New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-28
VIEWED FROM WASHINGTON.
MILITARY OFFICIALS OPINION OF
THE CONTENDING ARMIES.
lRY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.l

lRY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE.l
Washington April Pin Army circles here the
consensus of opinion with respect to the Greco
Turkish war seems TO be that unless some new con-
ditions arise Turkey will in n short time be able
practically TO end the war. A well-informed mill
tary official IN reviewing the situation to-day said
I'm regard to the relative strength of the two
armies TIE Turks greatly outnumber the Greeks.
In peace times the Turks military strength In
round numbers. is 100000 mon. but in war; II they
put forth their best efforts. they could put into the
field possibly 100000 men. Their infantry s armed
with the Mauser and tho Peabody Martini rifles.
the former being exceptionally fine arm of the
latest model Their wetrained artillery have good
modern guns of the Krupp system. Indeed since
It's defea. by Russia the Turkish Army has been
constantly trained under direction OF the best Eu-
ropean military talent. and has been put In
good shape. Baron Degoltz most accom-
plshed German soldier. who to-day commands an
important division of the German Army. and whose
publish d military works are standard textbooks in
all advanced schools of soldiery until two years
ago at the head Of the Turkish military line and
staff esta bshment. Subsequently he left the Turk
ish service declining all profers of further rewards
but the lessons he taught not forgotten by the
Turks who long ago prepared for war. and are to-
day pursuing the German Generals carefully con-
ceived plans of campaign.
THE Greek Army. on the other hand Is by no
means equal either In strength efficiency to the
AT a trife 100000 men at best. Its army is
armed chiefly with the Gras rife a very good
weapon. .43caibre. and partly with the old French
chassepot. What artillery the Greeks have is very
good. consisting of Krupp guns but they have not
a suficiency TO cope with their Turkish enemies
The country TO be fought over is. however,
mountainous. and it is possible that the artillery
will not have as much play az otherwise. Never
theess, if the Turks should succeed in getting their
artillery on to the plains OF Ihessaly they wouid
ha HlxaiN IN MI Wit no
The, Turks have the advantage OF being better 6r
trained and better oficered than the Greeks; Oi
course. TO natural fighting capacity, nothing
could be better than that of both the Greeks ana
IurkS; o IN tne war twenty yfagS ago Sa 't b Rms
slams and the Greeks I'm their last modern war
demonstrated that they good as the Turks.
1T Is difficult to say just what course events VIII
Turks. together with their superior and more
abundant weapons. large and small ought 10 give
Greeks and make the war a one sided affair. But
there are many defensive positions between La.
for some time. even II the great Powers should
I'm any event. the war from military stand
point is likely to be interesting in many re-
spects; The field Of artillery is vastly more i'm,
as yet not practically tested. For example. the
Turks have already used good shrapnel fire at a
infantry weapon viii make its first record in this
war; for In respect to small calibre rifles such Tor
instance as those recently adopted in our Army
cal effect OF their bullets IL rs claimed by some that
they are the most humane Of weapons, inasmuch
as they only puncture and disable tho enemy; and
vet Others none the less scientific insist that the
new weapon is terrible In its effect, having such
Increased velocity that its bullets produce much
the Same effect explosive bullets. This war
will therefore. give the world generally the hrst
definite data the subject.
I'VE may also expect 10 see mucn use maze OF
intrenchments the part Of the Turks II they are
thrown on the defensive. They have always mani
tested much skill and ingenuity in the construc-
ton of that feature of defence. upon which they
seem naturally depend. and even II some limo
cations of some kind may be found against the
increased penetratve power OF the new weapons
now to he tried for the first time In actual war
las to comparative genernlship. II may be said
that Greece has been at peace so many years that
she hardly has any officer experienced In war,
whereas Turkey has n great many veterans OF the
war Of twenty years ago. In fact, Greece Is IN
more ways than one at a disadvantage in respect
TO generalshp. Under the Greek law even colonies
arc not retired before seventy years Of and 1t
is said that the youngest Greek general on the
active list to- day is sixty years or age where
as several are about seventy-fve years old OF
course all wars develop military genius and the
born military leader sometimes gets 10 the front.
1--WE had much the same condition OF things In
our own past wars In fact. in the Mexican War
only about per cent Of the field officers could take
the field and all know what basketfuls of new
commissions were sent TO the front in the early
part OF the War OF the Rebellion But most peace
able nations get into that fix. and we ourselves
have been largely inclined that way for some years
past Indeed only the other day the last military
nomination sent 10 the Senate was that of a first
lieutenant, fifyeight years Of age, to be junior
infantry captain.