The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-21
AGAINST THE GREEK.
WAR CORRESPONDENTS MAKE SWEEP
ING CHARGES OF coWARDIcE.
Hellenic Forces Might Have Made Strong
Stand Along the salamvria-sacked Their
Own Towns and Deserted Their Sick.
! Diplomacy Exchanged For War.


Diplomacy Exchanged For War.
In discussing the Turco-G -Grecian
struggle and the relative merits of the
opposing forces it is impossible to ig-
more the fact that many writer's are
making sweeping charges of cowardice
against the Greeks of every rank. The
prejudices of some of the correspondents
will account for this only partially. In
order to make an impartial chronicle of
the war it is necessary therefore to
quote some of the testimony on this
point. Thus the correspondent of the
London Times at Larissa writes:
"Tbe remainder of the Greek army,
after distinguishing itself by setting fire
to the barracks and looting the shops of
the civil population, in company with
the revolutionary scum that rises to the
top at such moments, Judged discretion
more serviceable than valor and fed
pellmell. Even the doctors and the hos
pital assistants left their charges, some
OF whom died untended and alone be-
fore they were found out by the Turk
ish medical officials. The crown prince,
indeed, endeavored to restrain the ex-
cesses Of his disbanded soldiery and to
prevent what might have once been All
orderly retreat from lapsipg into the
miserable debacle whose effects are now
before rs. No doubt as prince and a
gentleman he did his best. But it is evil
dent that the army under his command
was as lacking in organization as it
was in real morale.
1.-The position along the Salamvria,
the ancient Peneus. was certainly not a
good one from a tactical point Of view,
and the instant that Tyrnavo had final
ly fallen the fate of Larissa was sealed.
But some organized attempt to defend
tho bridge heads would at any rate
have gained time and enabled the main
body Of the army to retire to the heights
at the southern end of the plain and to
make some dispositions for the defense
of Volo and the road to Athens.
"As it is, not only have the troops
disgraced themselves as soldiers and citi-
zens by sacking their own town and de-
serting their sick and wounded, but in
their fight to the mountains they have
left behind the greater part of their am
munition, many of their guns and the
best of their war material, and have di-
vided an already dwindling force into
two portions, either Of which is incom-
petent to support an attack from sin
gle column of the Turkish army"
A correspondent Of the London Tele-
graph at the same point is even more
outspoken. He says:
"In an evil hour for herself Greece
exchanged diplomacy for war. It may
be hoped that hereafter her people, by a
vigorous defense ON the old frontier, may
win back something of the national rep
utation. But for the present the Greeks
have publicly shown that they are de-
ficient in the great manly quality Of
courage. The miserable fact remains
that 80 or 40 battalions Of infantry,
with cavalry and guns, ran away from
strongly intrenched positions, without
firing shot for their country. The
Turkish officers, though always conf
dent of victory, could hardly express
their astonishment at the result. They
had always despised the courage Of the
Greeks, regarding them as a nation of
takers, better in speech than in action,
but still they could scarcely believe in
this sudden and ignominious flight.
"Edhem Pasha, during the very day
on which his preparations for a general
advance were completed, said that he
expected several hours of severe fight
ing. 1t was anticipated, even if the
Greeks should be driven from their in
trenchments between the Xenas and the
Salamvria, that they would make a
stand in the Notifications before Laris-
sa. The river, which runs broad and
deep On the southern side of the town,
would have proved strong lire of de.
fense, and its crossing must have cost
the Turks some severe losses. So hurried
was the fight that the strong stone
bridge, which forms tho southern ap-
proach from Turnavo, was left unin-
jured.
Greek courage began to ebb after
the first days fighting round the block
houses at Milouna. The steady, business
like way i'll which the Turks pressed Oh
from position to position, thrusting back
their enemy indiherently from breast
work or intrenchment, must have dis
PEELED the easy dream of Macedonian
conquest. Then the splendid assaults up
the rough, steep slopes OIL the block
houses, when the crests were won, gave
the Greek new and unpleasant notion
of Turk at close quarters. 1t was far
easier to shout vociferously for war in q
crowd at Athens than to parry the
thrust Of Turkish bayonet. 1t is prob
able, too, that some Of the best and most
courageous of the Greek soldiers fell in
those early skirmishes, leaving reserve
of more commonplace material. Then
the night assaults, by which Neschat
Pasha carried several hill SUBMITS, dis
played another quality Of the Turkish
soldier, his tireless endurance. It was
of little use protesting that the Turks
were i'll fed and starving when, after
day and night spent in fighting, they
showed their red fezes over the earth
work. Well fitting uniforms may win
on dress parade, but when line of