The War in the Balkans

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 126, 15 October 1912, Page 5

The War in the Balkans

Renewed Hostilities i: . '■ ——— Furious Fighting on the Frontier The Montenegrins Prevailing. Possibility of a World's War.

TURKS' GUNS CAPTURED. MONTENEGRINS ATTACKING. London, October 18. Advices from Podgoritza state that the Montenegrins at Rojane captured the Turks' Armstrong guns and ammunition intact. Official information declares that the Montenegrins are attacking Sienitza. LACK OF HOSPITALS. TUZI INVESTED. Cettinje, October 13. There is a terrible lack of hospitals for the wounded. France, Russia, Austria and Britain have offered to send Red Cross missions. King Nicholas visited and kissed the badly wounded and dead. Tuzi is invested. The Turks were forced back, burning many Malissori Tillages in their retreat. THE FIGHTING ROUND SCUTARI. HEAVY LOSSES. Podgoritza, October 13. General Bukovics, after a severe fight, captured Dijlopolje. Constantinople, October 13. Turkish accounts stated that the advance of Montenegrins on Scutari has been checked. There was heavy fighting at Tuzi. The Montenegrins "are ad-; vancing on Gusinje, Plava and Arona, and are encountering resistance and sustaining heavy losses.

TURKEY OBDURATE. GREEK VESSELS DETAINED. Received 14, 11.15 p.m. London, October 14. The Telegraph's Constantinople correspondent says that the Porte has rejected the Powers' collective Note. Greek vessels and cargoes have been detained, valued at a million sterling. Though under the Greek flag, the bulk of the vessels represent British capital. The Porte proposes to purchase the cargoes.

SERVIA DEMANDS REFORMS. A THREE MONTHS' MORATORIUM. Keceived 14, 11.10 p.m. Belgrade, October 14. The Servian reply is practically identical with that of the allies. It regrets inability to comply with the Powers' wishes, owing to an insufficient guarantee for the execution of reforms. Servia has simultaneously forwarded to the Porte a memorandum demanding reforms in Macedonia in consonance with Article 23 of the Berlin Treaty, under control of the Powers and the Balkan States; also an immediate Turkish demobilisation. The Skuptschina has adopted a three months moratorium. AUSTRIA'S AMBITIONS. * Received 15, 12.25 a.m. Vienna, October 14. The Neue Wiener Tageblatt denies that Bosnian volunteers are joining SerTk. M. Berchtold has initiated negotiations with a view to averting the Austro-Rus-sian conflict during or after the Balkan War. He nsks Russia to approve of the non-annexation of Novibazar by Servia or Montenegro. Nevertheless, Austria is apparently indisposed to give a pledge to refrain from new conquests in the Balkans. Persist rumors of mobilisation of four Austrian army corps are causing much comment. BULGARIA'S DEMANDS. Received 15, 12.25 a.m. London, October 14. The Daily Mail's Sofia correspondent says that Bulgaria demands the decentralisation of the Governments of European Turkey, an elective Council, each Government to have proportional representation. Sofia, October 14. The Bulgarian demands include Belgian and Swiss Governors with gendarmerie and militia under Belgian and Swiss officers, and reforms to be entrusted to a superior council controlled by the Powers in the Balkans, to be carried out within six months. The public have acclaimed the declaration to make Servian and Bulgarian money interchangeable. Many Christian deserters from the Turkish army have entered Bulgaria.

FURIOUS FIGHTING. MONTENEGRINS SCALE THE HEIGHTS. TURKS' GUN TURNED ON THEMSELVES. Received 14, 9.35 p.m. • Cettinje, October 14. Chipcenik was practically demolished by the Montenegrin artillery. General Martinovics reports an engagement below Chafbotil Heights. There was a fierce struggle. The Turks were repulsed, losing 300 killed and wounded. The Montenegrin's final charge up precipitous crags at Detchick was so furious that the Turks were unable to disable their guns before retreating, and were fired at with their own guns by the Montenegrins.

The total Turkish force in the Scutari region is sixteen battalions. The Montenegrins are striving to prevent their retreat southwards. THE FRONTIER ARMY. Received 14, 9.35 p.m. Sofia, October 14. Troops from Nish are advancing on Vranja, Ristouvuc and Deveti, frontier towns. The Premier, in an interview, accused Turkey of arming irregular bands of marauders and vagabonds, and loosing them upon an unprotected Servian population in Kosovo district, whence eight hundred families have taken refuge. Serria, he added, demanded an ethical autonomy for oppressed Servians in Turkish provinces, including Xovibazar.

