GEEECE AND TURKEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5851, 23 April 1897, Page 3

GEEECE AND TURKEY.

HEAVY FIGHTING GOING ON. A. TOWN BUIINISD. A GEE AT BATTLE PEOCEEDING. THE EXCITEMENT IN CONSTANTINOPLE. [Per Press Association.! ATHENS, April 22. The troops guarding the royal palace afc Athens, ;is well as the garrison at Volo, have been ordered to reinforce the Greeks at Larissa. The Greekfl are strongly entrenched to the north and west of Larissa. The Turkish forces under Erihein Pasha, which gained the victory at the Maluna Pass, are marching upon Larissa. The Turkish commander is proceeding "with caution and coolness. He does not expect that the Greeks will offer a stubborn resistance. Heavy firing is going on along the line of route from Tirnovas toZarkos, to the south-west of Larissa. The Turks abandoned Eillippiado, and, before evacuating, burned the town. The entire population of Thessaly is arming in readme/,8 to assist the troops to repel the Turks. The struggle at Karya still continues. Hamdi Pasha's division ha 3 been fighting with great ferocity for the past forty-eight hours. It is expected that the Turks will soon surround the Greeks unless the latter retire. The Greek artillery is making a vigorous attack upon Vogla, a position coirunaucling Tirnovas, and has silenced half the Turkish batteries and captured two outposts. The Greek squadron is bombarding the town of Platamona, on the shore of the Gulf of ISalonica. A magazine has exploded. Later dispatches state that the Greek fleet destroyed the magazines and provision stores at Platamona and Higaria. The squadron is now proceeding to Katarina, some miles north of Platamona. . The G reek artillery destroyed two Turkish batteries at Geros, to the north-east of Elassona in Theaealy, and caused great slaughter among the Turks. The Turks have burnt Sfcrev.na, and are retreating upon Pentepigidia, where a battle is expected. Edhem Pasha is massing his forces at a point some distance to the south of Maluua, in the direction of Larissa, and is concentrating his artillery aud cavalry reserves. Edhem Pasha haa asked for 40,000 troops to reinforce the Turkish divisions on the frontier. The Turkish reserves at Salonica are moving towards Larissa. The Greek batteries afc Arta compelled the section of the Turkish garrison in the forts on the opposite side of the river to retire into the dense forest at the back of the town. There they were shelled by the Greeks. The Turkish garrison was reinforced, and defended the position until nightfall. LONDON, April 22. The Daily Telegraph's war correspondent wires that a great battle is proceeding at Damassi, in a northwesterly direction from Larissa. The Standard's correspondent telegraphs that the excitement which arose among the Greeks and Turks in Constantinople on the outbreak of war is increasing daily, and ifc is feared that serious disorder will ensue. Mr Gladstone, in a letter to the Press, makes reference to the incredible sham and incomparable bungling on the part of the Powers in keeping the Greeks from Crete, which, he says, drove them to Macedonia. CONSTANTINOPLE, April 22. The Sultan has issued an irade instructing the Turkish squadron which sailed under sealed orders to avoid i fighting fche Greek fleet, and remain under the protection of the Turkish forts. ,