The herald., 1897-03-31
FRONTIER
FIGHTING
The Greek Forces Glad to
Retire
TURKEY Is WELL PREPARED
TO RESIST INCURSIoN BY RAW
RECRUITS
TURKEY is WELL PREPARED
Warlike Enthusiasm Can Scarcely
Prevail Against Big Battalions.
Cavalry and Heavy Artilltry
Associated Press snecial Wire.


CONSTANTINCPLE, March 30.-Re-
ports from Turkish headquarters at
Elassona say the Greek leader, Alexis
Tahi, brother of the famous chieftain,
crossed the frontier into Macedonia on
Sunday, accompanied by about $500 fol-
lowers, near Grevna.
The Greeks engaged the advanced post
of the Turkish troops, commanded by
German officer. The Turks lost twelve
men killed and had twenty wounded, in
GLIDING the German officer. The loss OF
the insurgents is not known They sub
sequently returned across the border
into Greek territory
The Greeks, it is believed, greatly un-
derestimate the strength of the Turk
ish forces in Macedonia and Epirus.
Edhem Pasha, the Turkish commander
in-chief, now has at his disposal about
100000 fighting men and 300 Krupp guns.
He also has an ample supply of am
munition, a fair commissary, and his
medical staff and hospital corps are in
satisfactory condition. All of the
strategic points on the frontier are occu-
pied, defended by newly thrown up
earthworks and other defenses and are
supplied with powerful batteries of ar
tillery. To attack this line of defense,
it is understood, the Greeks cannot mus
ter more than $4,000 men. mostly irregu-
lar, although some estimates have II
here that the Greeks may be able to
muster $4,000 men in all. counting the
hastily armed peasantry and the raw re-
cruits and rough reserves, which they
have been pushing forward to the front
ier for a month past This force is
known to be weak in cavalry and espec-
tally so in artillery, in which arms the
Turks are overwhelmingly strong. 1t is
true that the Greeks are animated with
a war-lke spirit and degree of enthu-
siasm rarely before witnessed, but war
like enthusiasm cannot prevail against
big battalions and heavy and numerous
batteries of artillery. Thus it is that the
Turkish officials are calmly awaiting
the outbreak of war, if war is to come,
confident that. every step possible has
been taken to meet the emergency.
AS to the Crstan situation proper, it
is understood that the admirals in COM
mand of the foreign fleets in Cretan
waters are of the opinion that now that
Greece has virtually completed her war
preparations on the frontier of TheeSaly,
a blockade of the principal Greek ports
would be useless, thus bearing out the
forecasts previously made in these dis
patches that the refusal of Great Britain
to take active part in the blockade of
Greece might lead to the collapse of that
scheme to prevent an outbreak of hos
tilities. Under these circumstances all
the efforts of the ambassadors of the
powers here are now being directed
toward prevailing upon the Turkish
government to advise;the sultan to with
draw the Turkish troops from Crete, as
another sop to Greece and as another at
tempt to prevent war, and In addition
the ambassadors are endeavoring to pre-
vail upon Greece and Turkey to agree to
the establishment of neutral zone be-
tween the opposing Turks and Greeks on
the frontiers. The ambassadors have
made strong representations to the porte
in favor of permitting the immediate
departure of those of the Museulmans in
Crete who have expressed desire to
en1igrate, and this will probably be a
good time, but as to the withdrawal of
Turkish troops, the sultan has not yet
shown any disposition to submit to that
demand,
The Austrian government, upon the
representations of the porte, has pro-
hibited the expectation from Trieste OF
seven millions of cartridges. which were
in course of shipment to Greece. The
representatives of Greece have protest
ed against this action upon the part of
the Austrian government, claiming it is
illegal and arbitrary, as no state of war
exists. 1t is not likely that the protest
will have any effect. The work of pre-
pairing for the defense of Salonika is
now said to have been completed and all
danger of an attack upon this Turkish
base of supplies is believed to have pass
ed.
FORCES FOR CRETE.
LONDON, March S0-The following
semi official announcement was made
this evening: I'm consequence of the
request of the admirals 1t has been de-
cided that further battalion of 600 men
be forthwith sent to Crete by each pow
er. The Welsh Fusileers at Malta have
been ordered to be ready to sail imme-
diately. Otherwise the situation as re-
CARDS the action of the powers is un-
changed. 1t has not yet been decided
to demand the withdrawal Of the Greek
and Turkish forces from the frontier,
such course appearing impracticable
at the present moment
AIDED THE TURKS
C.ANEA, March 30-The Greeks today
attacked Fort Izzeden, which dominates
Suda Bay. The foreign ironclads bonn
barded the attacking force in support
Of the Turkish garrison. which had 1:
cannon and one mitrailleuse. Finally
detachments OF the foreign troops oc-
cupied the fortress