Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-11-13
False Economy 1t is Claimed
Left Army Without Proper
Drill or Latest Equipment for
Great Struggle,
ABDUL HAMID WOULD
HAVE BEEN READY
After Overthrow of Late Sultan
Period of Internal improve
ment Began and Forces Re-
ceived Scant Attention,

NY Manning journal Spcck, leased Wire ,
Washington, Nov. l2.--Thc secret OF
the almost complete failure IF the
supposedly invincible Turkish army is
not far to seek. in the opinion OF Of
iicers Of the general STAFF of the
United States army False economy
and poor administration are said 10
/ tell the story.
The American tactical experts have
welcomed the opportunity to drop
purely theoretical and academic
paper war" problems which largely
engaged their attention in time Of
peace, for the study Of the trcmen-
dous military events in the Balkans.
Some of the Officers have served as
military attaches or as observers at
the great military maneuvers held in
the very country which now is the
seat of war.
In the days of sultan Abdul Ha-
mid a member OF the general staff
said today. the Turkish army would
have swept away the allied forces pke
chan Spfore the wind. Far sighted,
that mbnarch had availcd himself of
the Germans seeking to sell krupp
guns to the Turks and to secure Ger
tain railway and trade concessions to
train the Turkish army on the German
system Not only were the German
military schools thrown. open TO Turk
ish officers who eagerly embraced the
opportunity by hundreds but German
officers were sent to Turkey to In
struct the sultans soldiers. At their
head was Won Der Goltz, one OF the
foremost soldiers of the world and af-
terwards a flcld marshal in the Ger
man army. So effective was his work
that. according to military experts,
the Turkish army, fighting on It's own
grounds practically was invincible-
''Then came the downfall of the
sultan and the new regime IN Tur-
key There was a feverish desire to
develop the country materially and
the liberal supply formerly allotted
for the army was diverted to the in-
provement OF roads and to the con
struction Of public works on large
scale. The German instructors were
dismissed and a more serious error.
because of their loyalty to the depos-
ed Abdul Hamid, the young Turkish
officers, educated in German schools
and methods, were driven off
Naturally disorganzaton began
and. with few exceptions, there We're
not many capable ana competent Of
iiccrs in the army Economy was the
watchword and no new supplies were
bought The criticism of the Observers
of the recent engagements to the eff
feet that French artillery of the But
garians was FAR superior to the Ger
man artillery of the Turkish army
was founded on a false promise. for
the reports to the general starr here
show that tho German cannon were
really obsolete and that no guns Of
modern construction have been bought
for several years.
but even with modern guns, the
Turks still would have been at
great disadvantage, for by the same
false rule of economy there have been
no purchases for some time Of am
munition, either for large or small
arms. This explains the desperate
hand to hand encounters of the Turks.
They had no ammunition for their
muskets and one battery after an
other was abandoned to the Bulga-
4.
grin soldiers, because the caissons
were empty.
There was one other and import
ant cause for the Turkish defeat and
that was avertable by any government
alive to the situation in the Balkans.
old Abdul Hamid. through his spies.
surely would have known what the
present Turkish government failed to
recognize-that the Bulgarans ana
Servians had entered into "A secret al
lance and were organizing for this
very struggle When the critical mo-
ment camp on September 30th and
the order for mobilization went out
All the Bulearians were with their
colors and ready for battle within six
days-a marvellous military record.
1T was fourteen days before the
Turkish army was modified. and then
in place of the 10000 well trained
troops that should have spread across
the Thracean plains from Macedonia
to the Aegean Sea. there was make
shift little army of l40. 900 men. and
this too. composed in large part of raw
recruits. for another unpardonable
error had been made in allowing one
third Of the whole army To he dis
charged even before ihc new con
scripts had replaced them"