New-York tribune., 1912-11-04

blackest three span of oxen attached TO
wagon hove in sight over the crest OF
the ridge which sheltered us from the
enemy's gunners. Three pairs OF eager
arms stretched toward the wagon and un-
hitched the oxen before the astonished
driver without any preliminaries, and at
tached them TO the car. The poor orutes
strained at the yoke but the ropes held
the auto bounded forward and we were
fIee Abandoning all our stores we
mounted and dashed away out Of range OF
the Bulgarian artillery, after giving the
owner of the oxen an adequate fee for
his timely help.
Ready to Burn Automobile.
at my earnest appeal soldiers turned
aside from their weary road and al
tempted TO help us. A whole dozen lit
orally put their shoulders to the automo-
bile's wheels, but, physically enfeebled by
want of food. they were unable TO move
It an inch. Having exhausted In these ef"
forts their diminished strength, they sank
down beside the motor and remained
there Capture now seemed inevitable,
and in despair Of saving the equipment
they decided to burn the motor rather
than permit It to fall into the hands Of
the rapidly advancing Bulgars.
81 put my spare tins OF benzine under
the chassis and stood ready TO apply a
match. Paul. the chauffeur. French boy
whom I found in Constantinople, was
overcome with sorrow and despair. He
sat weeping, and, then pulling out re-
volver. he declared he would die by the
side Of the motor. II It had TO be de-
stroycd, he said. he would blow out MS
brains. Each moment We expected would
be our last We feared being struck
down by shrapneL
"Wednesday settled the fate Of Abdul
lahs army. His force could no longer
fight. It had neither ammunition for us
guns nor food to sustain the physical ef-
forts Of the soldiers. The pitiable plight
OF the latter brought TO light every mo-
ment the hideous defects In the army
organization.
1T occupied capital line OF battle
with a great flourish OF trumpets, out
was i'll prepared for the herculean task
before II OF conquering the highly trained
and efficient Bulgarian army. With true
Oriental optimism, the wiseacres at Con-
stantnople looked upon supplies and am
munItlon as mere superfuties. They con-
sequently made no arrangements to keep
I'D a supply OF shell and cartridges.
THE gross incapacity and muddling, II
they have not brought death TO the TURK
ish nation, have resulted in appalling dis
aster 20 IT'S army. Military inefficiency also
played a great part In the catastrophe.
History repeated itself in the Thracian
plaIn. Abdullah's army. Ike that OF Nap
oIeon I'll. was declared TO be ready down
! IN the last button Of the last sa!ter,
whereas. I'm reality. Il was hopelessly de-
/ acient in everything requisite for the
. equipment OF a modern army going INTO
/ battle
There was also an insufficiency OF
! trained officers I saw some companies Oh
Turkish regiments going into action with
| only two officers.
"On the last days lighting ! came
across instances Of reserves ignorant OF
the manipulation OF the mechanism OF a
| Mauscr rife. Anatolians mostly use muz-
zIc leaders. and had never seen a rnaga-
| zine IlUt. 4 ntlI "fdpoiAt hAa W DO 'N.N'S
by officers or by better Instructed COM
rades. a
Even while their ammunition lasteo
their fire was utterly valueless. They
aimed too high or too low. When the
bullet did not 20 IN the direction OF the
sky Il found a billet in the body OF some
unfortunate comrade.'
The correspondent of The Times with
Nazim Pachas army pays tribute to the
Turkish retreat after the battle OF LuIe
Burgas lie says:
'Iu all my long experience OF the mis-
erabl. scenes OF war | have observed
nothing finer than the retirement OF the
Turkish infantry. Just as they sauntered
into action so they sauntered out. beneath
a terrific fire from the Bulgarian artillery.
There was no mass formation In the
retirement. II seemed as II suddenly the
whole land had become peopled. The men
were I'm hundreds. but they were all sha-
ken out I'm wonderful extension. They
seemed TO care nothing for the rain OF
metal which swept down on them. Nor
could I see that the fearful storm OF
shrapnel did any great execution among
these men, whose steps II could not even
| hasten
Vienna. Nov 3.--The correspondent ol
| 49,. ..D Daicbspost" with the Bulgarian