Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-02
TURKEY TREMBLES
AS CONSTANTTNOPLE
ASSAULT THREATENS
Sultan Prepares to Flee City
As Allied Fleets Hammer
at Dardanelles Coup Is
Expected.


coustantlnopie is the goal Of the allied
forces IN the Levant. And Constantnopl'
ie trembling at the fate that may be
hers. There is panic in the Turkish
capital as the warships OF the Allies
poiind away at the DordaneIes fortresses
will constantinople be the frst OF the
'enemy's capitals 10 fall? The Turks
are rushing defenses to prevent such a
disaster.
Holy relies have been removed TO
Broussa, whittier the Sultan and, his per-
sonnel are making ready TO follow. All
or tho available forces, about 10000 men,
arc Concentrated In the capital.
ACIianople Is virtually evacuated and
heavy guns removed to Chatal1a, which
has been fortified Frenzled tirtrenching
work is In progress along the shores Of
the Dardanelles and Bosporus. The
heavy preparations are being made to
resist passage OF a hostile. fleet.
dispatches say the Turks are fortifylng
the island of Marmora In the Sea of
Mbrmora (The Sea of Marnora lies be
tween Europe and Asia communicating
with the Aegean Sea by the Dardanelles
and with the Black Sea by the Bos-
purus)
Il is believed that Abdul Hemid, former
sultan. has been secretly taken into the
interior OF Asia Minor, as he has lettIthis
city. ~
a. Is said the attack on Egypt has
been definitely abandoned and the troops.
recalled 20 defend the Asatic side of the
straits and Broussa German families
are fleeing Constantinople
no city I'm the world has stood so many
sieges MS Constantinople. 1t was taken
end retalsen by the Venetian crusaders
ine the early part of the 18th century,
and In 1853 It was captured by Mohammed
IIs who made it the capital OF the Qtto-
man Empire, 1t was first fortified in
s36 A. D., when, as Byzantium,' it, was
made the capital of the Roman Empire,
Tho city Is now equipped with the most
Modern OF fort1catons It's armaments
and works were completely reconstrueted'
and extended in 1878 after the war with
R1ssia They have been kept up to
dakA since then The city is a natural
stronghold. It is situated. on a series
Of gentle hills at the eastern extremity
of triangular promontory, having the
Sea Of Marmora and the Bosporus on
the south and the east and the Golden
Horn on the north. 1t Is thus guarded
bv water on all sides except the west.
which is walled.
fronstantinople's sky line is picturesque,
but within the city it consists of a
laLyrinth OF crooked streets and dirty
aiIays Modern buildings have displaced
the quaint Oriental structures of 80 years
ago. The city's mosques are Its rarchi-
Guiding the suburbs. Is estimated 1,125.
eco. comprising Turks. Greeks, Armenians.
Franks, evils and others.
ROME. Jan 2.--An uncensored dispatch
from Constantinople says:
"a coup d'etat is feared and the gar
rison at Constantinople has been doubled.
The Sultan's palace Is surrounded by
troops, with an especially heavy COM
pletnent of artillery. The guns are loaded
ana are pointing up the streets. which
arb patrolled night and, day by police
aIfd troops. "bN N',!''..' .
Preparations are being rushed for de-
Tense against an attack on the Darda-
nalIes 1t is openly admitted that Enver
Paaha, the Minister of War, Is most un-
popular and does not dare to venture out
1.-THE Germans here are much preoc-
cupted, since a revolution Inevitably |
would be followed by an Anglo-Turklsh |
peace" f&a,t