Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-25
rur cRAECo-ruRKIsH WAR.

Tho war between Greece and turkey
has not all gone one way. as most OF the
newspaper masters OF logistics predicted
q would. Although the sympathies or
tho civilized world are with the Greeks
I'm the struggle, even the old rule OF the
wjshs being father to the thought ala
not show itself In tho discussion OF the
situation. the outspoken general convic-
,,on seeming 10 be that the Turks would
carry evervthing before them. and make
short work of their gallant adVersaries'
The reasons given for this conviction
vere that the Turks had more men ana
bigger guns and better all-round military
eouipment than the Greeks, and that tho
latter were lacking in generals. But so
far the gloomy outlook for Greece mas not
been altogether justified. The Hehehes
have held their own In a manner that Is
both surprising and gratifying. OWING 10
this and certain signs that are IN the
Balkan skies. their cause can almost be
said 10 be in a sense bright and brighten
ing. The Turks started out 10 oVerruh
their foes, and carry fire and sword INTO
the enemy's country, as did some Oh tilei'
famous SuItans of cd. Yet neither ADJ
dull Hamid nor any one or the seheia
has nroyed an Amurath, SeliIn, or
Solyman. or even a Mahmud ii. The
Turkish plan of campaign was conceh'rd-
ton upon the Thessalian border, rush
over the plains of Thessaly, and then on
TO Athens. But the desperate invading
tide was rolled back in crimson waves
al various points, and the invaders learn
al that the blood of Marco BoZzaris SUI
coursed i'm Greek veins. Indeed the re-
suit OF the first great onsets showed 'hd'
had the Powers kept faith with Greece
and secured to her the strategic boundary
they guaranteed her under the treaty OF
Rcrlin. but of which she was robbed by
Austria Hungary, It is probable no IurA
would have been able TO set foot on ines
salian soil.
The latest news from the campaign IN
Tbessaly is. it IS true, somewhat dis
couraging for the Greek cause. The Greek
forces are represented as having met with
q serious reverse, which necessitated the
abandonment of Larissa, and as pelnS III
retreat But it may be still far cry
from Larissa to Athens, as II was lar
cry from the Potomac TO Richmond III
ls6l-'e5. Meantime, so far as the lal
Of I.arlssa is concerned, the Greeks are
promising to give the enemy Rowland
for their Oliver in the movement or the
70
soma. and the Greek commander In Epirus
is cutting a wide swath through tha'
territory. In other words, on the east
the Greeks are menacing the rear oil the
Turkish Thessalian army of INVASION ana
on the west are threatening TO make
some such movement as that maze py
"StonewalW Jackson when he struck NC
Clellan's right In front of Richmond
and forced the Federal commander 10
seek safety under cover Of his gunboats.
Whether this is generalship or not only
results can prove.
Other considerations that must be
counted in favor of Greece in studying
the situation are that, in addition 10
the flaw in the Balkans neutrality pact
made by Bulgaria, Servia is asking OF
the Porte pointed questions regarding
q disturbance on the servian poruer'
Macedonia is at last showing signs Oh
restlessness. and four battalions OF TURK
ev's Albanian soldiers are said TO nave
mutinied and gone over to the Greeks
Such a mutiny need surprise no one, and
should there be a widespread Albanian re-
volt as has been feared by Turkey, we
would be likely 10 hear, through Monte
nepro of further weakening Of the Bal
kan peace league.
II will not, therefore, do TO conclude
that the fall Of Larissa and the retreat
of the Greek army in Thessaly means
that all is lost. Even if the Greek re-
verse should prove worse than the tele-
graphic reports up TO date indicate what
with the movements of the eastern ana
western Greek columns, the necessity OF
watching Turkeys Balkan neighbors and
! the seeds of revolution known to exist IN
| Macedonia, it will be no easy thing 10
50 reinforce the Turkish army in Thessaly
as TO render it safe TO make vigorous
and aggressive pursuit of the retreating
legions. Fer the rest, 1t may be said that
| Fabian tactics have been successful be-
fore this, and the longer the conflict Is
continued, the greater are the chances
that the Balkan ire of hatred Of the Turk
will blaze out