Bridgeton pioneer., 1914-11-12
TURKEY STRONG
ON BLACK SEA
Her Fleet on Inland Ocean
OutW0ighS RuSSia'S.
HAS ARMY OF MILLION.
ottomans' Entry Into War May Bring
About New Alignment of Powers,
With Probabilities In Favor of Allies.
Turks Have Long Been Favorable to
tho German Side.

the German Side.
The initial advantage ON the Black
sea apparently lies with Turkey in the
opening of hostilities against Russia,
according to observers. In addition to
the battle cruiser Goeben, which has
attained speed of 27.2 knots and is
one of the most formidable craft afoat,
and the protected cruiser Breslau of a
269 knot record, Turkey has in the
Black sea two battleships of Dread
nought class, four re-Dreadnoughts,
two swift cruisers and numerous de-
stroyers and gunboats, many of them
bought from Germany. This feet in
cludes these battleships:
Reshad-i-Hamis, $1,000 tons, 20 knots
Birenzi Osman, 27 600 tons, % knots
bought from Brazil.
Khyer-ed-din Barbarossa and Torgut
Reiss, $500 tons each, II knots, for
merly German battleships, and two
others Of the same type.
Two cruisers, the Hamidieh and the
Medjidieh, 800 tons, % knots.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
Russia's Black sea fleet consists of
six pre-Dreadnought battleships, one
protected cruiser, two armored gun
boats and a number of old torpedo
boats and gunboats.
Three Dreadnoughts are under con-
struction, but may not be in commits
sion for months.
If Portugal be counted, Turkey is the
eleventh nation to be involved in the
great European struggle Her partici-
patton has been expected for weeks,
and diplomats now say that Greece,
Roumania and Bulgaria are likely to
be added, and possibly Italy.
Notwithstanding the warnings of the
allies, it has been deemed inevitable
that Turkey would yield to German in
fuence and join against Russia. Since
the opening of the war GOO German Of
flcers have arrived in Turkey, as wei.
as large quantity of munitions Of
war, including some of the big siege
guns. German guns were mounted in
the Dardanelles forts and a German
OhSCit "COCi L dSAlslS PidNCo Al NOAh
mand. All the Notifications Of the
Bosporus and the Asia Minor coast
have been overhauled and mines have
been sown in Greek waters.
Lineup Will Favor Allies.
If the entrance of Turkey into the
conflict embroils Italy and the other
Balkan states, as expected, it will
bring 1871 900 additional men into bat
tie, as well as three more navies. In
this event the line up will probably be
In favor of the allies.
Turkey, with an army on war footing
figured at approximately 100000, and
a navy of thirty-five warships manned
by $1,000 men, will thus contribute
1,O31 900 men to the German cause.
The allies will profit to the extent
or 210 warships and total of 2,34O.
600 men contributed as follows: Italy
Army, 100000; navy, 169 ships man
ned by $4,000. Greece-Army, 10000
navy, forty-one ships, manned by 30
600. Bulgaria-Army, $4,000, and
Roumania, army, 100000. About Bu
garia's future moves there is much
doubt, as she is still bitter against hel
enemies In the recent second Balkan
war, and she may join Turkey.
Doubt About Goeben and Breslau.
Turkey modified her army early in
August, supposedly with the moral
support of the German government 1t
was thought the forces would be en-
g..
of territory lost in the Balkan war.
Greece bought the battleships Missis-
sippi and Idaho from the United
States, and to offset this Turkey pur-
chased ostensibly two ships from Ger
many, the Goeben and Breslau, which
sought refuge from the allied feet In
the Mediterranean. There has been
some doubt, however, that there was
bona fide purchase, for it has been re-
ported that these ships, although fly
ing the crescent, retained their Ger
man crews and officers.
Tremendous pressure was brought
by German advisers to induce Turkey
to abandon the plans against Greece
and take the field against Russia.
The staggering cost of continuing the
mobilization raised a political storm,
and the minister of war and his party
We're put on the defensive. The action
or the entente powers threatening dire
consequences if Turkey declared $yar,
followed by German setbacks in Rus
sia, Belgium and France, finally forced
a demobilization
Russia anticipated Turkeys violation
OF neutrality. Nearly two weeks ago
the archives of the Russian embassy
were transferred to Odessa.