HAS ADRIANOPLE FALLEN?

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 1514, 9 November 1912, Page 7

HAS ADRIANOPLE FALLEN?

' The defeated Turkish troops are arriving in Constantinople in a desperate plight. They have been without food for three days. j . (Received Novcmbot> 8, 9.10 p.m.) Constantinople, November 8. The Ambassadors of five Powers have, held a collective meeting with the Grand Vizier. It is understood that they have discussed the taking of measures for the public safety. TURKS OPPOSED TO PEACE. ARMY WISHES TO FIGHT TILL THE LAST. "CONFIDENT OF ULTIMATE (SUCCESS." (Beoeired November 8, 9.10 p.m.) Constantinople, November 8. Turkish public opinion is hostile to the Governments proposal to the Powers ■ for mediation with a view of ending the war. Nazim Pasha (Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish army) has informed the Government that the army is determined to fight to the last, and that it ' is confident of ultimate success. The principal officers have signed a memorial to the Grand Vizier (Kiamil Pasha) in favour of a continuance of the war. Rain has transformed the plains around Chataldja into a morass, and. transport operations can only be carried out with difficulty. It will probably be several days before the rival armies meet again. LOSSES AT LULE BURGAS. > "AN APPALLING SHAMBLES." 15,000 BULGARIANS KILLED OR WOUNDED. TURKS ' LOSE , OVER , 40,000. London, November 7. It is officially stated that the Bulgarians had 15,000 killed or wounded in the five days of the battle round Lule Burgas and B,U n ar Hissar. The Turks 'lost over 40,0u0 men. The war correspondents describe the terrible suffering or many Turks w'ho were wounded in the battle of Lule Burgas, who after hasty field dressing, journeyed, along congested roads to the Tchorlu hospitals. A surgeon from Tchorlu declares that he never saw a battlefield so entirely crowded with dead and .wounded. No possible succour, he says, was available; the field was simply an appalling shambles. ' Meanwhile detachments of cavalry dashed among the unwounded fugitives, driving them back to Mukhtar Pasha's force, which was also being strengthened from Rodosto, in the hope of turning the Bulgarian position. ' ' DISTRESS AT SALONIKA. CROWDS OF REFUGEES. (Received November 8, 9.10 p.m.) Constantinople, November 8. Distressing scenes are taking place outside the walls of Salonika, where crowds of destitute refugees from all

SURRENDER REPORTED. VICTORS CONCEALING THE FACT. FEAR OF INTERVENTION. (Kcceived November 8, 11.25 p.m.) London, November 8. ! The Daily • Mail's correspondent with the Bulgarians states that it is reported that Adrianople surrendered on Tuesday, but that the Bulgarians are concealing the fact lest the Powers should intervene before the capture of Constantinople. ' < 1 A message received yesterday stated that a . force of 50,000 Servians was assisting the Bulgarians in the investment .of Adrianople. —— — ' 0 ANXIETY IN THE CAPITAL. CHRISTIAN TURKS l-N* PERIL. ARRIVAL OF HUNGRY •: . SOLDIERS. Constantinople, November 7. A state of great terror prevailed in Stamboul (the older portion of Constantinople) until th.e arrival of the first of the foreign warships. j There is still considerable anxiety,, and the authorities are organising assistance to prevent disturbances. Christian Turks are chiefly in danger, j

