THE SIC AT OF WAR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2253, 6 May 1897, Page 21

THE SIC AT OF WAR.

(Daily News, March 17.)

The roads from Elasona to Larissa are the key of the Turkish and Greek positions. Larissi, with a population of 14-.000, sfcauds on the right bank of the Salamvrias (Peneios). It; lies three and a-half hours (10£ miles) from the nearest point of the Turkish frontier, the lasff Greek village being Tyrnfiro*, where the road from Elasona crosses the Xerias by a bridge, and is 38 miles by rail from the port of Volo. Lurissa, which lies in the midst of a fertile plain, it about 150 ft above the sea. From, it various posb roads run into the interior of Thessaly, to tbe we3b of T<rikkala, a station on fche railroad from Volo to *Aeginion, through the valley of ths Lethaios ; to the sonfch-we*fc to Kirditza ; to the south to Pharsala, Lamia, the Pasi of Thermopylae and Athens, a road which would play a great part in any Grseao-Turkish Btruggle, unless the German advisers of the Porte should think fi!i to utilise any of the mountain tracks which unite Thessaly with the Gulf of Corinth and traverse fche ancient Locris to the west of Parnassus. To the east a good road runs to Volo. As the railway to Athens by Lamia, Livadia, and Thebes is not yet finished, all minplies for Larissa are at present sent by sea from Piraeus to Volo. Five track 3 run from Elasoni to Larissa. That; usually used as a posb road runs from Elasona to theeasfc of the village of Taaritsani. crosses fche Pass of Melona at the height of 867 metres (2700 ft) above the sea, the crest of the pass being in Turkish territory, and the village of Tournavo (7 hours, or 21 miles from Elasona) emerge 3 into the Thessalian Plain, crosses the Xerias by a bridge mid runs aoubh-essfc to Larissa, a distance of 3£ hours (10+ miles). The rise from Elasona fco the ccesb of the Melona Fass is about 1800 ft, and the road ig well commanded by higher ground to the northeast within Turkish territory, which forms one of fchß buttresses of the spur of Mount Olympus. A far easier track, however, runs sonfcb-easb from Elasona along the valley of the Xqri&s to the village of Damas', the lasfc village in Turkish territory. Here tha road traverses a shoit defile, commanded to fche north by the hills Jpading to the Melona Pass, to the south by the isola^d peak of Sidero Poulouka (516 metres) 1693fb above the sea, both of which are in Tarkish territory, and finally emerges into the Thessalian plain, the front being so drawn as to leave an ampls space of flat land in which a force debouchiDg from the Rorgi could form up without trespassing on Greek territory. Hence the road runs down the Xerias Valley to : Turnavo?, where it rejoins the road from the ' Melona. Ahorse brack runniDg across fche Meloca range from Damasi fco Turnavos would afford a j means of avoidingfche gorge of the Xerias. such as if; is. In all the region fco the north of fche P<jne?os, the higher peaks are formed of crystalline rocks, the lower of cretaceous or schistous strata. The plains, which are 'singularly level, are formed of lacustrine deposits. The tracks leading from Damasi to Turnavos ■will permit the Turkish army to avoid fche famous gorges of the Fal»rnvria, in which m*ny sympathisers with the Grpeks appear to puh their trust A horse track running eoufch from Dama«d through the narrow gorge which separates the peak of Sidero Poulouka from the low hills which divide the smaller southeastern plaiu of Thessaly from the larger one on the uoufch-wesfc, goon crosses the Turkish frontier, and at Zarkos joins the Larissa-Trikkila road, which traverses the denies of fche SalamThese defiles are bordered by steep precipices of a reddish conglomerate of miocene origin, broken into towers, pinnacles, and needles, and covered with clumps of planes and tufts of oleander. Undoubtedly their passage would present serious difficulties to an invading army, bub, unfortunately for the Greek*, the presence of an easier road through the Xeriaa renders it unnecessary for a Turkish army ever to set foot in them. Further to the west, about four hours (12 miles) above Damasi, a track branches off to the southward from the Elassoun-Damasi road, nnd mounting to the watershed between the Xeri&s and Lafcb£eo3, which here forms the Turkish-Greek frontier, crosses the hill at a heighb of aboub 700 metres (2000ffc) or probably somewhat less, and continuing southward", cuts at right angles across the various roads leading from Larison to Trikkala and Karditza, thus affording an easy means for a Turkish detachment to make a diversion into the heart of Thessaly. This road can also be reached by a track leading from Kosiani, on fche Monastir post road, within easy reach by road of the Salonica1 Monastir railway at Eksisv. A force could thus

reach Trlkkala from Monastir without passing through Elasonv

Such being the theatre upon which the firsb shock of a Turco-Qreek confllob would take place, ib becomes of interest to examine whufc forces King George could oppose to the 80,000 men commanded by Edhem Paiha. If the coast; were blockaded all •upplies for the Greek army would have to bo seat by land from Athens over the vile roads, *■ yet unrelieved by a single yard of railway, which run through the plain of Marathon, by Thermopylae, and over the steep pass of the Orthrys Mountain to Lariasa by Phersala, the Fhtrs&lia of our youth. As transport animals are scarce in Greece, this circumstance alone would greatly hamper all the efforts of the Greeks to keep a Urge force in Theßsaly for long together. They would «oon bo forced to fall back upon the fortified camp at Thebes, leaving some of the richest districts in Greece fco the mercy of the Turks.