation. They are being well fed, and kept clear of the cholera as far as possible, and in consequence are (spoiling for a fight. For them the war has only just begun, and the fact whi ates against tho prospects of immediate peace is the evident desire, of the regular army to continue the struggle and to avenge Luleh Burgas. Of the original army most of the weaklings are now under soil, or else have- been isent back to their homes. There is, therefore, concentrated along the lines of Tchataldeha a powerful army, the organisation of which is improving every day. It is stated that quite 100.000 men are jn tlio line, but tin's is probably an exaggeration. "In a 'previous despatch T have a.l.ready described -the strength of the Tchataldeha lines. Day by day w"

ihas been continued on them, and they are now almost complete. Under these circumstances it would be madness for the Bulgarians, even if they were assisted by large reinforcements of Servians and Greeks, to make any further attempt*to take, them by assault, and the idea of such an attempt may, bo dismissed as too highly improbable, for serious •consideration. "Supposing that the negotiations break down, what then will be the future of the war in Thrace? Neither army is in a position to take the offensive at Tchataldeha. The Turks, elated beyond all reason by the events of tho last few days, talk of advancing against the Bulgarians and driving them back across the frontier Their army is, however, in no condition to make a forward movement. They are in a strong position a,s long as they sit. quietly along the lines, but if they attempt to advance all the old troubles which broke no ''Alidullah's armv will immediately recommence. . They, declare that thev wall soon 'have enough troops to hold the lines with one armv and advance with 100.000 picked men. But 100, 000 nicked men must be fed. and the Turks have no means of feedinc them. Thev are severely taxed to do so at Hadamkoi, and, with five days accumulation <>f supplies, they might move forward a short distance, hut an offensive campaign on <i. grand scale is Impossible. The rnilwav has been destroyed, the roads, almost impassable at s every season of the year, are quagmires during the winter, and even after the little vain of the past few days the commissariat trains are hopelessly stuck. There is another cogent reason which renders a forward movement impossible name- i ly, the shortage of field : guns. So many have been captured or abandoned that in this paramount army the Turks would be' at a homeless disadvantage if they advanced and met the Bulgarians in the open field. . "Therefore the crux of the' situation is Adrinnople. It i« over the | future ownership of this fortress that the present negotiations are almost certain to break down. As [long as the garrison holds out Turkey | will refuse to give it over to the Bulgarians, and the latter are equally certain to refuse peace without this prize for their successes. The Bulgarian plan of campaign during the winter will bo to invest Ordianople and starve it into submission, and at the same time to keep an army fur, ther south to prevent, any attempt to relieve it from the Turkish'army now being organised at Tchataldeha. i Nasim Pasha., for his part, will surely make every effort to relieve Adrianople, but his chances of sn(V"«?.. til the spring are- slender in the extreme, for, almost without artillery, with the 'railway destroyed, with inadequate . land transport, and quagmires for roads, it would he almost impossible for him to lead a large enough army to tho north successfully to attack the Bulgarian covering armv.