The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-11-01
THE STRENGTH FTHE TURKS.


MAY Gather AROUND Hhe NuitHh'
From the worldl
Yesterday reporter of the World
had nm interview with an American
who now holds q prominent position i'll
the Turkish army lie said They
have in the field to-day 100000 men,
The regular cavalry consists Of 10000
horse, and the artillery number 10000
men, The rest are infantry All are
full and thoroughly equipped, and with
the most modern pieces,
The Sneider gun was formerly the
reculeS, - g'm, but it is now being
changed lorthe Mortini-Henry and
the Snedcrs are given to the militia
and newly enrolled troops. The inian-
try have the Mmtini-EIenry also, the
Winchester rifle and the latest pattern
inrcyolyers and swords or sWord-bay-
oncts. the cavalry have the same
brecchloadng carbnes or reyolvcrs,
The field batteries are supplied with
Krupp's twelve-pounder breech-loading,
also with the Broadwell guns Of the
same calime. Their mountain batteries
are very fine they have the Whit
worth thrce-pounders fastened upon
the backs ofmules, and they are no con
tract mules either. There are also
eighty Gatlin guns in the army from
the foundry Of Baget Brothers at
Vienna.
Where are their other equipments
manuiacturcdY
Most, if not all their other heavy
guns are of English make. A few of
their swords are of domestic make, but
most of them German. The rifles are
almost entirely American, When it
was proposed to change the regulation
gun, from Sneider to Martini-Ilenry,
the contract was eagerly sought after
both 10y English and American manu-
lecturers, but it was secured here by
old Governor O. L. Winchester Presi-
dent of the Winchester Repeating Rifle
Company, of New Haven. 1t was for
100000 pieces part have been furnished
and the rest are under way.
cover 10000 have been distributed,
10000 being in the hands of the mtille
~ and cavalry. A man with thirteen
charges at his disposal, without having
to stop to reload, is a pretty dangerous
creature. Those repeating rifles are as
much superior to the ordinary breech
loader. as an ordinary breech-loading
oun is to the old muzzle-loading pieces
"What sort of an engineer corps have
they?'
"A large one and a good one. Most
ofthe engineers are Germans especially
the senior officers. Some of the oldest
came over with Won Moltkc, who. YOU
know, surveyed all the military lines,
dofenccs and roads in the vicinity of
Constantinople The Turks at first
thought that Won Moltke was fool
but after they had seen the value of
some of his works they made him chief
of the Typographical department, and
now they prefer German engineer to
any other, and all of his companions
have been advanced one grade-a few
Of them are Hungarians. The artillery
and engineer department is separate
from the army and navy, something as
it used to be in England, and its head,
the grand master of artillery, is one Of
the Cabinet minister's"
What is the condition of their nqvyY
~ consider it second only to that OF
England II consists of twenty-seven
iron.clad ships of English build. and as
completely equipped as any in the Eng.
lish service. There are also about eighty
wooden ships Of the line, all frst-class
as To bnild and equipment They are
manned by at least forty thousand sea
men and marines"
Is this large force we'll disciplinedY
Y es, as we'll as any army in Europe
unless, perhaps you except the Ger
mans. You see that at the age of nine
teen every man is obliged to serve ioi
SIX years in the regular army, or with
the colors, as they call it, The regular
"iilS Is called the Mizam. After THEN
ia years service they 9rS Untitled to q
V!Scciarge, and are attached to the Re
"h Those belonging to the frst-class
reserve, or Cables of the Redif are
oolged to serve two months each y"al
IN the respective provinces to which
tGey belong, They are efficient as reg
ulars' and supply the officers and non
commissioned officers to the irregulars
or Bashi Bazoults. The second class
Nhedlt consists of the older veterans, OIL
Ihose who have been retired from &C
1--WE service. They are on duty only
one month of each year. No Chris
vans are allowed to serve in the army
'ney beng exempt by the payment of :
Rlro'' taX OF about 81 per annum. The
lurkishregiment consists of 1900 men
commanded by Mirli Bey, and it i,
divided into three battalions of l,00C
men, each commanded by q Bimbashe, {
rank equivalent to our major, You SEE
mat they are thoroughly military
people by custom as well MS by nature
iUr they have the fight in them wher
'hey once get aroused, "
=, hat would be the result if some o
'ne European powers should combine
win Russia--that is, how would it aiiec
o'her Mussulman'
Many Of the faith are now Hooking
70 the aid of the Turks from Syria, Bar
o"ry Egypt and other countries. A
Sooh as they arrive they are placed II
camps of instruction for while, thel
|Se' equipped and sent to the front
ana II close pressed, so that the Sulta'
S Ss obliged to bring forth the greel
u"s and the prophets brecches iron
oue mosqueat Constantinople, and max
mn appeal in the name Of the prophe
" ~lu us his successor, all the Mussul
h hashS to man would gather aroun'
mui, and would make no small army
In lhere are seventy millions of them il