A WORLD'S WAR. Received 15, 12.25 a.m. Berlin, October 14. The Xeue Freie Presse says that if the other Powers interfere, Russia will do likewise, and then there will be a danger of'a world's war. The remark is interpreted as Russia's answer to M. Berchtold concerning the maintenance of Austrian interests in tha Balkans. THE LITTLE GERMAN PRESS. Received 15, 12.25 a.m. Berlin, October 14. The Foreign Office, through the Cologne Gazette, rebukes the tactics of the little Pan-German newspapers accusing Britain of fomenting a European conflagration by inciting the Balkans to attack Turkey. THE FINANCIAL PANIC. LEADING BANKS INTERPOSE. Received 15, 12.25 a.m. London, October 14. Consols are quoted at 72 15-16ths. The slump on the Paris Bourse is unparalleled since 1870. The estimated loss since last settlement represents sixteen million sterling. Leading banks vainly attempted to stem the panic on the Russian Bourse. Leading banks also endeavored to stimulate the Berlin Bourse. Berlin, October 12.

A TURKISH MASSACRE. MUSSULMANS VILLAGE BURNED. CHILDREN INCINERATED. Received 14, 9.35 p.m. Constantinople, October 14. • Turkish soldiers massacred twelve Bulgarians at Kuprulu. The Montenegrins burned a Mussulman village at Krania. Several children were incinerated. The fighting round Tuzi, Rabat and Krania is visible from Scutari.

BOMBARDMENT ON LAKE SCUTART. BARRACKS TURNED INTO HOSPITAL. Received 15, 12.25 a.m. Malta, October 14. The second battalion of the Northampton Regiment has been ordered to be in readiness to proceed to Crete. Cettinje, October 14.

Two Turkish gunboats on Lake Scutari bombarded General Martinovic's right wing. The barracks at Cettinje have been transformed into a hospital with a thousand beds. General Vukovics is operating with a view to functioning with the Servians'. GREECE'S PREPARATIONS. Received 14, 9.35 p.m. Constantinople, October 14. The Greeks are leaving Stamboul in large numbers for Adrianople.

Continental Bourses are in a panic, which is largely attributed to bear speculators, though the German public is losing confidence in the ability of the Powers to localise the war. I . SERVIAN VILLAGES IN REVOLT. UNEASINESS IN AUSTRIA. Vienna, October 13. j Unconfirmed reports published state that seventy Servian villages in the

Novib'azar district revolted, and ( were visited by the Turks with swift reprisali. Ail the ringleaders, particularly were killed. It is stated that the Government will facilitate the conveyance of war material through Austria.

The war committee of the Austria* Delegations has approved of military and naval credit', professedly to remove defects long contemplated. Many politicians urge the reoecupation of the Novibazar province, and. condemn the withdrawal four years ago. The hitch in the negotiations has created uneasiness in Austria. There are fears that Italy will not confine her operations to Tripoli, and thus will render, localisation of the Balkans trouble impossible. Frequent conversations are taking place between the Foreign Minister and the Austrian Minister, supposed to relate to Novibazar, which it is understood that Austria, during the Bosnian negotiations, undertook to assist the Porte to retain if endangered. Turkish papers state that Austria is concentrating its forces on the frontiers of Servia. the Turkish province of Novibazar, and Montenegro.

The Greek Consulate has handed its archives to the French Embassy, and Servia similarly to the Russian Embassy.

SPIES ARRESTED. THE TURKISH ARMIES. Vienna, October 13. Fourteen Bulgarian spies have been arrested at Adrianople. I When the mobilisation of the first and second armies is completed, it is estimated that 450,000 men will be opposed to the Bulgarians. Two divisions will oppose the Montenegrins. The Porte proposes to exert its chief strength against Bulgaria. THE SERVIAN MOBILISATION. SHORTAGE OF DOCTORS. Belgrade, October 13. Only 83 doctors are left in the whole of Servia. The rest have been requisitioned for work as army surgeons. They are much needed. Prince Arsene Karageorgevitch, the King's brother, who is a Russian general, commands the cavalry. If it is impossible to secure autonomy in the Turkish provinces, the Crown Prince Alexander is disposed to become a candidate for the Christian government of old Servia. One thousand Bosnia volunteers have joined Servia and Montenegro.

DEMANDS FROM GREECE. Athens, October 14. A Greek Note has been handed to the Turkish Ambassador. ! GREEK TROOPS CONCENTRATING. Athens, October 13. One hundred and twenty-five thousand troops will be concentrated on the frontier by Monday, and another thirty thousand are being equipped. The Government is overwhelmed with offers of volunteers.

A MYSTERIOUS INCIDENT. Berlin, October 13. Count Posadowsky-Wcrner, German naval attache at Vienna, was found wounded in a wood at Ragusa. He declares that the wound was accidentally caused while he was drawing a revolver against a man who was following him. It is rumored that Count Posadowsky carried important mobilisation documents.''

THE TRIPLE ENTENTE. Berlin. October 13. Many newspapers ridicule the peace efforts of the Triple Entente, and doubts prevail whether the war can be localised. The fear is expressed that Germany may possibly be required to support Austria, although the sympathies of the German Army are strongly pro-Turkish.

Austria is buying glycerine heavily, and the price has risen rapidly.

FEELING IN INDTA. Calcutta, October 13. The Moslem League of the Pimjanli passed a resolution of gratitude for Britain's efforts to preserve peace in the Balkans, .and sorrow at her failure.