Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-25
SPLENDID FIGHTING OF THE
 GREEKS.


 The courage and elan of the Greeks. says the NemoYork Journal, have been worthy of their classic ancestors, and show that; they~have not.degenerated in personal valor from that spirit which made some of the episodes of the Greek revolution of little more than half a century since mere like tales of romance than passages o modern warfare. In ferIor in number, deficient in equipment and discipiina poorly supplied with ar tillery of the most advanced modern type, they are making a magnificent struggle. In the l1ardiho9d of the fight ing man they have not fallen short of the Turk. And 1t must be remembered that the Turk of today in this respect has deteriorated but little from the headlong fury of attack and fortitude of endurance which three centuries ago made him the terror eff Europe. To his native courage is added that stimulus which comes of the conviction that death On the battlefield is an instant passport to the glories of Para disc.
 To this semi religious enthusiasm the Greek has opposed the sentim mt of pss- S.0nate patriotism and pride in the tra- ditions of a time-honored name. But mere courage does net determine the is- sue eff war in this age. That the Hell lenic army, with it's efficient equipment and habit of discipline, has been driven back from its line of defense in, the cen- ter of operations, then, is not to be won dersd at God, as Napoleon slid, cyn- ically but truthfully, is on the side of the heaviest artillery. Even should La rissa, toward which Edhem Pasha is now moving, fall after a fierce engagement, it will in no way lessen the glory of the Greek defense; though if the latest report that Larissa has been iradequately for tified is true, it will seriously impair the honor of Greek generalship. In leader ship there can be TO question that the Turks have somewhat outshond the Greeks. and that Edhem Pasha has evinced the qualities of a skillful and daring general in the tactics of the bat tlefield r'
 The plan of the Crack campaign has evidently been based on the passage of the mountains along the western frontier with many detached bodies of troops, mostly ir.: gulsrs. The puTpzlse of pena- tra ing to the rear of the Turkish adH vance, cutting off communloa tions and stirring up rebellion among the Chris itian population Is sound Efnategy, and it has brought out characteristic feaur of Greek dash and valor. These detach- ments have, for the most part, beaten th: enemy and pushed their way inro Macedonia and Epirus. Skirnshing the hat de order which the movements in- volved have mostly assumed, is peculiar ly adapted to display qualities of incl vidual courage and intelligence, and it a1- c,,t af SiSPir11irEa nd military habit. So one is not surprised at notab Greek successes in these mirror operations. That such movements so far have not resubted in the objects hopsd fcr only proves the trucsm that time is an indispensable element in the effect of military operations That 10000 Greeks and the numb=r which have penetrated the Turkish provinces can scarcely fall short of tipat-would be ultimately thorn in the enemy's side cannot be doubted
 Greek valor, however it may shine, will not save the naEion from great immfdl- ate disaster unless it cheeks Edhem's advance, and gives the other facuors which affect the issue of events time to work themselves out. The operations or the Greek fleet thus far have had no se- riOuS Influence. The capture Ol NHlOa and Mitylene and ,he bombardment or Praveza, on the w,st coast, and of Plat amona, on the easf coast, count but lit tie. A successful attack on Salonica, on the other hand, would be a vital factor in the strategy of the campaign, for i's success would cut Turkish communica- tions and endanger the whole Turkish army. Tils will probably be the III Nt objetdtive point of the naval armament, and it may put an en irely dafferent race on the whole situation.
 IA hopeful thought is suggested in the demands of the Bulgarian governm: nt on the porte, which, in spite of Russian protest has addressed an ultimalnm with the threat of immediate army mobiiaza- ton. This may be the beginning of the long expected disturbance in the Balkans. Should this consummation be reached It would give the Turks Gtheir hands full and greatly lessen the load which the Greeks will have to carry. Turkeys army is not large enough to face Greece on the plains of Thessaly ard the hostility of the Balkan principalities.
 The Advertiser is a little sensitive about any mention being made as to who