Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-06
QUALITY OF GREEK vALoR
Remarkable Military Work Against
the BuIoarians,

QUALITY OF GREEK vAloR
Remarkable Military Work Against
the BuIsarians.
The first systematic account Of the
campaign of July, 1913, in which the
Greeks fought their way in less than
a month from Saloniki to the top of
the mountain divide shutting in Sofia
reveals facts that make one feel the
original surprise of their immense sue
cess all over again, says the New York
Evening Sun. There are points in the
matter collected telling of the Greek
exploits which seem in some ways
more remarkable even than the bril-
liant array of results which the news
dispatches Of July recorded for the
Hellenic arms.
The brevity of this great military
exploit was one of It's most striking
features from the start. But now that
we are informed Of the formidable ma
ture of the Bulgarian resistance, the
Greeks pace in covering the contest
ed territory appears more startling
than before The distance covered was
about 80 miles in an air !ine-almost
exactly the distance from Washington
to Richmond, which took the Union
army four years to travel. Over an in
finitely harder country Of mountain
defiles and swamps. with few practi-
cable roads and no navigable rivers.
the gain was made in four weeks by
10000 Greeks, opposed by no less
than 100000 Bulgarians, veterans and
supposedly therefore the best fighters
In the Balkans.
The numbers engaged are testified to
by Albert H, Trapmann, an accredited
correspondent with the Greek army,
writing In the Nineteenth Century
Magazine. While admittedly hearty
sympathizer with the Greeks, this
writer presents such statements as
make it impossible to doubt the invin-
chile qualities displayed by the Greeks
in the field.
One Of the salient facts about the
Trapmann account Is that it reports
not a single lost battle for the victors.
Though rhe Greeks fought their oppo-
nents wherever and whenever they
found them, and though they on GER
tain occasions were almost annihilated
by superior numbers, they never fail
ed to win a single field so far as the
writer informs us. Even at Djumaia,
the last serious battle preceding the
armistice, where the Greek Sixth Divi-
sion was cut down to a remnant OF
1000 electives, the Bulgarians were
driven and left 10000 dead on the field.
Numbers seem to have meant moth
ing to the Greeks. They were equally
independent Of their artillery supports
They freely sacrificed lives by the
thousands, notably before Guevgheli
and Kilkis, where they charged across
artillery swept spaces without waiting
for their own guns to silence the care
ground. The Greek artillery itself in
stead Of going through the preliminary
Of silencing the opposing fire, rushed
forward close to the infantry and pour
ed in its shot at the closest possible
range.
In all matters of tactics the Greek
army has, as is we'll known, been the
pupil for several years past of French
military mission, headed by Gen. Ey-
doux. It Is "a fair assumption there
fore that both infantry and artillery
when they adopted these novel tactics
were playing true to their training
form rather than improvisins. If this
be the case the French have apparent
ly originated a new tactical system OF
attack by the combined infantry and
artillery arms, peculiarly adapted tc
the contemporary French snapshot
artillery method and the new French
field piece, all of which were in use ir
the Greek army.
Mr.. Trapmann recognizes that the
stupendous success Of the Creeks
the conquest of 5000 square miles OF
rugged territory, with attitudes run
ming clear up to 1000 feet. from vet
eran and superior force, with the in
Fiction of perhaps 10000 casualties
the capture of 10000 prisoners and 12C
guns, all in four weeks-was due lc
the happy coincidence of an aggres-
sive training and an aggressive spirit
1t has long been known that the French
military system Is peculiarly designed
for spirited and aggressive work, an6
that it requires eager troops to make
it go-men filed with the ardor thai
imparts an extraordinary energy quite
exceeding mems everyday powers
Greek instructive feeling guessed
which military system was most suit
ed to the national temperament. ol
else Greek intelligence attained the
conclusion. French methods are abun-
dainty proved the most successful
with the Greek soldier. But there was
in the late campaign an inspiration
that raised the martial spirit so lone