New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-05
SITUATION GRAVE,
IN CONSTANTINOPLE
.Moslems Openly Boast They Have Taken
Sacred Vow to Massacre Every
Christian in Ottoman Capital.


garian losses were heavy, especially
during the attack on the Turkish centre
six Bulgarian spies were caught by
the second army corps. tried by court
martial and shot. The officer who COM
manded the firing party told me the
condemned men died bravely, with a
smile on their lips. They regarded
themselves. no doubt as martyrs in the
noble cause OF Christian freedom.
Two battalions Of infantry which
arrived at Lule Burgas fron. the Oar
danelles on the day Of the principal
engagement went Immediately into the
fighting line. only six men Of the
whole number were alive at tho end Of
the day"
Three weeks ago Abdullah Pacha,
standing on the piazza in front of the
War Office at STEAMBOAT watching the
motley crowd that a Turkish prototype
OF Riprngs Sergeant Wots Is Name"
was endeavoring TO lick into some SEM
blance Of military shape. made the sig
nificant remark TO n brother officer,
IF this enlistment Of unframed men
continues we shall have no need OF an
enemy: we shall destroy ourselves
ALREADY the finger Of scorn Is point
ed at Abdullah Pacha. He liz ear
marked as the national scapegoat Much
svmpathy IS felt for the commander by
those who knew and realized the i'm
portant part corruption and incompe-
tence played in landing him In his pres
ent dilemma"
Mr.. Ashmead Bartlett cables to The
Daily Telegraph" from Constanza, con-
trasting the position of the Turkish
commander with that of General
Oyama during the Manchurian battles.
when the Japanese commander was
twenty miles behind the fighting line,
hut in constant touch by telegraph and
telephone with every regiment and
battery Of his army. Abdullah was sup
posed 10 be directing the movements
az four army corps over front
twenty-five miles in extent. lie had Il
nos,tion in an old graveyard close to
the front.
"AbduIlah," SAYS the correspondent,
remained throughout the day. except
for one brief interval, on mound. HIS
sole companions were his staff and his
personal escort. His sole means OF OBJ
tanning information as 10 what was
lbanneninR elsewhere were his field
glasses. Not line Of telegraph or teie-
| nbone had been brought TO the front;
not a single wireless installation, al
though the Turkish army. on paper.
nossesses twelve complete outfits for
ts army corps and not an effort had
been made even TO establish line OF
messengers by relays to connect head
ouar,ers with the various corps. Not
q single aeroplane was anywhere with
in one hundred miles OF the front. If
any existed there was no one TO fly
them.
'In the course Of the whole day saw
only one orderly ride up with mes
SAGE, from which / gather that the
corps commanders did not even take
the trouble TO communicate with the
commander in chief.
Thus the battle, instead Of being
directed by one master mind, resolved
itself into four isolated engagements
with four separate commanders, each
Ignorant OF his comrades movements,
each having the same difficulty in COM
municating with his divisions and bril-
7 gades."
The correspondent corroborates other
stories of distress among the troops,
who were practically without food for
two or three days and could find no
water except from muddy ponds. They
slept on the bare hills without blankets.
While the Bulgarians were bringing
ND reserves, Abdullah Pacha was with
out a single fresh battalion to throw
! in to the firing lines. Thousands of
men. who should have been with their
regiments, were strolling about the
country searching for food, so weak
that they could hardly drag themselves