Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1897-04-23
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War Declared AtLast.

iioii inc ueElunlnR. ne COW
ardly mOdus vivendis that kind of
time-serving convention, which
considered solely'tlioir own fears
and self interests and belittlcd iii.
plomacy to such paltry game, de-
served no other issue, could have
had no other, Two hostile armies
facing each other like bulldogs OH
the Thcssalan border, could not
long refrain from flying at each
others threats. The declaration
of war by Turkey eXcitcs no sur
prise; it only ends u suspense.
The porte claims that the Greeks
some days ago began hostilities
by the action of their irrcgulars in
penetrating Macedonia and attack
ing various minor Turkish posts,
responsibility for which the Greek
Government disavOws. The latter
on the other hand, lays the onus
OH the Turks, who on Friday night
advanced into Thessaly, which adj
vance resulted in "a sharp conflict
between bodies Of the regular
troops at Npzeros, o town lying
immediately under the shadow of
Mount Olympus, the fable home of
the greater gods of the ancient
Greeks. The advance of the Turks
OH Larissa, where tho main body
of the Greek army is posted, is ex.
pected at the time of this writing
and a pitched battle of considera-
BILE magnitude seems to be iuinent.
Edhem Pasha, the Turkish com.
mander, saw service tn the Turco.
Russian war as colonel and bri-
gadc commander, but has had no
experience in the leadership of q
large army, though lie is credited
with considerable military talent.
Prince Constantine, who is at the
head of the Greek army, has
military training which is
purely that Of the academy and
drill ground, and there seems to
be no general under him who has
had a different experience. In
numbers the Turkish army of adj
vance outnumbers the Greek fore
eS considerably, and there is rea.
son to expect that at the outset ut
least the Hellencs may get the
worst Of it. The latter, however,
have reason TO look for very eff.
Gent help from their large bodies
of irregulars, which have been
pouring into Macedonia and Epi.
rus. 1t is stated in the Dispatch.
es that revOlts have been already
melted by these propagandists in
many places, and that the tide of
uprising against Turkish rule
promises to swell into great vol
nme.
The actual condition of affairs
cannot at this .juncture be intelli-
gently estimated. The facts that
the fighting will he in Hellenic
territory; that the whole of the ma
ton is OH fire with passionate ell
thusiasm; that the Greeks know
the country thoroughly, and that
they can effect the most danger
Gus and effective diversions i'm the
Turkish rear-these things will
go far to neutraliZe the advantage
of numerical superiority on the
part OF the enemy, even if the
whole Turkish army is modified
and sent to the front. The same
strategical advantages which were
on the side Of the Confederates in
our late war will favor the Hell.
lenes.
All that the great powers, which
have stupidity allowed affairs to
drift into the present status of war,
can do now is to look on, striving
to localize the conflict as far as
may be. Whether they will be
able to do that is matter of in.
teresting speculation. No one
Will be surprised to hear any day
that the conhagration has fred
the Balkan provinces, and if this
occurs it is probable that the be.
ginning of q far more extended
conflict will have been made.-N.
Y. Journal.