New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-13
US. A. OFFICERS DISCUSS.
THE OTTOMAN DEBACLE.
Dethronement of Abdul Hamid
Marked the Beginning OF
the End for Turkey.
ARMY SERVICES STARVED
Desperate Hand tic. Hand En-.
counters Demonstrate That
No Money Had Been
Spent on Ammunition.

Washington. Nov 1.-THE secret Of the
almost complete failure Of the supposedly
lnvincible Turkish army is not far TO
seek in the opinion Of the officesrs Of the
general staff Of the United States army,
who are studying the question from every
angle False economy and poor admins
tration are said to tell the story.
The American tactical experts have
eagerly welcomed the opportunity TO drop
the purely theoretical and academic pa
per war; problems which largely engage
their attention in time OF peace for the
study of the tremendous military events
now in full play in the course or the
bloodiest and most momentous war IN
two generations. Some OF the omcers arc
in n peculiarly favorable position 10 rea-
son 10 q sound conclusion az 10 inc
causes for what is happening having
served in recent years either as military
attacbe or ms observers attendant upon
great military maneuvres held IN the
very country which now forms the seat
OF war.
"In the DAYS OF Sultan Abdul Hamio'
said prominent member OF the genera.
staff to-day, "the Turkish army ~ouiu
have .wept away the allied forces ike
charf before the wind. Farsishtedly that
NOM rch had awaited himself OF the Ger
: man Kaisers offer mot distinterested. II
Is true. for he was seeking to sell krupp
guns to the Turks and TO secure certain
railway and trade concessions) 10 tain
the Turkish army on the German system
Army Once Invineible.
"Not only were the German military
schools, corresponding to our West Point
thrown open to Turkish officers VINO
eagerly embraced the opportunity BY nun
dreds but n galaxy OF brilliant German
officers were gent TO Turkey to Instruct
the sultan's soldiers. AZ their head was
Won der Goltz one OF the foremost soldiers
Of the world and afterward heid marshai
in the German army. SO effective was ms
work that, according to military erpere'
the Turkish army. fghtinE on It's own
ground, was practically invinciole even
against one of the great powers.
Then came the downfall OF the sui-
Inn and the establishment OF the new
regime in Turkey There was feVerish
desire TO develop the country materially.
and IN. liberal sums OF money formerly
allotted to the maintenance OF the army
were diverted TO the Improvement OF
roads and TO the construction OF puohc
works on a large scale. The German IN
structors were dismissed and more
,.rious error, because OF their loyalty to
The deposed Abdul Hamid. the Young
T,,rklsh Officers educated In German
schools and methods. the very mower OF
the army. we're also driven on.
Naturally disory anixation began ana
orouressed steadily. and with few COM
petent and capable officers tho army was
soon afflicted with dry rot. Economy
WAS the watchword and no new supplies
were bought. The criticism OF the on
servers OF the recent engagements, 70 the
effect that the French artillery OF the
Rulgarians was far superior to the Ger
man artillery of the Turkish army, was
founded on n false premise. for the re-
nortn IN the general stan here show that
the German cannon were really OF ooso-
Ie,. tvpe and ;hat no guns OF modern
construction have been purchased for
several years.
Mu.kets Without Ammunition.
"put even with modern guns the IN
,or,unat. Turk would still have been at
a great disadvantage. for by the same
fails. rule Of economy there have been
no nurchases for some time OF ammuni-
tor either for large or small arms. This
e,nlalns the desperate hand to hand en-
counters OF the Turks; they had no am
ro,n,,ion for their muskets. and one bat
,erv after another was abandoned to the
puI0ar,ans, and the servians, Greeks and
uon,en.grins because the caissons were
empty.
,.There was one other and very impor-
ant cause for the Turkish defeat" said
~. ofticer in conclusion. and that was
avo,dable by any government alert to the
.,,pation In the Balkans. Old Abdul
Uamid. through his spies. would surely
have known. what the present Turkish
government failed 10 reaIize--that the
Snlgarians and Seryians had entered Into
= sec,et alliance and were organizing for
mi. very struggle. When the critical mo-
,n.r, came on September. %, and the
"rdsr for mobilization went out, all OF
A.. pnlgarians were with their colors and