TUREO-GERCIAN WAR

West Coast Times, Issue 10552, 24 April 1897, Page 3

TUREO-GERCIAN WAR

[Per United PREfefeAssbciltf ion.] CONSTANTINOPLE, April 22. Tile SuHian"nas issued an' mute- instructing the Turkish squadrou, which sailed under sealed orders, to avoid fightthe Greek -flfcfcfc arid 'remain traded protection of the Turkish forts. London, April 22. The Standard's c6rrespt3ntlehfc telegraphs that the excitement which arose among the Gr.eek;S Arid Turk? in iCIoU stantinople on tte outbreak of war is increasing daily. IB is feared serious disorder will ensue. Gladstone, in a letter to the [press, makes reference to the incredible shame and incomparable bunglingjpn the part of the Powers keeping the Greeks from Crete tfhich he says drove them tq Macedonia. • V The war has caused the hardening of the English wheat market, prices being Is* to Is 6d higher. f' K ~- x / The Daily Telegraph's war "icprrea- . pondent wires a great batfcle is pro \ ceeding at Damassi, north-wester iy frdni'Larissa. ' ' , <■' % V Athens, April 22. s Troops guarding the Royal Palaek at Athena, as w.eltak 1 the garrison at Valu, have be^n di'd^ered to. reinforce" Greeks at Larisaa."' *) , ' The Greets are istt'ougly entrenched north and west df Jidnssa. ' The Tiirkirife f orceß under Bdhem Pqsha, whi,ch gaibiect the victory at Malona, are marching Updn

Larissa. The Turkish commander^ is proceeding with caution and coolness. But does [not expect the Greeks to offer a' stubborn resistance at Larissa. Heavy fighting is going on along £he line of route from Tirnovas to - Zarkos southwest of Larissa. The Turks have abandoned Fillippiado and before evacuating burned the town. Edhein has asked for forty thousand 1 troops to reinforce Turkish divisions on the frontier. Turkish reserves at Salonica are moving towards Larissa. Greek batteries at Arta compelled a section of- ffie* Trirkish s fil the forts on the opposite side of the river ijp re'tl^"&iß' ! a d^nse forest at the back 6£ the iowa. There ,#iey were shelved |by the Gueeks. The garrison was reinforced and' defended uhe position unttl-'nigTitfaU •' Tlte 'e'niire population of Thessaly is arising in. ijeadjness, to assist troops to repeVthe Turks. The struggle, at Kerya s6ill continues. Ham£d Pasha's division has been fighting 'wlt^h great ferocity for" the past fortyeig^t hours. It is expected the Turks wilj. soon surround the Greeks unless the latter retire. ' The 1 Greek-artillery is making a vigorous attack upon the Vogla position commanding Tirnovas. They have, silenced half the Turkish bajbleries and captured two outposts. Ths Greek squadron, is bombarding the town of Plafcamona on the shores of the Gulf of Salonica. A magazine has exploded. • - . ' ' Later despatches state the Greek fleet destroyed magazines and provision stores at Platamona and Higaria. The squadron is now proceeding to Katarina some miles north of Platricftona. The Greek artillery destroyed two Turkish: 'batteries at' Gerbs; ribrth-east of" Elassona in Thessaly and caused great slaughter among the Turks. T v he Turks have burnt Strevina and' are retreaf ing upon Pentipigidia, where a battle- is expected. , Edhem' Pasha is massing forces at a

point some distance South of Malutlaltt the direction of Larissa and is concentrating his artillejy and cavalry reserves. The Greeks made a desperate attempt yesterday to recapture Maiuna pass but were repulsed with tremendous loss. The Greeks have re-occupied Palagora, on the Gulf of Arta. Taking advantage of the present situation Servia is agitating for the cession of a Tnrkishport, while Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria threatened to mobilise the Bulgarian army unless writs for the election of five bishops of the orthodox Greek Church were granted. The threat proved effective for the Sultan has yieffled and is ordering $he issue of the writs. Colonel Vasaos states the Cretan insurgents are likely to attack the positions held by the forces of the Powers unless the blockade is raised. Larissa reports tb?t 400 members of the foreign legion, including 28 Englishmen, have proceeded to the frontier, the English singing national war songs. The town of Larissa is over-crowded. Food iB scarce, and the hospitals full of Greek wounded who are arriving hourly. The roads are blocked by fugitives from the villages carrying their household goods. Many pitiful scenes were witnessed. The London Daily Telegraph correspondent states no incident of the campaign compares with the scene for pathos and tragedy. The Greeks on Wednesday fortified Kritiri but lost the summit in the retreat from Maluma Pass. The Turks from the opposite side of the ravine kept up a terrific f usd'ade. The Greeks attempted to storm the Turks' position but were repulsed with great loss. Dejelle Pasha, one of the Turkish generals, was killed. The struggle was renewed at other points on the plain the Turks driving the Greeks ahead. The artillery at a range of 2000 yards j was most effective. The Greeks, retreating from Maluma Pass, rallied atMatiand repulsed the Turks with great loss. The ships composing the Greek Eastern squadron are bombarding Katuira, on the Gulf of Salonica. Heavy firing is going on. They have destroyed the telegraph lines, magazine and stores. The western squadron has sailed for Epirus. It is believed that its presence there will promote a risingof Albanians in support of. the Greeks. The Governor of Heraklion, in Crete, reports five thousand Cretan insurgents ure massed in the vicinity of the town which he fears they intend to attack. The forces of the Powers in town are inadequate while the Turkish c troops have no field guns and portion of the warships are unable to eflectually fire on the attackers.