New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-23
FIGHTING DESPERATE
OVER A WIDE AREA
French Military Critics Believe Bulgarians In.
tend to Strike at Constantinople Before
Reducing Adrianople.

IN this mountainous district are now
Joining the Bulgarians and handing
over the arms with which the Turks
supplied them. .t r
a somewhat similar position on a
smaller scale exists further west In
Macedonia I'm connection with the
Servian advance toward Uskub.
There IS much to be done before that
fortress can be reached, and an attack
is said TO be imminent on Kumanovo,
an important town which lies in the
way. At the latter place battle is
expected to-day, in which, II estimates
are correct. 10000 men will be en-
gagged. In the meantime the Seryians
claim to have captured Kochana forty
miles east Of Kumanovo, and this fact
seems to show that a turning move
ment is also being attempted there as
in the case OF Kirk Kilisch.
The attack on Kirk Kiliseh is the re-
suit OF a dramatic change in the plans
Of the Bulgarian leaders. The Bull
garians intended to make their prin-
cipaI attack on Adrianople, via the
Martha Valley, but General savofr
only four days before the outbreak Of
hostilities induced Ferdinand TO change
the plan, and only two divisions and a
half, accompanied by heavy artillery
were sent along the Martha Valley, the
main force being directed against Kirk
Kiliseh.
The puzzllng delay In the Bulgarian
declaration of war was due TO this
change in plans. making Kirk Kiliseh
the objective, and then either attacking
Adrianople on the southeast, where the
defence Is weakest, or else marching
straight for the capital.
All the divisions OF the Montenegrin
army are concentrated west Of Scutari,
taking part In an attack on Tarabosh.
a terrific bOmbardment OF the fortress
has taken place. and the greatest battle
yet experienced between the Monte
negrins and the Turks Is now In prog
ress. The Crown Prince Danilo is per-
sonally in command OF the operations.
Mallssori tribesmen armed by Monte
negrins are forming a frontier guard
on the mountains TO the northeast.
King Nicholas is advancing his new
headquarters at Davintza to Antivari
Roads have been blasted in the noun
tainside to allow the passage of the
heavy artillery which is now mounted
on the heights around Tarabosh, and
the thunderous noise Of guns echoes
across the Lake Of Scutari.
King Nicholas passed most OF the day
aboard a steamer on Lake Scutari
watching the operations. The Monten-
egrin infantry are advancing from the
northwest and are within twelve miles
Of Scutari
According to Athens dispatches the
Turkish army is fleeing in panic"
from Discama to Serbia, with the
Greek army in pursuit. When the
Turks abandoned Elassona they left
behind them their staff maps, a million
cartridges, two military wagons and
most Of their engineering apparatus
the Greek army finding all this aban-
doned on the roads with tents, cloth
ing, etc.
The total losses OF the Greeks during
the first days OF the war are given as
one captain, two sub-lleutenants and
nineteen men killed and seventy-five
men wounded
The Greek troops in Epirus have oc-
cupied the heights commanding Grim
bovo and the heights Of Tuirovouni.
kilograms from Constantinople re-
port that the Turks are drawing the
Greeks from their base in order to
strike crushing blow at the invaders.