ITALY AND TURKEY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 44, 6 October 1911, Page 8

ITALY AND TURKEY.

THEIR SOLDIERS AND THEIR

WARS

A GLANCE AT THE PAST

Tho Kingdom of Italy will, in all probability, bo. more successful iu its present war with Turkey than it has in former military undertakings. Since the kingdom was founded, half a century ago, Italy has been engaged iu two wars, and came off second best in both'. This, it must be admitted, was not the fault of the Italian soldier, who is, probably, as good as any other European soldier. His courage, indeed, has been proved on many a hard-fought field. The Sardinians, who co-operated with tho English and French during the latter part of the Crimean war, gained the respect of their allies by their gallantry at the Tchernaya. The heroism of Garibaldi and his red-shirts non tho admiration of Europe fifty years ago, and Italy’s ill-fortune in her wars with Austria and Abyssinia, was certainly not duo 'to any want of pluck on the part of her fighters. Be that as it may; the Italian arms sustained very serious reverses in both campaigns. The Austrian war was undertaken in 1866, in alliance with Prussia, Italy’s object being to gain possession of Vcnetia, which was then under tho domination of Austria. She achieved that object, but not through the might of her own arm, for she met with disaster both dn laud and sea. The Italian Army, under, King Victor Emmanuel and General Cialdini, was severely defeated by the Archduko Albrecht at Custozza. on Juno 24th, and about a month later, on July 26th, was again beaten at k orsa. In the meantime Garibaldi and his colunteers were defeated, on July -Itb, at Monte Suello. In tho, interval between-the battles of Custozza and Versa, also, the Austrians triumphed at sea, for on July 20th, off the island of Lissa, in the Adriatic, Admiral Pcrsano, with an Italian fleet ol 26 vessels, eleven of which were ironclads, were vanquished by Admiral Togethoff, who likewise had 23 ships, only seven of which, however, were ironclads. Though the Italians were defeated, Italian heroism never shone more brightly than at Lissa. One of their ironclads, the Palcstro, took fire and blew up—with her crew shouting “Viva il Re,” “Viva I’ltalia.” Another, the Ro d’ltalia, was surrounded by the Austrian ships and sunk, but she went to tho bottom with her colours flying. V bile matters were going thus badly for Italy, the troops of her ally, Prussia, wore carrying all before them, and the battle of Sadowa placed the Austrian capital at their mercy. Austria handed Venctia over to Louis Napoleon, Emperor of the French, who took a plebiscite of the people nn tho question of annexation to Italy. By over 600,000 to 69 they voted in its favour, and Victor Emmanuel entered Venice as its King. In their war in Abyssinia, which lasted, in desultory fashion, for ten years, 1887-1897, the Italians sustained, in the defiles of Adowa, tho most disastrous defeat- ever inflicted on civilised troops by a semi-savage foe. , In two days, February 29th and March Ist, 1896, General Baratiori lost 9000 men, including 2000 native auxiliaries. Four generals and over 160 other officers lost their lives, and 48 officers and 1500 men were taken prisoners. Tlio Abyssinian loss was about 4000 men. Splendid valour was shown by the defeated army. Many of tho slain officers died the death of heroes, and one brigade especially distinguished itself by tho way in which it fought throughout ono entire day. The Abysdnians did not follow up their victory, and some months later a treaty of peace was signed. One of its principal features was the abandonment of tho Italian “protectorate” which had been declared over Abyssinia. Tho people of that country had shown themselves quite capable of protecting themselves. THE UNSPEAKABLE TURK.

The Turk has been a European, by location, for well nigh six centuries, for it is that long since lie broke into Europe from Asia Minor, wherp be established himself some nine hundred years ago, having swooped down there from Central Asia. Four and a half centuries ago, in A.D. 1453, he put tho apex on his power by capturing Constantinople, till then tho capital of tho Eastern Roman Empire— Roman in name only, Greek in reality. Since then tho Turk bus been in constant touch with European civilisation and progress, and has benefited thereby—not at all. He has founded no cities, produced no inventions; his contributions to European science, art and literature have been nil. He lias spread ruin and desolation till bis name has become a synonym of nithlossness. Ho has misgoverned the fair regions afflicted by bis presence to a degree which 4 'has caused “Turkish misrule” to bo a proverbial expression. ’i et ho has, to a groat extent, held his own—his own because he took it. This is, no doubt, largely due to the jealousies of the Powers by which ho is surrounded, 1 whoso conflicting interests, real or supposed, would never allow them to combine for tho purpose of kicking him out. It is also, however, due in no small degree to his own qualities. Govern he cannot, progress he cannot; fight he can. His pugnacity has not only saved his worthless skin many a time and oft ; it made him, for several centuries, the bogey of Europe. .More than once was lie checked only just in time to prevent him from practically over-running the

greater part of the Continent. This was done on tho sr-a at Lcpauto, in 1571, when the combined fleets of

1 Spain, Venice, (Jenna, Mall a ami (Ik '.■Papal S'titr, under Don dn'iu of AnsI In':i, tlol'cnird a Turkish flee/.

Over a century later, in 1083, ib was dona on land at Vienna, where the besieging Turks were overthrown by John Sobieski, King of Poland.

The history of the Turk since then, like liis '.history before, has been one of war and rapine, but ho has not since then appeared in the vole of bogey. In fact, lie has had to light hard to maintain his position and, one by one, the provinces which he gained by the sword have been riven From him by the sword. During the last half century, or rather more, lie has been the object of a certain amount of friendly interest on the part of Britain, not, as may well he imagined, for his own sake, or his own good qualities, but simply because it happened to suit Britain’s interests to befriend him. 1 Hence the Crimean War, 1851-6, wherein Turks, British, If reach and Italians (Sardinians) fought side by side against Russia. The conduct of the Turkish troops in the Crimea did not particularly impress their allies. At Balaclava the Turkish gunners in the outlying redoubts allowed them to fall into the hands of the Russians, and a regiment of Turks standing beside the 03rd Highlanders, the “thin red line,” in•ontlnontly bolted before 1 the oncoming Russian cavalry. On other occasions, ' however, the Turks vindicated their ancient valour. In European and Asiatic Turkey they inflicted severe defeats on the Russians, notably it Oltcnitza (1853), Citato, Karakai, Tnrtnkrii, Silistria, Giurgevo and Euprtoria (all during 1854). A Turkish force under Sir Fenwick Williams, dded by a few other British officers, ■overod itself with glory by the heroic, though unsuccessful, defence of Kars. The Turkish sailor showed his quality in the battle, or rather massacre, of Sinope, where, on November 30th, 1853, thirteen Turkish vessels were lestroycd by an overwhelming Russiui fleet, their crews fighting to- the last, and going down with their ships.