FORCING THE DARDANELLES

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144710, 19 June 1915, Page 6

FORCING THE DARDANELLES

OPINION IN GERMAN?,

LONDON, April 2S. Since tho middle of last week tho German press has boon preparing tho public for a resumption of operations at the Dardanelles. Tho inspired Berlin Lokalauzeiger announced that “an Armada of bj transports” had loft Egypt, and calculated that the forces convoyed in them might 000, Russia, it w-ns said, would provide about tho same number of men, so that there would be 250,000 in all. But “oven in neutral countries” it had already been realised that the Allies required at least two and a. half times as many men in order to make success at all probable and it Avas “no longer any secret that the Allies would never be iu a position to bring such a force to tho Straits.” 'The Lokalanzoigrr insisted upon the difficulties of supplying a largo landing force with food and water, and said that the question therefore arose .why, after all thoir previous experiences, the Allies Avero “again taking the risk of a still greater fiasco.” Tho answer to this question Avas said to be that the Allies are still “speculating upon the Avcak nerves of some of the neutral Balkan Powers, and especially Greece.” Tho Balkan Powers had been clearly told that “anybody win) does not join in, will not get a piece of the Turkish cake,” but Germany could be “absolutely sure” that this “attempted blackmail” Avould be recognised for what it is, and prove to the Balkan States only the weakness of tho Allies. In a “telegram from Athens.” on Wednesday tho Lokalauzeiger said that tho numb.-r of troops before tho Dardanelles had been greatly exaggerated, that the total at tho beginning of March was only 50,000. and that this number had boon reached only by reducing tho army in Egypt to 80,000 men at mq*t, “of whom tho largest part arc colonial troops without any fighting Amine.’’ A icc-Admiral Kirchoff wrote on Thurs(la\ ;—What can 153 transports bring? Hardly more than one army corps, if they bring with thorn horses and guns and tho necessary ammunition and supplies. Together with the troops already in tlie neighbourhood that would make some two army corps in nil. Very well, let thorn land at Saws, Tenedos, Mytilene. Smyrna, and so on. Our Allies in tho south can everywhere await them patiently and well armed, and are ready to receive them. The Turco-German brotherhood in arms will continue to show itself iu the best light, both on the water and on lamb Tho Tagliche Rundschau declared that the landing force was sure to be insufficient, that the Turkish army was superior “not only in numbers but also in moral strength,” and thnt tlie abilities of General d’Amacle “could be regarded as small, since othonviso ho would bo commanding in France.” Tho journal proceeded From every point of view one can regard tho undertaking of the lauding army at the Dardanelles Avith liUle anxiety. It can already ho predicted that success is not within the range of possibility. Tho newly-formed Turkish Fifth Army, which, under the command of Marshal Liman von Sanders. is to defend tin? Dardanelles against the landing army, and tho first armA under Goltz before Constantinople. will do their part in making success impossible. The naval attack will he met by insuperable difficulties. In consequence of the milure of the Avater way and of tho land, as well ns the modern art of fortifkntion, all the vosoinces of an enemy 11 rot will be in vain. The aggrosors can qbUiiu nothing but the heaviest losses.