Balkan War

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5156, 13 November 1912, Page 5

Balkan War

Constantnople, November 12. Reuter’s Adrianople correspondent sent out a wireless message to the effect that after a bombardment on Friday and Saturday the Bulgarians ceased firing. The Turkish Commandant then announced that he had repulsed the Bulgars round Marash. Thirty cases of cholera arc reported daily amongst the defenders at Chataldja. The Daily News correspondent at Silivrie, at the Sea of Marmora, 25 miles from Constantinople, slate that eight thousand Turks got cut of hand at Tchorlu, seized bread in the bakers’ shops, and killled a dozen tradesmen who protested against Lie raid. they aiao killed some citizens for their money. The road from Silivrie is littered with thousands of carts and tents, hundreds of ammunition wagons, thousands of live shells, and hundreds of dead and dying horses.

An unconfirmed report is current that General Memdoh Bey, Military Governor of Constantinople, lias been court-martiallfd and shut for attempting to incite the garrison to massacre the Christians, and to restore the deposed Sultan Abdul Hamid to the throne. The Porte on learning that 2000 Kurds were on the warpath, invited them to a religious service at the Mosque of St. Sophia. The Kurds were then surrounded and sent to the front. London, November 12. It is reported by Reuter’s Constantinople correspondent that the Powers have agreed to p round-table conference, in which the Balkan States will participate. The Powers have, ho telegraphs, approached the belligerents to ascertain on what terras they will cease hostilities. Meanwhile Austria is endeavouring to learn Servia’s pretensions before entering the conference. M. Daneif, president of the Bulgarian Parliament, is conferring with Count Berchtoid, Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the German Ambassador at Buda Pesth.

Servia is reported to be determined to reach a seaport befoie negotiating for a settlement conjointly with her allies. Belgrade, November 12. Reports from Uskub state that the Servian vanguard has reached the Adriatic, Fighting has proceeded recently in the Sandjak of Novi Bazar between the Servian Ibar River column and 12,0U0 Turks defending the positions. Three hundred Turks were killed and 7UU wounded. The Servian casualties were 500 killed and wounded.

• Six Krupp guns, 57 quick-firers, 5000 rifles, and much ammuniton were captured. The inhabitants of Dajran disarmed (he Turkish soldiers, and welcome the Servians with enthusiasm. Thousands of soldiers are now prisoners. Montenegrins and Servians in the Drin Valley are jointly marching on Durazzo.

The Poltka, Belgrade, states that a portion of this force has reached Alessoi, which is already in the hands of the Servians.

A party of Montenegrins has landed to seize the artillery on the northeast shores of Lake Scutari. The Turkish officers at Salonika have been allowed to retain their swords on 'promising to take no further part in the war. Constan nople, November 12. The attack on the Chatalda lines has been lesuraed. The number of wounded arriving in Constantinople indicates fierce resistance.

Cholera has broken out among the assailants.

Sofia, November 12. The Bulgarians are routing the Turks in a aeries of fierce fights.

They advanced towards Salonika. Received D.15 a.rn., 13th. London, November 12.

The Daily Telegraph’s Uskub correspondent reports that a pitched batile was fought in a defile by the highway. Owing to the difficult nature of the pass the Servians used only two mountain guns. The Turkish force consists of thirty-five battalions with light mountain guns entrenched in a position of enormous strength. Part of the Crown Prince’s army was ordered through the pass to dislodge the enemy.

The Monastic defile, through which the Servians were compelled to approach the trenches, was so narrow that only one battalion could be employed. The firing line of the Fifth Regiment furnished the first line, but despite heroic bravery the men were repulsed with heavy loss. Fresh troops had a similar experience throughout Monday. Two mountain guns were on Monday night carried over the pass and dug into the hillside where they could fire on the Turkish trenches.

The Servian attempt was renewed at daylight on Tuesday. The Seventeenth Regiment, despite fearful losses, captured a rugged steep hill commanding part of the Turkish defences.

The Turks desperately attempted to retake the hill, considering it the key to the position, hut were repulsed with great carnage. The ground was strewn for miles with the dead and dying.

Received Midnight, 12th. London, November 12.

The Daily Telegraph states that continued darkness enabled the Servians to gain further positions by the use of the bayonet. The ground was covered with ice and snow and the hardships were terrible. At dawn on Wednesday a fresh force of Servians was occupied as a firing line, two guns supporting a determined attack. For some hours the issue hung in the balance, the Turks tenaciously holding the trenches. Finally the Servians advanced towards the delile within three hundred yards of the Turks and charged. The Turks threw boulders, crushing scores, but the Servians clambering on the face of a deadly fire sprang in upon the trenches, huyonetting and smashing tho Turks with clubbed rifles, when tho bayonets snapped. Soon the enemy were in full flight, tho scene being an appalling one. Many scores of dead and wounded lav in the trenches and the snow was trodden and transformed into crimson mud.

The fugitives then joined the garrison at Monastir, forming a total of 45 battalions with forty guns. Vienna, Novemner 12. Demonstrations in favour of the Balkan States are frequent in the southern Slav parts of Austria-Hun-gary. The municipality of Spalato arranged a torchlight procession, in which the Hags of the Balkan States were carried and a Servian hymn sung. At Agrag King Peter was cheered as King of Crotia. M. Danefl interviewed the Emperor Franz Joseph. It is understood he is seeking to elfect a compromise between Austria and Servia. Received 9.40 a.m., 12th. Cettinje, November 12. The bombardment of Tarabocsh continued on Sunday evening. The Turks were driven to the highest points. Desperate from exposure, intensified by snow and lack of: food, the garrison attempted to force its way to Scutari, hut the Montenegrins drove them back. Buda Pcsth, November 12. M. Daneff’a mission is interpreted as an indication that Bulgaria is smypathetic to the Austrians’ sensitiveness regarding Servian claims to Albania, which were not part of the Allies’original programme. Bulgaria is now determined to insist on Albanian autonomy.

i Vienna, November 12. The Emperor Franz Ferdinand goes to Berlin at the end of next week to consult the Kaiser regarding the Triple Alliances’ action. Sofia, November 12. Turkish prisoners working on the construction of the railway connection between the arsenal and the main line and making ammunition and ox waggons, are being paid a franc per day.