The Balkan War

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 268, 4 April 1913, Page 5

The Balkan War

ADRIANOPLE. THE FINAL SCENES. CORPSES lIKAI'ED IX HUNDREDS. TURKS' UNIFORMS DISAPPEAR. By Cubic—Press Association —Copyright. London, April 2. The ''Daily Telegraph's" special correspondent at Barzini describes the conclusion of the attack 011 Aivastubia. The Bulgarians reached the barbed wire entanglements, stumbling over the corpses, which were heaped in hundreds. Someone suggested throwing overcoats over the network of entanglements, and instantly hundreds of coats were requisitioned and formed a thick carpet, across which the troops rushed shouting their battlecrv, "To the bayonet.."' Hand grenades played a large part in tlie final assault, the explosives wrenching off arms and legs at once. The Bulgarian artillerv shelled Aivastab'a am! other forts. The sections were taken by an enfilading fire, ami were captured one after another, "like ripe fruit when a _tree is shaken." as (General Ivanoff said after the capture. A thousand Turks discarded their tunics and Fez caps and sought hiding places in civilians' houses. Sixty thousand ! urkish uniforms disappeared as if by mi!g;c. and Adrianonle was soon '"•'How with Bulgarian uniforms. The latter rounded up- the fugitives, using the fl'-its their swords. Sjiukri Pasha ordered every military hors" to be killed, including his own stallion, and the hillside was covered with their bodies.

Ihe 'Daily Chronicle's" correspondent emphasises 'the fact that the forts were shotldv at best. Lathes painted to represent iron held up the Bulgarian armies for months. EVACUATION OF ALIUXTA. POWERS EEADy\TO ENFORCE IT. .Sofia; April .2.' V Bulgaria agrees -to the proposals' of the Powers in a slightly modified frfrni as regards tlie' Ends-Midia l«»e. . Tlife details of; an Hi U l e ii}siity : will be settled later.

Received 3. 5.5 p.m. London, April -2. Mr. Acland, in the House of said that no definite date had been fixed for the evacuation of Albanian territory. All the Powers were ready to carry out a naval demonstration. Two British ships were in readiness at Corfu. Received 3, 10.30 p.m. St. Petersburg, April 3. Tt is scmi-oflicially explained that although Russia does not participate in the naval demonstration, she has pronounced herself in favor of the demonstration being international.

Paris, April 3. It is officially announced that France only participates in the demonstration , if the mandate represents Russia. INTERNATIONAL BLOCKADE. Paris, April 2. It is expected that all the Powers will join in the blockade of Antivari. j Germany will send a cruiser. Renter states that France will represent Russia. SCUTARI IN FLAMES. Paris, April 2. A Reuter's telegram from Vienna I states that five of the Tarabosch forts have been captured. Scutari is aflame in several places. MONTENEGRO'S CAMPAIGN. _ ATTACK OX TARABOSCII. ' ~ A BRTLLTANT VICTORY. Received 3, 10.50 p.m. Cettinje, April 3. General Martinovitch, with the southern column, stormed Great Tarabosch. capturing tier after tier of entrenchments after desperate struggles. Two hundred picked bomb-throwers I clambered up the mountain and cut the entanglements, under a murderous fire. Getting to close quarters, the\" threw their bombs, opening a way for the storming party. Everv bomb-thrower } fell, but the infantry followed close and < charged the trenches. A bloody hand-to-hand fight took place, lasting for an hour, and in the end the Montenegrins were victorious. They lost 300 killed and wounded. SERVTA AND THE POWERS. TREACHERV TO MONTENEGRO.. Received 4, 12.15 a.m. Belgrade, April 3. M. Pasitch, replying to the advice from Sir Ralph Paget, the British Minister here, says that he bows to the will of the Powers. He declares thati Servia's withdrawal from Scutari would be tantamount to treachery, and would, moreover, sound the death-knell of the Balkan Alliance. lie adds that Servia is bound by treaty to assist Montenegro until peace is declared. Cettinje, April 3. Twenty-three transports with Servian troops have reached San Giovanni, where there are seven Austrian warships. There are seven others off Castclnuovo. THE PRICE OF NEUTRALITY. Received 4, 12.15 a.m. Vienna, April 3. Tt is understood that Roumania receives Silistria and nine miles of the Black Sea coast.