The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-08-03
TURKEY
[By Henry Wood, Unitea Press Star
Corresponds -

tSoPyTi0he 1910 ny " OrN
CONSTANTINE - July 2e.-(Oe-
Iayed. )-The sr <,t fleet ever as-
sembIed for p .es Of attacks mas
scarcely scry ~ the defenses Of the
DardaneIle/ I%ne possibility that the
strait vii. :, forced by the Anglo
French wahshios and land forces 10
too remote for consideration, and
back Of this feeling Of confidence of
superiority Of Turkish arms, Is devel-
opina a new spirit Of national unity
that 10 reqeneratlng the Turkish en-
pire. ~
Briefly put, these were tho state
n1ents made to me today by Field
Marshal Won Der Goitz Of the Ger
man army, who, az military Instructor
Of the Turkish army for years preced-
inu the Balkan wars, won for himseif
the title Of "father Of the modern Tur-
kIsh army" To the intimate know
ledge thus gained Of the fighting Turk
Of today, he has since the first OF De-
cember added his personal observa-
tions Of the present operations In his
capacity as military aid to his I'M
perial majesty, the sultan. It was In
this capacity as the greatest authority
on modern Turkish army that ! had
asked him to explain through the
United Press ihe progress Of the Dar-
daneIles operations and the sudden
strength displayed by the Turkish
army, following its admittedly poor
showing during the two Balkan wars.
."EntlreIy aside from the valor OF
this new Turkish army OF today, there
are other elements Of strength In the
defense of the Dardaneiies which am
certain the public as whole has SO
far failed to appreciate" said the field
marshal. ~ doubt II the world at
large knows that up to the present
moment not single ship Of the al
lied fleets has ever passed the first
line Of mines.
"Back Of this mere sentinel as It
were, lies whole. mine fields and sub
marine defenses Of the most modern
and perfected types. Even were a
ship able to elude the first line Of
mines. the chances that she could pass
the real mine defenses that follow
are 90 enthusiastically small ~ not to
be caiculable.
"At the very 3. r1oment when the
world at large believes the Turkish
army weakest because Of the reverses
Of the two Balkan wars, II has come
forward suddenly with a degree Of
strength and resistance never attain
cd In tho past. This is due to two
things instiIIed Into It by the young
Turks generation Of today-nationaI
unity and sentiment for national exist
ence.
"BroadIy speaking, the Turkish
army Of today Is for the first time
really a Turkish army and i' for the
very first time a Turkish army fight,
inq for the existence Of Turkish en-
pire that means 'fatherland' to every
Individual soldier.
"These, principally, are the reasons
why the English and French trying to
force their way into the ono city
which more than anything else sym.
boIlzes to the Turkish mind the great
ness, glory and even the very exist
ence Of the Ottoman empire, have
found themselves facing an insur-
mountabIe barrier Of fire and steel"
! had been received by his excel
Iency at the private apartment he oe-
cupies in constantinople during the
alternate periods which he passes here
between his duties as military aid to
the sultan and chief commander OF
the first Turkish army. Surrounded
nor only by the officers Of his immed-
late personal staff, but also by num-
Der Of redigreed cats and kennel
Of thoroughbred dogs, he manages
during the few hours of repose grant
ed him each evening, to enjoy little
of the atmosphere Of "home" and
dome esticity. He had received me at
tired in civilian costume, such as any
American business man might wear.
II would be a mistake now to refer
to me as the leather" Of the modern
Turkish army, protested Field Marshal
Won Der GoItz. "The Turkish army
which is now surprising
the world, dates only from the Baik.
an wars and is entirely a creation OF
the Turks themselves. Paradoxicai as
It may seem the disasters Of the two
Balkan wars have proved for this
Turks their greatest source Of
strength. Probably to them alone
they owe their present salvation.
"UntiI the Balkan wars It had been
necessary at all times to keep the
flower Of the Turkish army stationed
in Macedonia and Albania
fronfinued on mage 21