The Indianapolis journal., 1897-04-16

Zarkos is held by a strong force of Greek
regulars, infantry. cavalry and artillery.
and forms the center or a first line of de-
fense which includes all the villages in
that vicinity. Until recently the Turks had
the best positions on the frontier, their
well-built. strongly defended and admirably
placed blockhouses being In plain view
from the Greek lines. The irregulars. how
ever, have made a decided change in the
situation. In the rear of the Turkish first
line of defense, it should be remembered. is
rough, mountainous country. difficult TO
traverse even i'm time of peace while in the
rear of the Greek first line of defense are
rich plains. affording no shelter for troops
resisting the advance of the powerful in
vading force The weakest parts of the
frontier are east of DamaSi to the Gulf of
Salonica and in the vicinity of Arta.
POSSIBLE SCENE OF BATTLE.
The river Salambria Peneus. along the
northern part of Thessaly is likely. if the
Turks invade Greece TO be the scene of
some good fighting. All the bridges have
been mined, and the fords and shallow
places are being looked after. At Kont
Dochero the bridge was swept away by
floods some time ago, and has been replaced
by a military bridge, consisting of eleven
pontoons. picketed at both ends Every
strategic point is held by troops, soldiers
are TO be seen everywhere "a, the horses
and cattle have been requisitioned for the
use OF the army, and the drilling of the
*.
Cavalry patrols cover all the frontier, but
the Greeks. in the Christian peasants on
the other side of the frontier have an in
telligence department which no money or
skill could organize and the Greek COM
manderS are kept well informed of all that
is going on across the frontier. Kalam-
baka- on the Greek left, not far from the
Albanian frontier, is another important po-
sition of the Greeks. A military road from
<alambaka to VeiemitZa, on the frontier.
has just been completed. AT Velemtza are
OnlV from Halanman
the Greeks have six thousand men in that
vicinity ready to meet Turkish advance.
On the Turkish side there is no road be-
yond Vaskalia, where some six thousand
Turkish troops are stationed. This coun-
try and these passes are said to be the
when he crossed to the destruction of
Thebes. The Greeks are depending greatly
Tor mountain work on the Eusonia, or
srmed mountaineers of Greece. whose
strength, skill and endurance are well
known. IL is from this class of men that
the irregulars now doing so much valuable
work in Macedonia have been drawn.
At Trikhala there is another Greek army
corps numbering about six thousand men.
In all the Greeks have about eighty thou
sand regulars and some twenty thousand
irreGulars on the frontier but they count
great deal on reinforcements TO their ar
mics through risings in Epirus, Albania and
Macedonia.
10000 good. well-equipped troops in line.
OF these forty-four battalons are Redifs,
raised III Rumella, in all about 80 600 men.
Tho are divided into two reserve divisions.
AT Monastir flying columns have been
formed to watch the Servian frontier, and
all the supplies possible are being pushed
forward to the three Turkish divisions at
Elassona. Grevena and Janina. The Turks
are weak in cavalry. having only about
eight thousand mounted men on the from
tier They are however. very strong in ar
tillery and infantry. The transport corps
is well organized. field telegraphs have been
laid between all important points. artesian
wells have been bored at Elassona and the
broken bridges in Macedonia have been re-
paired as much as possible. The Turkish
forces at Salonica have constructed line
of redoubts round the gulf and down the
Aegean coast TO Katerina Krupp and
Armstrong guns have been mounted behind
those defenses and a line of thirty torpe-
does has been laid across the bay from
Cape KARI. The discipline of the Turkish
troops is beyond praise. The Greeks, how
ever. are not in anything like the state OF
efficiency of the Turks. although they NAV
at present seem TO be animated by more
warlike enthusiasm.
Mrs. Ormiston Chant the English social
reformer. and the six trained field nurses
who are said to be on their way to Crete
have arrived at Athens, and. it is stated
Will reach this town in company with the
princesses of the royal family of Greece
tomorrow. Or arriving here. Mrs. Chant
the English nurses (who came under the
auspices of the Red Cross Society and the
! princesses will be attached TO the hospital