The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-15

displayed the most arrant cowardice
There is no measure to the Greek dis
aster. Guns and ammunition wagons
have been abandoned The Crown Prince
fled at 9 O'Clock yesterday afternoon in
the utmost fear of being captured by the
Turkish cavalry BY all accounts they
were close at his heels Only another
hour or two and Edhem might have
brought off his greatest coup.
II entered the town of Larissa by the
public garden, amid the delicious scent
of laburnums The trees and flowers
everywhere looked divine after our expe-
rience of the dusty roads from Elassona.
The place was cool and calm. The town
has an almost italian aspect; it's houses
are OF strcco, painted many colors, and
very dirty. There are traces of former
Turkish rule in the handsome mosques
and the innumerable minarets scattered
about the town.
with young Turkish lieutenant
went to visit his uncle, Mussulman of
good standing in Larissa, and this morn
ing named the new Civil Governor.
We had an interesting interview, but he
had not very much news to give me, as
he has not been able to leave his house
during the past fortnight The explana-
ton of this was the enimty of the
Ethnike Hetairia. All the Turks in the
town have been in terror for their lives.
II visited the Town Hall, where are
| tho or o,tcyc Of ha ,L<,a 1,,aI
the place. He is an old man, of tanned
complexion, grizzled with years of cam
paigning, with very good natured air.
Modestly he said to me: My success is
due to luck alone. We happened to be COM
ing along, and we walked into the town.
There was no fighting. They ran away.
was in the right place-that was all.
i saw dozen prisoners . ridiculously
pleased at their captivity. One fell on
the neck of an old friend, Turkish Off
Ger, and embraced him. The Turks and
the Greeks fraternized as if each had not
just been trying to kill the other. The
Turkish army, in word, entered the
town in the guise Of friends rather than
conquerors. Turkish sentinels were
placed at the corner of every street and
before all the chief houses. This was
scarcely necessary. The Greeks and nom
combatant refugees in the town were not
molested, and when they discovered this
began to walk about the streets.
"As the mass of our troops entered the
town this evening the Mussulman inhab-
itants came out of their houses and re-
ceived them with the widest joy. Never
have 1 seen such enthusiasm. There were
salutes, handshakings, embraces, kisses.
Much against my will was kissed upon
both cheeks. Then was dragged to a
cafe and compelled to drink All pay,
ment was refused because I wore fez.
MANY of the soldiers met friends,
brothers and children. Grizzly privates
who a month ago were citizens of Laris-
sa, but had been driven away by the
Greeks to Salonica, where they volun-
teered for service with the Turks, are
now in their own homes once more. This
explains the bearing of the Turks. 1t was
their home coming
"Among the Turks there is great sur
prise, indignation, and even disappoint-
ment at the retreat of the Greeks. Our
men were ready for stiff fight, and they
expected better things from their enc
mics. Their Disappointment clearly shows
the high spirit of the army. From Ed
hem Pasha to the lowest subaltern, every
one is asking why the Greeks provoked
the war, only to run away.
Perfect discipline is maintained, as it
has been throughout the war, by the vic
torious army. Nothing can be more
wonderful than the self-restraint of the
much belied Turk There is none of the
intoxication of victory, and there have
been no excuses on the Turkish side.
II rode through the whole town with
out seeing a single instance of violence or
pillage. can assert on the evidence of
my own eyes that no army in the world
could surpass the order and moderation
of the soldiers