The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-27
SnOwstOrms Frequent and
Roads Are in Deplor-
able State
NO IMPORTANT
MOVES ARE MADE
Turks Claim Success in Slight Skir-
mishes-Reports From Adrianople
COnflicting-Roumania Ac-
cepts Mediation

London, February 96.-The operations
of the five armies engaged in the Bal
kan war have been brought practically
to standstill by tile winter weather.
Snow storms are frequent and the roals
are in deplorable state.
The daily official dispatches, upon
which the world is now compelled to
krely for news from the theatre of war.
repeat the stereotyped statement:
Nothing of Importance has occurred
A dispatch from constantinople to-
day goes a little farther, recording thai
there has been skrmishing on the front
Of the Tchatalja lines by Turkish vol
unteers, who claim to have met with
some successes. These must have been
of minor nature as the Bulgari,ns
earlier in the week were said te have
Withdrawn further to the westward.
Roads in that neishborhood are SO
bad that the transport columns found
1t difficult to keep tho troops at the
front supplied with provisions and am
munition.
Conflicting Reports
The news from he neighborhood OF
Adrianople is conflicting. The Bul-
garian war department says only de-
sutory lighting has been IN progress.
but dispatch from French CORE.
spondent inside the city says that since
February 3, the Bulgarians have been
delivering desperate, but Ineffective as.
saults on the fortress and are bonn
harding it cruelty and fru1llessly. The
correspondent confirms Tho report sent
TO the Turkish war office. by Shuka
Pasha, the military commander OF
Anrianople that he has succeeded in
getting fresh supply of provisions.
Even less has occurred in the vi
cinity of Bulair in the Gallipoli pen.
insula than at the Tehatalja lines. Here
the Bulgarian and Turkish armies are
entrenched, patiently awaiting a break
in the weather.
The only heavy lighting, except at
lAdrianople, since The war was resumed
mas taken place around Scutari. where
the Montenegrn army, nov assisted
by Servian troops, has again failed
in trying toStake the fortress.
Australian military experts say tie
Montenegrin siege guns are placed too
far away to do serious damage to the
Turkish works and that King Nicholas
lof Montenegro viii not permit them 10
4
by the Turkish garrison. lie is now
awaiting the arrival of big Seryian
siege guns which have been shipped
from Saloniki.
Anxious to Capture Fortress
The Montenegrins are most anxious u
capture the fortress, Russia has
agreed to the Austrian demand that
1t should be included ~ the future
Albanian state. With the sown once
in his possession King Nicholas he
Iieves his brother Slavs would insist
on its retention by Montenegro.
The Greek army seems to be Just
as idle at Janina as are the Bulgarians
lat Bulair. An occasional report comes
through of movement of Turkish
troops in Macedonia. showing they are
not entirely disposed of there. while
the failure of the Greeks TO take
Janina, which is their objective, Is re-
garded as another indication that there
is a lot of fight left in the ottomans
in that part of the country.
The Greek fleet now has extended
| its blockade of the Albanian coast as
far as Durazzo to stop revictualling of
the Turks in Scutari and Macedonia
This action may give rise to objec-
! tions by Italy and Austria on the
ground that the blockade is ineffective
| No details have been received here of
| the reported fighting at Bnlair.
| Austria and Russia have not yet taken
effective steps to demobilize and in Vienna
some doubt is expressed as to whether the
agreement announced at st. Petersburg
has advanced quite so far as stated. zut
1t is believed that the prediction of the
Austrian premier. Count Stuergkh, yes
terday, that there was good ground for
the hope that at no distant date a gem
eral relaxation of the political tension
would set in, will be realized.
The question of Scutari. however stu
causes trouble and King NieholSs OF
Montenegro has made final appeal 10
the Russian emperor against the reported
decision of the powers to include S,Ltari
| in Albania.
| It is understood that the Austro Rus
| sian agreement provides for compensation
for Montenegro in another direction for
| the loss of Scutar but the Monte e-
! grin government in official utterances
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