New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-22
THE PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

The fortunes Of the Greco-Turklsh War 30
fuctuate from hour to hour that Judgment II
baked and pro&Aostcation made worse than
vain The whole aspect OF affairs may be re-
versed at any moment. At present writing It
must be said, as was said yesterday, that the
Greeks are hard pressed in Thessaly, their army
headquarters itself being In peril. while IN Epl-
rus they are victorious, but not sufficiently so
to counterbalance their losses in the east. fhe
operations Of their feet are beginning to appear
Platamona Is being bombarded, and Salonica
lies beyond It. The warship Spetsai. having de-
stroyed the Turkish forts at Prevesa, has hast
ened around to the entrance Of the Gulf Of
Salonica, apparently to keep guard there while
the ships now at Platamona go on and try con-
illusions with the defences Of Salonica itself
or that. news may come at any hour
The Turks are holding the Milouna and neigh.
boring passes, and are pouring their legions
through them into the Thessalian plain, with
the avowed intention OF taking Larissa within
day or two. That Is conceded. But 1t Is just
as certain that the Greeks are holding the Re
veni Pass. not dozen miles away, and arc
massed IN great forco at Damasi, at the Turkish
end Of that pass. They have. moreover, rccapt-
ured Grtzovali. close by the Greek end Of the
question whether Edhem Pacha will venture TO
advance upon Larissa, leaving Greek army Of
10000 or more behind him within easy striking
distance Of Elassona. That he can go forward
with strong enough force to crush the Greek
army at Larissa and yet leave behind n force
sufficient to hold the passes and guard Elassona
is exceedingly doubtful.
AS was expected, the Greeks have begun work
among the islands Off the coast OF Asia Minor.
They have already secured possession Of Nifty
lene and Sclo and will probably proceed against
others, such as Lemnos, Imbros and Samothrace.
The possession Of Lemnos or Imbros would give
them command Of the entrance to the Darda-
nelles, just as the seizure Of Mitylene and Scio
gives them command of the Gulf Of Smyrna.
To acquire these and other Turkish islands Is
not difficult The population is overwhelmingly
Greek, and the Turkish garrsons are small and
cannot be reinforced. That a descent upon
Smyrna or any other point on the Asian coast
Will be attempted is quite improbable. But we
may soon hear of landings on the coast OF Thrace
or Macedonia That ut Kavala the other day
was not successful. but the very fact that It was
attempted, nearly half way to the Dardanelles,
Is we'll calculated to cause the Porte dlsqulet
1t would be premature to conclude that either
Of the combatants will have "walkover' In
this war. The odds Of numbers and material
support are with the Turks. no doubt The
Turks, too are wonderfully fine fighters, and
have capable commanders. and they have the
great advantage Of German artillcrymen and
engineers to aid them. But the Greeks have no
less valor, and are showing some fine leadership.
and they have the great advantage Of superior
sea power. 1t IS too early yet to pick the WIN
ner; for, although the may be fought to a
finish in ten days, its result may be decided on
the tenth day, and even then perhaps at the
eleventh hour.