NEGLECTED TURKISH SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13454, 5 April 1907, Page 5

NEGLECTED TURKISH SOLDIERS.

OBTAIN FOOD UNDER THREATS. By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. London, April 3. Turkish soldiers who have completed their period of active service in Yemen have landed at Alexandretta, in Asiatic Turkey, in a ragged and starving condition. They surrounded the Governor's house and threatened to loot the town if they were not given food and clothing.

The local bankers distributed £10,000 among them, and thus prevented further disturbances.

Similar scenes have been enacted at Beirut, on. 1200 reservists landing there.

The Yemen rebellion lias been in progress since February, 1905. Of what is happening there lit* is heard, but from time to time reports have come to hand of starving Turkish soldiers passing through the Suez Canal, it is known that, in the summer of last year, battalions of Turkish troops were reduced to mere groups through starvation and disease. Some of the battalions had only about 40 men left. It was reported in January that. ICOO were all that had re-turned of an army of 4000 men that had been ongaged at Nejd, the highlands of Central Arabia. Two thousand had died of starvation and disease, and 1000 had deserted. As a Turkish transport was returning to Turkey recently 300 starving soldiers sprang overboard in the Bitter Lakes, and, except 10 who were shot from the steamer, swam ashore and escaped.