The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-05-03
New Product Of Krupp Factories
Shoot Seventeen Miles and May
Alter Plans Of Enemy.
GERMANS FAIL TO SAVE TURKS
Troops of Sir Ian Hamilton Land at
Four Places on Gallipoh Peninsula
Fight Better in Trenches.
By J. w. T. MASON

- New OfK, May 3.-Iurkey,S army
demonstrated. this week that, even
under German leadership, it has not
improved its morale over the
form it showed during the
Balkan war. With every nat
ural advantage favoring the de-
Tense, the Turks have been unable to
prevent a British army, under Sir
Ian Hamilton, landing at four places
on the Gallipoli peninsula. The
success of General Hanilton's tactics
is the most notable that has fallen
to any British army commander
since the war began. -. :
The difficulties, however, which
yet must be overcome before the
Dardanelles defenses can be captur-
ed are far greater than those which
confronted the British landing
parties. The Gallipoli peninsula is
heavily entrenched and almost the
entire area is covered with fortifi-
cations: redoubts and batteries. The
Turks showed during the Balkan war
that once within prepared entrench-
ments, they were much better fighters
than in the open.
Protect Peninsula.
The Bulgarians had no difficulty
defeating the Mohammedans until
the Chatalja defenses, 20 miles west
of Constantinople, were reached.
Against these permanent works,
stretching for rs miles across Euro
pean Turkey from the sea of Marmora
to the Black sea, the Bulgarians were
able to do nothing.
Similar defensive lines protect the
Gallipoi peninsula. If General
Hamilton can pierce them, he will
rank as the most efficient British
commander of the war. So difficult,
indeed, is the task that it may be the
Gallipoli campaign that will turn out
to be the main offensive against Con-
stantinople. General Hamilton may
be accomplishing the work allotted
to him if he occupies the attention of
a large part of the Turkish army
while the real advance on CONSTANT
nople is made from the shores of the
gulf of Saros.
Shoof ~ Miles
The battle of Ypres ended during
the week with the Germans consoli-
dating most of the 20 square miles
of territory they have won from the
Allies. The engagement has had no
result of major Importance. It's
quick conclusion indicates the Ger
mans are no more willing than the
Allies to risk another holocaust like
the battle of Flanders, in face of a
minor victory at best.
During the battle of Ypres, it was
the Germans were using
17-inch guns, the newest output Of
the Krupp works, whose coming had
long been rumored. Confirmation of
the presence of record-making artill-
cry within the German lines came
later in the week, when Dunkirk was
bombarded from the German posi-
tions near Newport. This is a dis
lance of no less than II miles. Never
before have field guns been able to
fire so far So amazed were the
authorities at Dunkirk that they
believed the bombardment came from
a German squadron along the Bel
gian coast until airmen revealed the
true source. German possession Of
these guns means that if Calais be
captured by the Kaiser, the strait
of Dover can be closed to shipping
except at great risk of long-distance
Smelling. -, .-,.s- =