Progress of the Balkan War

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 48, 21 October 1912, Page 5

Progress of the Balkan War

BULGARIANS CAPTURE A TOWN. Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, October 19. The Bulgarians have captured the town of Mustafa Pasha. MOSLEMS’ ADMIRABLE DEMEANOUR. ‘The Times’ ’ Constantinople correspondent emphasises the admirable demeanour of the Moslems in Constantinople towards the Balkan Legations. Though the war is undoubtedly most ferocious on the part of tae army, the loaders do their best to prevent the horrors extending to noncombatants. REPORTS OF HEAVY FIGHTING. Renter’s Constantinople correspondent reports heavy lighting northward of Kirk Kilissia. Large forces are engaged on both sides. BULGARIANS CONCENTRATED. Sofia, October 19. There are indications that throe of the main Bulgarian armies, each of three divisions, have concentrated against .Mustafa Pasna, whence the lurks retreated, leaving twenty thousand at Adrianople. The remainder arc camped behind field works stretching eastwards to Kirk Kilissia. TELEGRAPHS AND RAJLWAYS. Besides the destruction of the telegraphs, many nilies of railway at L'skub and Salonika wore dynamited. THREE OUTPOSTS EX£_t .. Podgoritza, October 19. Three of General Martinovic’s outposts .were surprised and conveyed to ..Scutari, vvnero tney were decapitated. SERVIANS CAPTURE PRISHTINA, Belgrade, October 19. ' The Servians nave occupied several villages, it is reported that Prisiit'mi lias oeen taken and tnat the’Turks are retreating, while ttie Servians are advancing un ivumanovo unopposed. A BATTLE IN PROGRESS. London, October 19. A battle is in progress northward of Nefuna, in the Elassona district. The Bulgarians have occupied ivourtkule, a Strategically important point near Mustafa Basha. BULGARIANS FORM FOURS. Sofia, October 19. The Bulgarians, to the number of 250,DU0, have concentrated in quadrilateral form at Jiiskezagora, Novazagora, llariamu, and llafkov. THE POSITION OF GREECE. Atliens, October 19. M. Coromilas, Minister for Foreign Alfairs, has informed the Chamber that the Porte has strjveiiiby all sorts of promises tb detach Greejce from the allies. ‘ "* The Minister for Marine stated that the lieeLwtis eager to attack tae Turkish htJoj*J :i g SERVIAN KING’S MANIFESTO. ~So!ia, October 19. King Ferdinand, in a manifesto to the nation, says that war lias been declared for..the. human., rights of Christians I iff! ffurkeyv !i The Bulgarians are indebted for their peace;in life to that great Christian liberator they often remembered—the Czar. Their liberator’s prophetic word, were: “The work begun must be completed.” The manifesto adds that in the struggle of the Cross against the Crescent and Liberty' against Tyranny, they wore assured of the sympathies of all lovers of justice and progress.

SERVICE AT THE CATHEDRAL, The Queen, Count Guosboff, President of the Cabinet, and the Servian and Greek Ministers, attended an impressive service at the Cathedral. Prayers were offered for the Czar and the Sovereigns of Greece, Sorvia and Montenegro. The service concluded by the Bishop asking God in his justice and mercy to grant a victory to the united armies of -the Christian Balkans. Thousands gathered in the square outside, and there was frequent cheering. PRISHTINA REPORT DENIED. Belgrade, October 20. The Prishtina report is premature. The Bulgarians merely captured a small town, and the Turks retreated, destroying the railway. THE CAPTURE OF PLAVA. (Received 21, 8.30 a.m.) Podgoritza, October 20. The Montenegrins captured Plava, after two days’ fighting. A GRECIAN SUCCESS. (Received 21, 8.35 a.m.) Athens, October 30. The Crown Prince, after four hours’ lighting, dislodged the Turks from Elassona. The troops made a great dash. Two battalions and two batteries have occupied the heights at Grimboza, in Epirus. FIGHTING ON THE BLACK SEA. Constantinople, October 20. The Turks, after blockading Burga’s fleet, arrived at Varna, on the Black Sea. Six of the. warships began bombarding at two o’clock in the afternoon, and arc searching for torpedoers, of which tiro wore in refuge at Varna. Sofia, October 20. A telegram states that three battleships harmlessly bombarded the torpodoers in the roadstead at Vania, at a range of ton miles, and then sailed away. PEASANTS BEING ARMED. Three thousand peasants have already been armed with Mannlicber rifles. TURKS REPULSE BULGARIANS. Constantinople, October 20. Official accounts of the Bulgarian movement state that the Bulgarians on Friday attacked an inferior body of Turks at Kirkjaali, and after several hours’ fighting the Bulgarians were repulsed with serious losses. On Saturday the Turkish troops counteracted and seized Harmantope,

