MAGNIFICENT, BUT FUTILE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11509, 6 November 1912, Page 5

MAGNIFICENT, BUT FUTILE.

ATTEMPT TO STEM THE BULGAR

ADVANCE,

LONDON Tuesday. Mr Martin Douohoe, the Daily Chronicle correspondent with the Turkish forces at Tchorlu, continuing his dcs cription of the rout following the battles at Lileh Burgas and Bunar Hissar, says:— After the Bulgarian wedge had been driven in between the several wings Mukhtar Pasha retreated in tolerably good order, fiercely contesting the ground and losing heavily;, sacrificing men cheerfully in the hope of giving the shattered half of the Turkish army a chance of re-forming at Tchorlu.

In Muktar's rearguard action the fighting was magnificent. The third division was annihilated. For fivo hours the troops stood their ground ready to die, as the Bulgarians found to their cost when they flung themselves on the Turkish bayoncttes. Heaps of Bulgarian dead covered the ground in front of the third division for half a mile —grim testimony to the fierceness of the struggle.

The remainder of Abdullah's shattered legions wandered across the Thrasian fields, leaderless and hungry, towards Tchorlu. Hundreds perished of wounds, starvation and cold. Men dropped senseless with fatigue, and froze to death.

Abdullah, the Commaiider-in-uhief, was in no better plight than the humblest soldier. Ho arrived at Tchorlu foodlcss.

Mr Douohoe attributes the Bulgarian success largely to their efficient intelligence department and superior artillery. For a month Thrace had. been overrun by Bulgarian spies, and excellent maps had been prepared, so that the artillery was able to take up positions at preascertained ranges. In their preparations the Bulgarians displayed the fineeso of the Japanese.

Abdullah knew the Turkish army was a Colossus with feet of clay; but he did not skirk his duty. Already he is earmarked at a national scapegoat.

The broken Turkish army is crawling up the steep rocky slopes of Tchorlu, over its wide plateua, and down tho other side across the stony valley towards Tchataldeja, while tho Bulgarian cannon is roaring in the rear. Insatiable death takes hourly toll, and the track is paved with the dying. Again the enemy has shown marvellous celerity in pursuit. Its advance guard is never far from the rear of the retreating Turks.

The defence of Chataldeja, from which much is expected, is likely when subjected to the strain to prove a delusion.

Nothing short of the Powers' intervention can prevent King Ferdinand's entry into Constantinople.