TURKEY'S PREPARATIONS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3131, 23 February 1871, Page 3

TURKEY'S PREPARATIONS.

The Constantinople correspondent of the London " Standard" writes, Nov. 22nd :—

Since Sunday last I have had opportimites of seeing the Grand Vizier and some of his Ministers, and, though I cannot enter into particulars, I am able to state on authority that, should the present crisis and in war, Turkey will be found fully prepared to take a prominent and leading part in her own defence. She is very differently situated now from what she was during the Crimean struggle. At that period she had comparatively a weak army, but few guns — and even they were of small account — little or no ammunition and war materiel in store, and a very bad Commissariat Department. Now, all that is altered, Turkey can, in a comparatively short time, put half a million of men into the field, armed with breech loaders, and with a sufficient number of guns of the largest calibre for mandelivering; in short, an army fully equipped in every respect. I have already given you some idea of what they are doing at the two principal Government manufactories at Zeitoun, Burnoo, and Tophanch. Only this morniug I had an interview with Halil Pacha, the Master- General of the Ordnance at the latter place, and I was informed by His Excellency, whose cheerful and happy countenance bore full testimony to his statements, that Turkey was never better supplied with cannons and ammunition, and military stores of all kinds, than she is at this moment. In 1854 " said the Pacha," we had only fifty machines here for manufacturing guns, now we have more than 1,500, and we can turn out as many cannos of the larger calbii'e as we can possibly require." I walked over a portion of the works with his Excellency, who remarked, with i good reason and justifiable pride, aB he

surveyed the results whioh his persevering energy and skill have wrought in Tophanch, " Why in a couple of years this place will be as extensive, and we shall be as able to do as much here as you do at Woolwich." Halil Pacha is, in fact, the creator of this really surprising hive of industry, energy, and skill ; and he is not the man to allow the grass to grow under his feet. On Sunday I rode over to Zeitoun Curnoo, and learnt from Col. Wynne that the greatest activity prevailed there. On Saturday week, the 12th instant, the day after the Russian note was received, both the Minister of War, and the Master General of the Ordnance visited the works, and made sundry arrangements of very important character. In short, I have good reason to know that everything connected with the artillery is in the most forward condition. Guns of the largest calibre, and of the latest construction, are being sent off to the Bosphorous and the Dardanelles, to replace some of the old pieces that were until recently still mounted there ; and I am assured that the submarine defences of the Straits, should any occasion arise for testing their powers, will be found of the most formidable description. An experienced and distinguished naval officer, who saw a great deal of service during the American war, and who had at that time charge of the submarine defences of the James river, is now actively employed in superintending this work, which, from all I hear, will effectually close the two straits against any enemy's vessels that might attempt to enter them.