The Arvada enterprise., 1913-01-16
Desperate Defense of Adrianople
Saved the Capital.
UPSET PLANS OF THE ALLIES
Frederick Palmer Tells Of the Furious
Fighting by the Ottoman Armies
That Baked Demetrief
and lvanof
BY FREDERICK PALMER,
staff Correspondent Of the Chicago
Record-HeraId In the Balkan War.

Needle-like, | have seen them rise
over the indistinct mass OF Adriano
pie from the distant hills, then as
substantial columns from the nearby
hills, and again so close from the
shellproof OF an advanced infantry
position that could make out the
things on the dome OF the great
mosque itself
The simple grace OF the minarets
dominated town, aud landscape. and
siege Weary drivers Of the weary
oxen OF the transport and still wear
Ter artillerymen, bringing up addi'
tional guns through seas OF mud, saw
them for the first time as a token OF
defiance, OF work unfinished. OF bat.
ties yet to be fought. and OF lives yet
to be lost
Infantrymen in tho advanced
trenches saw them as the goal
against a foe which had fallen back
without any adequate rear guard sec.
tion, but which had begun to fight
desperately under their shadows.
That Turkish garrison as it with.
drew into the shelter OF its forts,
seemed to find something OF the spirit
OF old Sultan SelIm the Magnificent,
for whom the mosque was named.
but with this difference: Sultan
Selim was not given to falling back
on forts and minarets. lie stormed
forts; he vent ahead to plant new
m'narets in the soil OF Christendom.
Rouses Old Turks Spirit
From the first in this war the Turk
took the defensive: from the first he
accepted 1t as his part and portion OF
the campaign.
In Bulgaria, where many Turks still
live under Christian rule, We had
seen the Terrible Turk. the greR
hghting man Of the past. whose soul
vas supposed TO be above lowly toll.
AS newer OF wood and carrier of
water. He did odd Jobs in the alb.
sence OF the Bulgarian at the front.
The lion OF the past had been trained
to dog harness,
All the early victories of the Bull
carian army completed an impression
of a one-time lordly race demoralized
and onervated. who retained only the
fatalism of "Kismet," in its lexocon.
The warriors cry, For Allah" was
lost forever But at Adrianople For
Allah For the MInarets! For the
Hadisha'" rose again TO the dignity
which abandoned bravery always com.
mands,
The sheer impetuous fearlessness
OF the Bulgarian, well drilled and
coolly manipulated, was the first
great revelation OF the campaign, and
the second was how, in the hour Of
hopelessness. his desperation arous-
ed the old qualities OF the Turk.
Every situation, every development
In the war reverted to Adrianople. 1t
was the nut to crack in the first plan
OF strategy OF the campaign. 1t how
cred over the first army before
Tchatalia as nightmare. II stood
in the way Of the prompt supplies or
bread and bullets for the first army:
It delayed the signing OF the armis.
tice for ten days. It has been the
main subject OF contention before
the London peace conference: It was
responsible for the treatment OF the
military attaches who saw nothing of
the war, and Of tho correspondents
who saw little
War Hinges on Adrlanoplc.
Even our phlcgmatic little English
speaking censor assistant at Musta
pha would lose his temper at tho
very suggestion OF nny peace terms
with Adrianoplo stlll in Turkish pos
session.
1--WE shall have revolution n We
don't get AdrIanoplc," l have heard
many officers say
I'VE shall not 70 homo without
Adrianople" the wounded soldiers
returning from the front kept repeat.
Ing
Such wern tho instructions which
Or DaneT. the Elihu Root OF the Bal
kans. took with him to London. Ad.
rianople was craven on the minds of
his countrymon. ny diplomacy he
must get fortress which was not
yet taken by force Of arms
Glance At n map and you will sec
that the Eholn success OF the allies
depended IN bottlinE up tho Turk on
the peninsula, 80 that all the other
Turkish forces from Scutarl to Adrl.
anoplc, from Kumanoyu to Uassona.
should be cut or from communica.
ton. The Greeks, Serbs. and Mon.
teneErins were the backs The Rul.
garlans undertook to buck the line.
Bulgaria did not have TO consider
reserve army European public
opinion and the lcalousies OF the pow.
ers acted as efficient substitutes. for
the Bulgarian military statcsmanship
understood that II bulgaria we're beat.
.en the powers would never permit
Turkey to take an inch OF bulgarian
soil It was a case OF Heads | win,
tails lon't lose %
Turks Awake to Crisis.
The Turks knew this, too. It was
an old situation to them Successful