A FORTNIGHT'S BATTLE

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 212, 6 September 1921, Page 5

A FORTNIGHT'S BATTLE

ON THE ANGORA FRONT. THE TURKISH " VERDUN." CONSTANTINE'S INTENTIONS. (By Cable.—Prese Association.—'Copyrfglrt.) (Reeehed 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 5. Mr. Beaumont, the "Daily Telegraph's" Smyrna correspondent, who has been on a loner tour of the Greek front, cables that the battle has now lasted a fortnight, and is one of the hardest fought between Greek nnd Turk since the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The Turks call Angora their '"Greek Verdun"; but the Greeks expect to enter it this week. Kemal's difficulty is lack of guns to match the Greek artillery, which prepare for the advance of Greek troops by furious shelling of the Kemalist trenches. The Greeks lost very heavily in bayonet attacks, especially at the beginning, but they are now fighting 312 miles from their chief base at Smyrna, whereas Kemal is at home. But the Turks are only provided with sufficient supplies for the moment, and these will soon be exhausted, as the Bolsheviks are conveying {Treat stocks of food from Kemal's rear to the Caucasus for the use of Russia. Soon Kemal will be forced to use men to fetch food-

Mr, Beaumont interviewed King Constantino, who was in poor health, living at Eskishehr, in a whitewashed barn, suffering from he.it and bad food. He said he would much prefer roughing it with the soldiers at the front. Constantino fainted during lunch, to the consternation of his aides, but soon recovered.

Constantine said; "If Kemal accepts battle, we shall destroy his army, which cannot be more than 50,000. We shall not remain at Angora more than a few days, When we have destroyed the military depots, and taken tie railway lolling stock, we will retire. There is no question of going to Constantinople, at present the Powers do not want us there,"—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)

NOTHING DECISIVE YET. (.Received -2 p.m.) LOXDOX, September 5. The Creek advance in Anatolia appears to have been somewhat arrested. The Turks are now stiffly resisting, and very heavy fighting is in progress in the neighbourhood of Sakaria River, The advantage, if any, rests with the Greeks, who have made vejry slight progress. They have crossed the Sakaria River near the Angora railway, but have done nothing decisive. Fighting continues.— (Reuter. )