The Washington times., 1912-11-02
HALF A MILLION
FIGHT At GATES
Of TURKS CAPITAL
Fall of Constantinople Is
Expected at Any
Time.
CONTINUED from First Pagc.)

Kilissa and Adrianople. week ago
last Wednesday the skin mishing had
The scene of the heaviest fighting was
in the vicinity of Kirk kIissa and
Adrianople until Saturday night. over
sunday there was lull.
Monday the struggle was hercer than
ever. he Turks we're in strongest force
near Luie Burgas. Here the days hBht-
Ing favored the Bugarians. Further
east the Turks drove the Bulgarians
back. Tuesiiuay the Buigarians attack
81 the Turks west wing with such fury
that by nightfall the latter were forced
back upon Lule Burgas itself.
Reinforced the following morning
wednesday, the Bulgarians dashed
themselves 30 violently against the
Turkish line that by afternoon the OF
toman west wing crump.ed and began
retreat which quickly degenerated In
to flight.
BY Thursday morning the Turkish
east wing, previously vistorious. began
sued hotly and this retreat. too, was
soon a rout. All day long the Bulgari-
ans drove the enemy farther and far
ther down the narrowing peninsula to-
Bulgarian line extended roughly from
Midia. on the Black Sea coast, to Ro-
disto. on the Sea OF Marmora. It was
steadily advancing.
Turks Are Concentrating.
or the developments yesterday and
the situation today there were few de-
tails. That the Turks were cencentrat-
ing. however. behind the chain Of forts
which connects Kar Borun and Silivri
was certain. The Bulgarians continued
their advance. The erwas fighting yes
terday throughout the strip Of country
between the Bulgarian line Of Thursday
!hght and the Turkish frontier Of today.
The Bulgarians. It was known. were
generally successful.
At latest accounts fighting was in
progress completely across the Con-
stantlnople peninsula and within thirty
niles of the capital itself. The con-
sensus of opinion was that II was the
Turks last stand.
The manner in which the troops have
found. according to men who witnessed
parts of the battle, was like nothing
seen hitherto in the history OF modern
warfare.
ATHENS, Nov. 2--Fighting between
Turks and Greeks was In progress at
latest accounts fifteen miles from Sa-
Monastir 1t was stated here that both
towns will speedily be taken by the
Greeks.
BERLIN, Nov. 2.-Anarchy prevails
throughout Turkey. according to dis
patches to the Balkans today.
The defeat of the ottomans was a
rout. The Turks were making their
last stand between twenty-five and
thirty miles west of Constantinople at
latest accounts. The Bulgarians were
almost in the suburbs. The only un-
certainty was whether they will enter
the Sultan's capital before the powers
agree on an Intervention program.
Order exists only where the invaders
Of the Sultan's domain have established
1t. They have not been long enough
established in the territories they have
seized to have accomplished much as
yet. The Turks, beaten everywhere,
have lost all control.
Turks Fought Unprepared.
The disgraceful character OF the de-
feats the Sutan's troops have sustained
were just beginning to be learned fully
today. They were not the soldiers fault,
but that OF the government which sent
them into battle hopelessiy dsorganized
and unprepared
When Gen. Nazim Pasha saw the tide
Of the conflict turning against him at
Lule Burgas he appeared franticaliy
again and again for reinforoements.
Several train loads of men were rushed
forward from ChorlQ but many OF
them were unarmed. Others were
wkounded who had previously been
sent TO the rear as incapable OF further
The raw levies whom the Government
had insisted on placing at the forefront.
bttIltu lllc TOut. III OWlnb IWuy guns
and ammunition they dashed madlI for
the rear. fairly Overwhelming the older
troops, who shrugged to stand their
ground. Many officers who tried to
check the panic were killed by their
The Turkish army was transformed
quickly into bowling. murderous mob.
each man bent only on safety for him
theater. Soldiers trampled one an
other in their haste. approximately
10000 men swept back in a great wave
before the Bulgarian advance.
From their rcar-whiCh should have
been their front-the Bulgarians poured
a devastating artillery fire into the
Turks ranks. Whole companies were
wiped out-tht men shot in their backs.
strong force OF starving mutineers
practically no provision had been made
by the government for feeding tho
troops in the iield-came upon and at
tackled a war correspondents train
Their officers ard the corresponh dents
beat off the attack with IheiI revolvers
Frantic as was their pursuit. the Bull
garians were literally outrun by this
We're safely out of range Of the enemy s
dre that their officers began to restore
degree Of order among them.
The few Turkish detachments at Lule
madlnen. They neither gave nor ac-
cepted quarter. When their ammuni-
ton was exhausted they continued to
resist with bayonets. knives and even
with their fists and teeth Some shot
themselves rather than surrender
There were spots where dead Turk.
lay literally in heaps with circles oi
bulgarian corpse around them.
1t was plain today that the army as q
whole was hopelessly demoralized. how
ever. No military expert here looked tC
see the capitals last defense hold ou
for more than few hours
Close to Capital.
with the Turks defeat along theil
last line, they will be driven directly
into COnstantiople. That the foreign
warships in the capitals vicinity vii
be able TO prevent massache was re
gardel as doubtful They may SAVE
the foreigners by taking them on board
hut It Is questionable whether the car
niyal of violence can be prevented
. ashore by anything short of such {
bomhardment as will lay the entir'
city IN ruins.
Just outside COnstantinople are hun
dreds of thousands of fugitives from
neighbOring villages. who fled TOWARD
the capital before the Bulgarian ad
Vance. They were not permitted t
enter the city. however. but have beeI
held in concentration camps on IL
edge.
No pretense was made OF supplyinI
thapN with food and .nlnV