East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-08-27
BY HENRY WOOD.

Omitted Press staff CorrespondentD
SOPHIA. Bulgaria, July 3O.-(By
Mail Governmental, diplomatic and
military circles generally throughout
the Balkans have become pessimistic
to an extreme degree regarding the
success of the allis' campaign against
the Dardanelles. The almost unani-
nous verdict is that the action was
10th ill-advscd and illplanned.
In the first place it is declared the
allies unquestionably underestimated
the strength Of the Turks. They are
declared evidently to have taken into
consideration only weakness shown
during the two Balkan wars and to
have overlooked entirely the regen-
Grafton and reorganization which has
taken place in Turkey since the Young
Turks secured full control Of the gov
eminent.
In the second place the lack OF
quick. vigorous, effective action in the
execution OF the plan Of attack is
roundly criticized If on the day the
allies bombarded the Dardanelles for
tifications for the first time. the fleet
had been sent through the straits re-
gardless Of cost, 1t is the general i'm
preston here the Dardanelles would
have been forced.
Now the forcing of the straits by
the fleet is regarded as an absolute
impossibility the Turks having had
ample time to prepare derenses of the
most modern and adequate kind.
Similar criticism Is also leyelled
against the land action on the penin-
sula Of Gallipoli Not only did the
allies underestimate greatly the
strength OF the Turks but they allow
ed ample. time for the latter to make
up all Of the weaknesses land defects
in their defense that would have been
open to a land attack made stimuli
taneous with the first bombardment
Of the straits last February instead Of
two months later.
While II is not estimated here that
the final capture Of Constantinople by
the land side Of Gallipoli is utterly i'm
possible il is nevertheless the general
opinion that now that the attack has
been reduced TO a basis of trench
warfare and can only be accomplished
after a long campaign in which every
foot Of ground will be fiercely con-
tested.
No secret is made in the Balkans Of
the fact that the original plan Of ac.
tion by the allies called for the land.
ing of a Russian army on the Black
sea coast north Of Constantinople and
the capture OF that city from the
Chatalia line In the rear. But here
again the lack Of quick, energetic ac-
tion on the part of the allies defeated
this plan.
With the arrival of German sub
marines off Constantinople the Turk
ish fleet is now almost equal to the
naval strength which Russia has at
her disposition in the Black sea.
1t is known that for several months
Russia has been holding an army
variously estimated from 100000 to
400, 600 at Odessa for this descent on
the Black sea coast north of Constan-
tinople. BY losing. however, the lit
tie naval supremacy she at first had
in the Black sea this has now been
rendered utterly impossible. While
by a sudden move II might be possible
still to effect the landing of the
troops, the general opinion here is
that the Russian fleet never could
keep open the line Of communications
especially against the submarines.
necessary to insure the continuance
Of the operations Only a preponder-
ating naval supremacy such as the al