parts of the country are seeking help. C , The authorities are sending ' as * many of the refugees as possible to q Asia Minor. v The report as to the withdrawal of t the Turkish troops from Salonika was unfounded: • • Athens, November 7. f During the confusion over the sink- J ing of the Turkish warship Fethi ° Bulend by a Greek torpedo boat; in 'j. the Gulf of Salonika last week the i Turks fired on a Turkish schooner, * killing several members of the crew. £ — • I THE BARBAROUS TURK. I "... i' IS HE TO HAVE HIS LAND k BACK ? J — • . a THE RECENT ATROCITIES. n (Received November ; 8, • 11.25 p.m.) . g . London, November 8. t The Daily Telegraph's correspondent with the Greek army in Epirus, has made a personal investigation of v the Turkish outrages. 1 The correspondent declares: "If £ Christian Europe gives this land back £ into Turkish hands it will be an act f of barbarity and a disgrace to. <; Christendom." j _ , - j. A SERVIAN VICTORY. < ■•; . ft t 15,000 TURKS ROUTED. J (Beceived November 8, 11.25 p.m.) Belgrade, November 8. The Servian column advancing on Dibra has. routed 15,000 Turks, who retired from Krushevo (Macedonia) with heavy loss. They are fleeing towards Dibra. THE MONTENEGRINS. ~ ANOTHER VICTORY. .(Received November 8, 11.25 p.m.) London, November 8. The Montenegrins have . captured 1 Diakova, in Northern Albania. POWERS AND THE WAR. ATTITUDE OF TRIPLE ENTENTE CREATES DISAPPOINTMENT. (Received November 8, 9.10 p.m.) London, November 8. The disinterested attitude of the Triple Entente (Britain, France, and Russia) after proclaiming an adherence to the status quo, has created disappointment in official circles in Constantinople. •Vienna, November 7. The Austrian Foreign Affairs Committee is • discussing the Balkan situation. The possibility of an international arrangement to permit the common use of the Balkan railways and har-r bours to meet the commercial needs of the various hinterlands is- suggested by members of the committee. . A representative of the Vienna Neues Weiner "Tagblatt lias had an interview with King Nicholas of Montenegro, who declared that the allies would settle their affairs' alone, but; that their victories would not make them forget to accommodate their wishes to the general European situation. DEMANDS OF SERVIA. TWO ADRIATIC PORTS. POWERS TO DECIDE FATE OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Belgrade, November 7. M. Pasics (Premier of Servia), in an interview to-day, said that Servia wanted the ports of San Giovanni di Medua and Durazzo (on the Adriatic) and the town of Alessio (in Albania, south of Scutari), which she possessed in the Middle Ages. The fate of Constantinople, he said, would be left to the Powers to decide. The Servians resent the Austrian warnings against encroachment in Albania. They are determined, it is stated, to have an Adriatic port. The Servians say that they do not fear the difficulty of satisfying Austrian railway interests. THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE. AN AGREEMENT LIKELY. SERVIAN DEMANDS TO BE RESISTED. (Received November 9, 12.40 a.m.) Berlin, November 8. The Marquis di San Giuliano ' (Italian-Minister for Foreign Affairs) ' is now on' a visit to Berlin. The visit is regarded as being for the purpose of . setting the seal on the Triple Alliance's agreement as to the line 5 of action'to be followed in regard to 5 the war in the Balkans. f It is believed that the Alliance will ' firmly resist Servia's acquisition of I Adriatic ports. The Frankfurter Zeitung says that 3 an Austro-Italian agreement exists, ' guaranteeing the integrity and inde- * pendence of Albania in, regard to ' which Austria and Italy can count on 3 Germany's support. Servia's desire for a,harbour, it is r considered, could be gratified on the " coast of the iEgean Sea with less r danger. r 3 | ; * J " ITEMS OF INTEREST. Adrianople (which is reported to have surrendered to the Bulgarians) is the third largest city in European Turkey. Its population is about 100,000, of whom half are Turks, about 20,000 Jews, and the rest Greeks, Bulgars, Armenians, etc. It is onlv a few miles from the Bulgarian frontier at Mustafa Pasha (which was previously captured by the Bulgarians), and .was defended'by a ring of forts. It occupies both banks of the River Tunja a, its • confluence with the Maritza, which is navigable to this point in spring and winter. 5 Adrianople is on the railway from Bel--3 grade and Sofia, to Constantinople and 1 Salonika. It is only about 137 miles from "... . .y ' V~"

Constantinople, and its' importance from a strategical , point. of ,view . is therefore apparent. In appearance it is thoroughly Oriental "mass of mean, irregular wooden buildings, threaded by narrow, tortuous streets. The town was occupied by the Russians in J. 829, and also in 1878. Mr. Foster Fraser, in. his Pictures from the Balkans," wrote as follows of Adrianople:—" The population is a medley of Turk, Greek, Jew, and Armenian. But all the trading, the commerce, and the banking is in the hands of foreigners. The Turk is hopeless as a business man. . Adrianople is a city of terror. Christians, Armenians, whispered into my ear tales of revenge 011 the cruel lurks, j But they did not take place. lie lurks were in constant fear of outrages, bombs and the . like, from .Bulgarians or t Armenians. At sundown every Christian { must he within doors. Otherwise there is a arrest and imprisonment. No light must be burning in a Christian house : hours after sundown, or the soldiers butt the door with their rifles, demand reasons, t and under threats levy blackmail; no t Mahomedan can go through the streets r after dark without a lantern; no Mahomedan must even be in the ttreets after ten o'clock without a special permit. 1 The only sound at night is the heavy r tread of the patrol." 1 The population of Constantinople, to- < wards which the victorious invaders of Turkey - are now hastening, is an uncertain. \ figure, as no accurate statistics can bo ob- ,j tained. It is generally estimated between ( 800,000 and 1,000,000. ' .inhabitants ( form a remarkable .conglomeration ..of- the . different 'races; various .nationalities-, divers > languages, distinctive costumes,' and conflicting religious beliefs. The city, has < been well described as " a city not of one , nation, but of' many and • hardly more _of ( one than' of, another.''' The following figures are .given in the Encyclopaedia Brittannica as an approximate estimate of the size of the communities which compose tho population:- , .Moslems ... ... ... , - ifS'Si?Greeks J52.741 Armenians ... .i. ••• - 149-5^ jews ••• ••• •** *** . j Roman Catholics (native) ... 6,442 '. Bulgarians ' ... ' ••• "• ••• } Greek Latins ' ... ... . ••• 1.082 , Protestants (native) 819 . , Foreigners ... . ... - ,129,245 ; Total. ... • ... 873,565