The record-union., 1897-04-25
Creates Surprise in Official Circles o.
Great Britain.
The Sending of Osman Pasha to the
Front Not Expected to Result in
Remarkable Development, as He
Will be Hampered by the Sultan's
Jealous Determination to Direct
Military Operations.

! 1897, by the Associated PreSS).-The
last few days in the Graeco-Turkish
war have developed a dramatic situa-
ton The sudden removal of Edhem
Pasha, the Turkish Commander-in-
| Chief, and the fact that he has been
replaced by Osman Pasha, the hero of
Plevna, has caused great surprise, in
view of the glowing accounts which the
correspondents in the field sent out of
| Edhem Pasha's brilliantly conceived
| plan of campaign, which was reported
as working like a machine, and gave
| the world the impression that Turkey
| had found in him a second Won Moltke.
| 1t is said now that Edhem Pasha is
in disgrace; that he has had little pre-
vious experience in warfare; that he
! is a creature of Izzet Bey, and he fell
when that favorite of the Sultan went
down. 1t is also stated that the Sui
tan has hitherto been afraid to send his
| best Generals, such as Achmet, Fuad
and Reschid Pasha, to the front, they
/ being instead kept in the remote prov
| inces.
| No remarkable development, how
ever. is expected from the appointment
| of Osman Pasha to command the
! Turkish forces operating against the
| Greeks in Thessaly, as, apart from the
dangers of swapping horses at the pres
ent critical juncture, Osman Pasha will
be hampered by the Sultan's jealous de-
| termination to direct the military OPP
erations from the Yildiz Kiosk.
| The great value of Osman Pasha's
presence at the front is his popularity
with the army. Osman Pasha has vir-
| tually been a prisoner in the YildiZ
Kiosk. The Sultan dreaded his popular
| ity. although he used it as a protection,
always having Osman Pasha accom-
pany him on his weekly drives upon the
occasion of the Selamlik, when the Sui
tan himself, sallow, scared, misera-
blelooking figure, sat facing the
horses. with his grizzled, resolutelook
ing old Marshal opposite him. In his
position as Palace Marshal, Osman
Pasha had to seal every dish served the
Sultan, and never left the grounds of
the palace without imperial permits
| sion.
Said Eddin Pasha, who is to succeed
Ahmed Hiiz Pasha in command of the
Turkish army at Janina, is the General
the Sultan sent to Crete in December
| last to carry out the reforms there in
| ambassadors, however, demanded Said
| Eddins recall, and after a threat from
the Powers of serious measures if the
| demand was refused the Sultan yield
ed and Said Eddin was recalled.
| Advices received here from Constan-
tinople say that the war news in Turk
ish papers is very meager and alto
gether fails to give an idea of the
| aIycf he
Turkish loss, which must be consider
able. The Turkish authorities are
equally reticent and the foreign en-
| bassies are destitute of impartial news,
and win be 50 until the military at
taches arrive at the seat of operations
| The Cabinet council at the Yildiz
| Kiosk yesterday discussed the enroll
ment of volunteers and decided that as
| the treaty of Berlin forbids the use of
| rregulars, all the volunteers must
wear the Turkish uniform and serve
under regular officers appointed by the
Government. Out of 10000 Albanian
volunteers, one-half have accepted
these conditions, and the others. who
refused, have been sent home An Off
cial report gives the entire number of
| Turkish troops under arms as being
357 900, of which PIT 900 are in Euro
pean Turkey.
| From Athens it is said that discon-
| tent exists there at the fact King
| George has not yet started for the
| front. His reserve is considered ex-
cessive.
| The feeling a Athens against Russia
| still runs high. The Greek Govern
ment has rejected Russia's offer to pro-
| tect the Greek orthodox in Turkey.
/ Russias eagerness to do so having
caused doubts as to her motives and
| the Government of Greece has now
| begged Great Britain to protect the or
| thodox 1t is understood that in a
message, which the King is preparing
he will invite all Greeks throughout
! the world to make sacrifices of money.
as well as blood
The rumor in Athens to-day that the
Greek warships were preparing TO
make dash through the Dardanelles
| caused much interest in military and
naval circles. 1t was pointed ont that
/ the bombardment of small ports on the
| Albanian and Macedonian coasts does
not require powerful ironclads. such as
the Psara, Hydra and Spetzia and
| these may try to run the gauntlet of
| the Turkish ships and forts in the
straits. If only two of them succeed
| in getting through, the effect of their
appearance in the Bosphorus would be
incalculable. 1t is quite certain that
with their present armament the Turk
ish warships would be powerless
against them.
The Greek army at present is suffer-
ing from lack of medical supplies. The
chloroform is already exhausted and
nurses, medicines, clinical thermome-
ters. lint and surgical appliances are
needed.
The attitude of the various Balkan
States is closely watched in political
circles Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria
is playing his own game, and is deter
mined to profit to the utmost by T11r-
keys stress, apparently needless of adj
| vice even from Russia.
The Servian Minister at Paris. in an
| interview, describes Servia's attitude
as being one Of strict neutrality. He