DARDANELLES ENTERPRISE

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13983, 20 November 1917, Page 1

DARDANELLES ENTERPRISE

SENSATIONAL STORIES BY A QE' MANJOUENAIIST, '. '; HOW VERY NEARLY W,*mh'd> (By.T.aSogruoiiithG,|)(ilV.\lall). The inner history of Turkey■ durir the present war has been fjiscusscd -j a ipnrknblo book just wri(ten s by ; 'Jfe Stuerinor,' a German journalist Vliqlae oil as the special corrcspondehtfof'tr Kolniselio Zoitimg in Constantlnop, during tlio years 1915 and 1&16, and i the spring of tho present yen* Bhamc and disgusted by tho Turkialkutiassaert of tho Armenians : aB far back 7 as th summer of last year, ho tried; foreman succeeding months—down, jiridpod 1 tho beginning of tho prcscni^y r <}ar|*t shut his eyes to German rcsjionslmilt, for these crimes, but his efforts—th outcome of loyalty*to the'iFatherlandf ailed. :'.Gerrnnri guilt, not only for thos massacres, but also for tho wholcsnl corruption of. Turkey, could no lon ; ]e be denied, and in April, last, horrified"bj the numerous crimes which, they ha< witnessod, Herr Stiiermor and his wifi fled from. Constantinople into Switzer land. They now live in exile in Geneva that centre of the world's refugees, aiu his book "Two Years of War in Con stantinopie," written in German, ha! just boeii published' by a firm of Swiss publishers. ■ ' • His description of the struggle fo) the Dardanelles, based uppn the obs'ervn lions of an eyo-witness who was in tho confidence of the German Anibassadm iind the Genua)! and Turkish eniiimam dors, shows how near success the great fiallipoli thrust reached. , He says thai Hie fate of Constantinople hung upon a liair, and proceeds: i'The risking of .«cv tfral more wavships on March IK would Itave settled tbc fate of Constantinople, Hie courageous fellows who were serving the coast forts were amazed when •Iter saw Hie attack had ceased. .Dozens of German gunners wlfo.worked the IVhanokkoleh batteries on that mrnijralile day'told me that they had'roach?d the limit of tlieir endurance, anil regarded the break-through as iuevuible. hi Constantinople ' itself people. were ivaiting from' hour to hour for the break-through, and, as I know from the highest sources, the archives and the funds had already been removed to Konia, " ... Constantinople- Puzzled. "It is curious that on a later oclasion also—the first 1 days of September—tho fnto.ot Constantinople hung ipon a hair.. On this second occasion the English, after considerable rein'oveoments of troops had reached them, 'xtemlcd their attack from Aribumu lorthwards to. Annfarta, and after a nost heroic assault the Anzaes.had in 'act occupied the summit'of Kodjadjemen Dagh, which absolutely comnnnded tho whole Gallipoli peninsula nid the comparatively unprotected back Dardanelles forts. Even to-day in Constantinople people do not know why lie British 1 troops could not follow ip this achievement to final silicons. I'lie fact is that on this ocaiflion a!si» irehives and gold were speedily'transported into Asia, and a German ofiiccr in the capital assured, mo that he had lured a window'for his family in the Grand' RuiPde Pcrnin ordtr that they might witness tho entry of the Allied troops, Whilst the Turks dofemled the city of th'e Caliphs at th-3 door of the Dardanelles, the remaining half, of tho capital, the cosmopolitan Galata-Pcra, trembled at the weal and woe.of the struggling Allies, and lived hours of tremendous anxiety right through till the final solution .was reached.. "The possible attitude of 'Bulgaria played. a great part in these nerveracking not only on the Turkish side, but among tho hundreds of thousands of disloyal .Ottoman subjects who throng on Turkish capital. The Turkish s|and on Gallipoli threatened to collapse through lack of ammunition, fears were entertained that Bulgaria would join the Entonte Powers, At the time an interesting declaration from a high Sofia source reached mo regarding tho German efforts ,to win over Bulgaria. Eveiyono wondered at the 'seemingly little' skill of the .German .Minister at Sofia, Dr Michaelis, displayed, King Ferdinand certainly made great difficulties, and at an advanned stage of the negotiations said to the Prime Minister, Rndoslavofi, referring to the offered French loan: 'Leave me in pence with- the' German Jews, but yon tako the good French money.' The Gorm'an Minister was removed from; Sofia to' a northern post, and even well-informed Bulgarians j thought his removal signified a punishment for his lack of ttict. "As a matter of' fact, he had received' instructions from Berlin to the jffect that he. should not'do his best !o win the Bulgarians over.' Tho Imperial German Chancellor, in fact, even then-during the great 1015 summer offensive, against Russia-believed in the nossibllity of a separate peace with Russia, and he knew that Russia would refuse to lay down iirins without punishing Bulgaria, if that Power proved a traitor to the Slav causo by attacking Serbia. This consideration censed to prc ; vail later, and Bulgaria'was induced to enter the war;'.' Corruption and Cruelty, The account'of German methods of corruption ?at Constantinople which tlerr Stucrmer.give's makes revolting rending. He says thalj.hugo chests filled with gold to bo distributed for'propngauda purposes'sre constantly nrriv ing at ■Constantinople .from Berlin. The German Embassy is a source of monej to hinulrcclss of-spies, corruptors, nd vonturors, and, emissaries of all kind* and'nationalities, Tho. News Bureau at- , tacked to the German Embassy, he says,'issues-thousands •'. ofc- pamphlets weekly, which,- are', circulated throughout'the Turkish JSnplrfl, and leading ' articles, news .items, and -.photographs nrc offered to Turkish newspapers,' accompanied by substantial' cheques. Ger. ■ many,,bo declares;'buys tho s'eryices of bankrupts, extbrtipriists,; slave dealers, of men who organise tho' sale of young : Armenian'-'.'and Serbian- girls in tho, market'place.' Through the ligoncy of these: creatures tho gospel of ''the'lloly War'' is, T>Topagfltetli Ilerr Stucrmer deals' lit length with ■ tlio economic sufferings' of 'the Tu'rkWi populntioiv;but iays clearly' that' hunger • ; "will I.separate.poacc.'''At-times 'of ; aeuto !' (bread scarity.'he'says;dozens of ipooplo 'drop down ■ flentl - in xConstnntinbplfi from ', hunger,- and'; hel often/witnessed; food '•■' r3otfl?iii I whlchTTurkishwomenvtookra,,

(among/all'• classes' whim , patlibtiij iril'-lfs; intohsityj ;,nnd,v tor.t ■at ''German :r'iito sto«<lily IpovisSi '• > His, (|dsMlptipn': of ancrosjonfirms'allelic,'dothils giyqn in Lord Bryeo 's report on ;tlio: BubJc|;Ho admits tii&t Gorman rcsponsibHity :for thorn' is very great. Froiii thtf.balcoiiy of. his flat! in ■;, Cpiißtantinoplp : he : ; ; an^; : liiß wifo daily saw groups of v. ill;troatoil Armiiiians passing unilor police oscort' through tlio.oity. On ono occasion Frltu:. Stnerihor was unable to walk (iut into, the streets Tjecfiiisb thedoorway,; was prowled ..-wjth/v trembling,l : tortured ; Armenians iwlio had escaped from. the. Turkish:police.'.Tho sight of thego Armenians, the acknowledge of Turkish' crnelty/.amb tho fact: that; Germany y&s a passive participator in her 'ally's crimes, filled tho German'; journalist with horfor, "At that moment/' ho says, ''l broke with Germany in my soul.'' • ■'.; ' '.