a. mountain which is an important strategic position. BLOCKADE IN THE ADRIATIC. Athens, October 20. Greece has announced a blockade in the Adriatic from Preveza to Corfu. CREEK RESERVISTS. The Pan-Hellenic Union has collected half a million drachmae to enable transportation of GOOD reservists from America, who are too poor to return. Otherwise, 2000 are paying their own fares. tjairo, October 20. Ten thousand Greek reservists and volunteers have left Egypt for Piraeus. London, October 20. Drs. Goldsmith and Bradford leave to-night, and the second Bed Cross unit for Montenegro on Friday. Sir F. Cashel is defraying the cost of three units for Turkey and the conveyance thither. “ON THE WRONG HORSE.” (Received 8.45 a.m.) Mr Masterman, National Liberal M.P.. for Bethnal Green, has ramie a strong anti-Turkish speech, stating that if Britain had another opportunity of intervention she must not (as m 1878) put her money on the wrong horse. AMBUSHED AT BERANE. FORCE OE ARNAUTS CUT UP. Podgoritza, October 20. Hassim Bey and Mahmud Bogovia, •with two thousand Arnauts. inarched from PJava to Recoquer. At Berane the Montenegrins ambushed them, and alter a desecrate fliriit the Arnauts were cut up. Hassim Bey and 280 men wore taken prisoners to Podgnntzu.. SEVENTY SERVIANS KILLED. Belgrade, October 20. One hundred and twenty thousand Servians crossed the frontier. The cold rain is rendering operations very difficult. The Arnauts ambusnea seventy Servians at Oomitagis, killing them all. Sofia, Ocober 20. Brigands state that Chief Sudansky’s recruits are increasing daily. WATCHINGJHE FIGHT. (Received 21. 9.45 a.m.) Sofia, October 20. The King and Princes and their suites, in motor cars, ascended a hill, and with field glasses, watched the troops occupying the fortifications_ at Mustafa, one after another. The King meeting the first of the wounded, decorated tnom. Ho afterwards visited tne headquarters of the first army at Tinovo Seimenli, returned to Varaz.v-

gol’gTjiero are 170 Turkish prisoners at Mustafa. THE BULGARIANS’ ADVANCE. The third Bulgarian army is advancing up the valley of Arda. The Bulgarians captured Metro/.a with bayonets. Kourtkale,- 2300 ft. above sea, commands the Maritza and Arda valleys. RESERVISTS TO THE FRONT. Vancouver, October 21. Hundreds of Greek and Montenegro reservists are leaving the United States and Canada to participate in the war. Largo sums were raised in aid of their native countries. SITUATION IN ALBANIA. The Uskub correspondent of the Kolnischo Zeitung paints the situation in Albania in very gloomy colours. “Since the departure of the Albanians from Uskub," he says, “almost ail Government authority in the vilayet of Kosovo has ceased. The conditions in Albania simply beggar description. All the prisons have neon opened, and thousands of murderers, robbers and thieves have been released and are* sweeping the country from one end to the other, intensifying the insecurity to an incredible degree. Of authority there is no longer any trace. All the power ol the Government has been abolished as completely as could be, and only Albanian laws and Albanian arbitrariness prevail. The military stores have been plundered, and not only arms, but also uniforms, boots, tents, even cooking utensils have been carried off. Kaimakams, rnudirs, judicial authorities, police and gendarmerie all belong to the past, and are no 'onger to be found. Murders are the order of the day, and all that the Albanians have been demanding in their programme of 14 points (schools, roads, etc.), is being destroyed by ilioinseives. At Ipek the school in course •u construction has been razed to the ground; the depots of the contractors vno are engaged in constructing the roads demanded by the Albanians nave been plundered; and even the bouse of the chief engineer, an Austrian named Grubhoffer, was searched by a band of armed Albanians, who carried off £250 from the firm’s cashbox.”

THE AFTERMATH.

The following important coni meat on the Balkan situation was made by the London ‘Times,’ and cabled to the Sydney ‘Sun’: —‘The Times,’ in a special article, says that “perhaps the most dangerous sign in the present crisis is the premonitory news that Russia is unofficially backing the Balkan allies. The predominant position of Austria becomes more and more marked as the armies of Servia, Bulgaria, and Montenegro march south and east, if these armies, and tlte nations behind them, are exhausted in the course of war. Austria will stand on velvet and will ha able to shape events as lie may please. The war will be serious and distressing' enough, but the aftermath will be more serious still, and may, conceivably, revolutionise the situation of the Continental Rowers. The article continues: “Nothing short of a European guarantee of drastic reforms is likely to stop the war. European diplomacy is apiwrontly unable to mobilise as speedily as the Balkan armies.’

THE SERVIAN ARMY.

Noiv that Servia has declared war, the following extract from an article in ‘The Times’ in 1908 is of interest: What finally iis the lighting worth of the Servian Army when mobilised? Smart in appearance, well dressed, well spoken, Servian officers are, as a rule, well educated, particularly those who have been trained at foreiini military schools. About two-thirds of them pass through the Belgrade Military Cadet School, the remaining third being commissioned from the ranks; but few of the latter rise to high position in the army. The men arc nearly all recruited from the peasant class.

For fighting purposes, the Slav is inferior to the Teuton. Physically and mentally, Servian soldiers are unequal to German conscripts; but they are patient, sober, hard-working, and easily disciplined. Their demeanour before their officers is all that it should be. Drill in the Servian Army is surprisingly smart, hut drill is only the Inundation of military training, and of this little was seen or heard by the writer. Content with surface drill, which is a means, not an end, Servian officers hardly seem to appreciate at its full worth the value or emu rough field spade-work which is tne first postulate of present-day lighting. Put the weak point of the Servian Army is nob so much want of training as want of morale. The officers are pessimistic about the future, The shadow of Austrian intervention is always hanging over them. “We can do nothing without leave from Vienna” was everywhere the cry, and not the less bitter because Austrian intervention saved Servia from the consequences of her defeat by Bulgaria in 1885. The battle of Slmiitza deal t a serious blow to the prestige of the Servian Army. That prestige received a second stroke when the cruel murder of Servia’s King and Queen by conspirators of the Belgrade garrison was allowed to go practically unpunished. What steps ought to be taken to restore morale to the Servian Army arc best known to the Servian people; for in Their hands, and not. in those of other nations, the “sin and the saving lies.” If they will purge themselves of the “perilous stuff” which at present weighs upon I their hearts, and paralyses all efforts | for national progress, they need have no fears about Austrian intervention, and they will recover the regard of Europe.