Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-05-05
The TURKISH WAR.
Cen. SmolonSki Blames Constantine
for the LarISSa Disaster
THE PRINCE BLAMrs HIS GENERALS
Prince George or for Salonlca The
turkish Squadron Afraid OF the
Greeks-A Greek Victory.


an interview with General Smolenski,
the hero OF the Greek people, he ex-
pressed his Indignation over tue roui
Of his cOuntrymen at Natl.
SHOW did all this come aboutP" he
said. at was panic without rea.
con. q retreat without an excuse.T
troops at Matt must not be- ,reprosched
with cowsrdice. They were the saml
as those which we fought at Revani
Tor five days against Tremendous odds
and still matte headwny. Believe m o
1t wac laundering on tho part OF the
staff anu nothing else, that drove them
into panic. How arc men to fight
II they have no confidence In tbeif
Leaders?
"rhey say the army was disheart-
ened. Nonsenstl Tue men were
ready to 60 ahead anywhere, but
how were they to understand pO-
Icy OF continual retreat without de.
feat.
sour soldiers are like the French;
they want to go always ahenl, but
want TO see all the officers always in
the lead.
81 repeat, 1.-The troops We had at
Dlmouli, JauiBa, Reveni auu B1ughai
were the very same, but then we did go
ahead and our men knew the Turks
would not compel US to retreat"
"But who gave the orders for your
retreAl?"
~ may tell you from whom the
order came, liz came from Prince Con.
| stantine. L refused TO believe II. 1
waited, and second, more press.
ing order followed. l began to UNDER
stand what fault had been committed.
1 saw, however, what woulu DO the
consequences II l refused to obey and
disregard the misjudget order, and
| when the third came, Insisting on an
immediate withdrawal AMI pnnnunc.
lug that no troops were left north OF
Larissa, saw all was lost and thought
only OF saving for the country the
brave corps that had followed me in.
aide the Turkish frontier.
sour retreat was In perfect order.
Fothing was lost and there was not
| the slightest confusion. We marched
back with our eyes full OF tears. We
saw our hopes biighted, O province lost
and shadow clst on the noaor OF our
army. We were depressed. no doubt,
| but on our way TO PharsaIia We
| thought our brave army had been
betrayed and hoped thattour energy
| ~ould allow us to repair the mischief.
Now we are here to try to do 1t. am
here to defend Volo. The Turks mnst
pass over me- to reach VJIc anu l Will
| die hard. should prefer marching to
Larissa, but cannot do IL alone.
ought to be helped. There should be
| combined action of the sslff ami
prince at Pharsala, and those people
are allow.
"when the army is completely re-
formed at Pharsaia then We will COM
bine with the fleet and hope to be
more successful.
ave have few friends and appr eel.
ate them the more. Tell our fIisnds
in America that they need not despair
as yet. We mean to deserve their
frlendehip by acting up to the hard
earned reputation OF our country.
PRINCE coNsTANTINE's APOLOGY.
NEW YORK, May "a dispatch to
| the Journal from Pnarssla says:
His royal highness, Crown Prince
| Constantine, commander.i n. chief OF
the Greek army, Is now staying with
| his stat In very plain house which
may still be- considered q palace in
Pharsala. 1t stands just !outside the
| town on the slope OF the mountains
| which surround u magnificent plain,
| in which for a second time the fate OF
q country will perhaps be settled In u
few days.
| In the course Of an interview the
corrctpo ndent said 10 the prince:
"When last had the honor OF seeing
your royal high nrss, little thought
events would take such disastrous
turn. Friends OF Greece are al a loss
to explain how or why the forces oil
| the country were so suddenly with
| drawn from the frontier, leaving the
country open to the Turks"
| ~ am we'll aware" his highness an
swered, "that our decision has been
very adversely criticized In Greece
anu elsew here. Still, MS chief Of the
army, mean TO take the full RESPONSE.
billty Tor all that has bsen done.
| "You have seen the way our troops
fought In the few days 1.-THE campai 4 d
lasted. was iu tue front, as was my
duty, anu may say that the idea
never crossed my mind that q retreat
was necessary. They now reprosc o
me for having given orders to leave
our position. You are at liberty to
declare that no such order was ever
| penned by me. 1 know our soldiers
too well, and was always In favor OF
going ahead. felt anu still hold the
came opinion, that We could stand our
ground. The truth is. all my orders
| to the commanders OF our forces could
be summed up In Two words, push
iorwaru,'
"However, those IN command, upon
their own responsibility. and for Ies-
sonB cannot discuss, ordered the
retreat from Natl and Dorelia. Whom
once was confronted with the fact
that retreat had bssn ordered and
actually was proceeding, i took It upon
me to leave Larissa ind bring bach
the army to Pnarssln, where We shou ID
occupy u practically impregnaole pc.
sition.
Eyes, take the full responsibility
of the order. / was absolutely cou.
WINGED that n rotfeating army could
not be- trusted to reform in the open
plain In which Larissa is situated.
They blame me now because 1t had
been learned that the Turkish army
waited two days before ventur.
Ing to occupy the town, but
how Ia u general TO reckon on
the slow ness OF his adversary'a NOV.
menu? Who could im4gine tina.
Eihem W .uld thus waste tims? Was
It not more natural TO expect the