TURCO-GRECIAN WAR.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 130, 6 May 1897, Page 2

TURCO-GRECIAN WAR.

GREECE'S POSITION USELESS. CRETANS DEMAND fcfEXA.TION. EUROPEAN CONFERENCE RE-I-'UShD. ANOTHER JOAN OF ARC. Athens, May 3. Tjie expulsion of Greeks from Turkish territory hats boon delayed for a A'cek. The new Greek Premier is anxious for a week's armistice, but hesitates to propose it. iSmolentz, with a force of 10.000 Greeks, is said to have defeated !)000 Turks tit Viilestino. On the other hand, a message from Constantinople states that after severe fighting the Turks captured their forts and four entrenched positions from the Greeks, and that the Greeks weie retiring on Volo.

M. Delyanui states that the King has refused to withdraw from Crete or accept an amended frontier.

A Berlin cable states that the Emperor has sent his felicitation to the Sultan on the victories of his forces.

In describing the fighting at Pentipigadia, the Times correspondent states that the outposts of the Greek army occupied a strong position, commanding the Janina Road, but were not re-inforced.

The Turks, who numbered 6000, kept up a terrific fire and subsequently scaled the mountain. When the manoeuvres were accomplished, the Greek commander gave the order to his force to retreat. The roads were filled with panicstricken peasants, and scenes similar to those enacted at the evacuation of Larissa were witnessed. The Greek forces at Phersala and Doruokos, about ten miles to the south, are drawn up in battle order. The. residents of Phersala have fled from the town. The Admirals of the combined fleets offered to allow the Cretan Assembly to meet and ratify the appointment of the Governor, but the insurgeuts sent a reply that they would have nothing but annexation to Greece or death. Seventeen hundred troops of smart soldierly bearing will reinforce the troops in Epirus. These troops are under the leadership of a beautiful girl who acts as standard bearer. London, May 3. It is stated that Greece is hopelessly unprepared to conduct a campaign. She has no reserves of cannon, rifles, cartridges, or uuiforms. M. do Elowitz, the Paris correspondent of the Times, says the proposal of Lord Salisbury's, that a Conference of the Powers should be held in Paris for the purpose of discussing the pr - sent state of affairs in South-Eastern Europe, is not regarded as feasible. The Athens correspondent of tho Times confirms tho news of the victory achieved by the Greeks under Colonel Smolentz, at Valestino, over the Turks.

An impartial eye-witness of tlac engagement says that the Turks numbered 2000 men and two squadrons of cavalry. They lost thirty men. Lord Salisbury's proposal to hold a Conference of the Powers to discuss the Eastern situation has b9en rejected.