The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-04-22
FRONTIER FORCES COMPARED.
Description OS the Forces of tn
Greeks and Turks.

Ureeks anu IurkSs
Larissa, April 15.-The river Salam-
briapenus, along the northern part of
Thessaly is likely, if the Turks invade
Greece, to be the scene of some good
lighting. All the bridges have been
mined and the fOrds and shallow places
are being looked after. At Kont
Dochero the bridge was swept away by
floods some time ago and has been re-
placed by military bridge, consisting
of eleven pontoons, picketed at both
ends. Every strategic point is held by
the troops, and soldiers are to be seen
everywhere. All the horses and cattle
have been requisitioned for the use of the
army, and the drilling of the recruits lasts
from daylight to dusk. Daily patrols
cover adj the frontier, but the Greeks and
the Christian peasantry on the other side
of the frontier have an intelligence de-
partment which no money or skill could
organize, and the Greek commanders are
kept well informed of all that is going
on across the frontier.
Kalambaka, on the Greek left, not far
from the Albanian frontier, is another
important position of the Greeks. A
military road from Kalambaka to Vele-
mitza, on the frontier, has just been
completed. At Nelemitza are the only
passes from Halia Onion valley, and the
Greeks have 5000 men in that vicinity
ready to meet Turkish advance.
On the Turkish side there is no road
beyond Vaskalia, where some 5000 Turk
ish troops are stationed. This country
and these passes are said to be the scene
of the passes of Alexander the Great
when he crossed to the destruction of
Thebes.
The Greeks are depending directly for
mountain work on the Euzonia or armed
mountaineers of Greece, whose skill and
endurance are well known. 1t is from
this class of men that the irregulars, now
doing such valuable work in Macedonia,
have been drawn.
At Trikhala there is another Greek
army corps, numbering about 5000 men,
In all the Greeks have about 1000 regu-
lars and some 10000 irregulars on the
frontier, but they count a great deal on
the reinfOrcements to their arms through
Aisings in Epirus, Albania and Mace
donia.
The Turks, on the other hand, have
about 100000 good, well-armed troops in
line. OF these fortyfour battalions are
reditfs, raised in Roumelia, in all about
10000 men, who are divided into two re-
serve divisions.
At Monastir flying columns have been
formed to watch the Servian frontier, and
all the supplies possible are being
pushed forward to the three Turkish di-
visions at Elassonia, Grevena and Janini
The Turks are weak on cavalry, having
only about 5000 mounted men on the
frontier. They are, however, very strong
in artillery and infantry.
The transport corps is well organized,
held telegraph having been laid between
all important points, artesians wells have
been bored at Elassonia and the broken
bridges in Macedonia have been repaired
as much as possible.
The Turkish forces at Salonica have
constructed line of redoubts around the
gulf and down the Aegean coast to Kate
rina. Krupp and Armstrong guns have
been mounted in these defenses, and a
line of thirty torpedoes has been laid
across the bay at Cape Kara.
The discipline of the Turkish troops is
beyond praise. The Greeks, however, are
not in anything like the state of efficiency
of the Turks, although they may at pres
ent seem to be animated by more warlike
enthusiasm.