The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-03-26
CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS
FACING DARDANELLES
Battleships Replace Lost Vessels in
Straits.

London, March 20.-Undaunted
by the loss of the battleships Bou-
vet, Ocean and Irresistible, the allies
are proceeding with their attempt to
force the Dardanelles, confident of
success.
The Turks, however, express con-
fdence that the forts and the mines
in the straits will be able to keep
out the allies ships.
The French battleship Henri "
and the British battleships Queen
and Implacable are on their way
east to replace the ships sunk by
the mines, and those ships which
were damaged were undergoing re-
pairs on the spot. Thus, within a
few days at the latest, the feet will
be as formidable as ever, while the
Russian Black Sea squadron is be-
lieved to be ready to cooperate.
Except in the case of the Bouvet,
of whose crew only GA were saved,
Coou1llIlCo ouhclSu Ill lie DOulUdTu-
ment of Thursday are said to be
light. The British admiralty to-
night published the losses among the
officers on the Irresistible, and al
though the ship was sunk and the
crew had to be transferred under
hot fire, the list contains the names
of only four officers killed and one
severely wounded.
WILL LAND A FORCE.
Part of the fleet re-entered the
straits yesterday, but owing to un-
favorable weather the bombardment !
of the day before was not repeated, |
and probably the only object of the |
Warships was to prevent the Turks
from repairing the damage already
done.
The admiralty states that steps
are being taken to deal with the
mines, but experts warn the public
that so long as the Turks have mines
to set free in the strong current
which rushes through the straits the
ships will be exposed to that danger.
The direction of the currents, of
is known, but with a big
fleet operating some of the ships
must enter the area thus mined,
md, lying across the straits to fire
'roadsides, offer a large target to
loating explosives.
The intentions as to the landing :
# force are closely guarded, but I
is known that an army of con- +
iderable size is ready to attack the
'urkish forces along the Dardanelles +
yhen the admirals advise that the !
loment has arrived.
CONSTANTINOPLE DOOMED. F
London, March 21.-The Daily
ispatch publishes the following b
'om Bucharest:
An officer of the German general n
aft just arrived here from Con- o
antinople admitted to-day that a
onstantinople must fall within a b
wv weeks. The Turks, he said, 81
ave neither the heart nor the tt
cans to withstand the allies calm W
resistible advance. S.
"The Turks" he added, though v
most driven by German officers, p
e fighting half-heartedly. 1t is W
lpossible to Undue them with any W
Ithusiasm of effort re
The German officers of the gar al
son are hurrying their families and al
luables from the city.
"The colonel complained bitterly ol
the apathy of the Turks and ="
ded that any possible chance of
ccessful resistance was marred by ba
e Turkish corruption and misman- pr
ement. The colonel expressed the ye
IT that any day the Russian Black ae
fleet might join the work of III
cling the way to Constantinople. II
any event, he said, the position Sc
ere is virtually hopeless. as
The Germans were declared to lal
making frantic efforts to over Sc
ne the rapidly growing belief in Dl
} Balkans of an ultimate success
the Triple of Entente. Money die
declared to be flowing like water ty
n the object of keeping the peo- tar
ignorant of the true trend of tic
nts." sue
GA OF BOUvET SAVED. so
'aris, March 20 (Via London) - Ai0
cial announcement was made W."
e this afternoon that Ga men oon
e been saved from the crew of Y
French battleship Bouvet, sunk
the Dardanelles March IS. The 4
les on the other ships of the you
nch division which took part in rub
! action are said to be very light. SN'
he Bouvet in times of peace had con
of 621 men. It is the iat
TOM, however, to increase the 81