TURKEY STIFFENS HER BACK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3205, 18 August 1915, Page 25

TURKEY STIFFENS HER BACK.

LONDON, August 14. The German successes in the War* saw region have been exploited to the fullest extent in the Turkish press, and have momentarily rehabilitated the Young Turks Party in popularity. The Government has publicly an* nounced from the mosques that Ger* many is preparing to send an army to fight with the Turks. The Sublime Porte has also assumed an intransigent attitude towards Bulgaria, whom it previously sought to placate. Active steps have also been taken to resusci* tate the holy war proclamation. Mes* senders have been despatched to Islamic countries —especially Egypt, Abyssinia, Tripoli, and Tunis—an* nouncing German successes every* where, and that Turkey will shortly resume the campaign against Egypt. The Sultan, in a special Irade, made public drunkenness the subject of the severest court=martial penalty, aver* ring that the existence of the Ottoman Empire is threatened. All foreigners in Turkey have been ordered to wear the fez, the ostensible reason being to preserve them from ilMreatment and insult by natives. Djavid Bey, a former Turkish Minister, is to visit Vienna and Ber* lin, it is believed, with the object of explaining the precariousness of the Turkish financial situation and de» manding immediate advances. FEAR OF SUBMARINES. LONDON, August 14. Mr Henry Wood, the American United Press correspondent in Turkey, states that a veritable reign of terror has been created in the simple minds of the Turkish peasants and the population of villages on the Sea of Marmora by the British submarines’ activity. The steamer on which Mr Wood travelled had lifeboats swung out and hundreds of life preservers were ready. She crept in along the Marmora coast for the whole way. On the second occasion the captain took courage, and headed directly for Constantinople. The boat was crowded with peasants, and the Provincial Government officers were all trembling with fear. When they were half-way to Constantinople a loud shout came from the bridge. The captain bellowed orders, and the boat turned tail and headed for the shore. There was a wild scurry for lifeboats, and it was then discovered that the supposed submarine was only a porpoise. Turkish transports carrying wounded are more confident under the Red Cross flag than the Crescent, and frequently fly the former until reaching the Bosphorus, when the Crescent is substituted, because it would be unseemly to allow the population to think the wounded soldiers owed their salvation to the Red Cross rather than to the Crescent. A GERMAN “FACT.” LONDON, August 14. A Berlin wireless message belittles the recent landings of the French and British at Gallipoli. It mentions that 15,000 men landed at Suvla Bay and attempted to outflank the position at Ari Burnu and were repulsed. TURKS GO “ ONE BETTER.” AMSTERDAM, August 14. A Turkish official message says: We captured eight machine guns at Ari Burnu. Our artillery hit a hostile ironclad off Ari Burnu. We took 100 yards of trenches near Sedd-ul-Bahr. RUSSIANS REPEL TURKISH ATTACKS. PETROGRAD, August 14. A Caucasus official report states: The Turks twice assumed the offensive along the whole front at Passin Valley. We allowed them to approach to 200 yards, and then twice repulsed them with enormous losses, capturing six officers and 130 men. Our cavalry scored several successes. One Cossack captured a patrol of seven men. THE IRON HAND SHOWING. ATHENS, August 14. Prince Hohenlohe, on arriving at Constantinople, expressed dissatisfaction at the disorders in the interior of Turkey, and announced his intention to ask Berlin to send German officials to take over the administration. The proposal has excited great uneasiness, and the idea of separate peace gains ground, especially now that there are 120,000 Dardanelles wounded at Constantinople. TWO MINOR EXPEDITIONS. SYDNEY, August 14. Captain Bean, writing on July 3, da-

scribes two minor expeditions to demolish Turkish observation posts. One at Gaba Tepe, by 100 Australians, failed owing to the strong defence and barbed wire entanglements. The other, a party of New Zealanders, landed at a point north of Anzac, and found the whole of the crew at the observation station asleep. Amongst them were several gendarmes in smart blue uniforms. Two escaped, but 15 were captured. It was the most successful little raid accomplished. RECENT SUCCESSES. PARIS, August 14. A Dardanelles official report states : Since the 6th inst. the British successfully landed in the region of Suvla Bay and made further progress at Gaba Tepe, where, after violent lighting, they gained a footing on the slopes of Sari Bair. They, took over 650 prisoners and nine machine guns. The operations continue to develop at this point. Turkish efforts to break our line in the south failed. Since the 7th inst. operations on the French front have consisted principally of artillery duels to our advantage. JAFFA BOMBARDED. PARIS, August 14. The Ministry of Marine publishes an official message, which states : On the 12th inst., after giving the Turkish Governor adequate notice, to enable the neighbourhood to be evacuated ,a French cruiser bombarded and destroyed a German factory at Jaffa, where munitions and boats were being turned out, destined for an attack on the Suez Canal.