Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-08-03
FLEET CANNOT PASS
DARDANELLES SAYS
GERMAN OFFICER
Confident Fleet viii Never
Pass Straits Turkish Ma
ton Regenerated
(By Henry Woody

St1HIt0-
ed the defenses of the Dardanelles. j
The possibility that the strait guard.
ing the way to Constantinople will be-
forced by the 'Anglo-French warsaips
and land forces is too remote foo con.
sideratiOn, and back of this feeling of
confidence in the superiority of Turk.
ish arms is developing a new spirit of
national unity that is regenerating the
Turkish empire.
Briefly, these were the statements
made to me by Field Marshal Won Der
Goltz, who, as military instructor of
the Turkish army in the years preced.
ing the Balkan wars won for himself
the title father of tne modern Turk
ish army"
To the intimate knowledge thus gain.
ed of the fighting in Turkey, he has
had, since the first of December, added
information gained from personal OBJ.
servatiOn of the present operations in
his capacity Of military aid to his i'm.
perial majesty, the sultan.
1t was in this capacity as the great.
est authority ON the modern Turkish
army that / had asked him to explain
through the United Press the progress
of the Dardanolles operations and the
sudden strength displayed by the Turks,
following their admittedly poor show
ing during the two Balkan wars.
Tells Of Its Strength.
Entirely aside from the valor of
this new Turkish army, there are other
elements OF strength in the defense of
the Dardanelles which am certain the
public as a whole has so far failed to-
appreciate, said Marshal Won Der
Goltz. doubt If the world at large
knows that up to the present moment
not a single ship of the allied fleets
has ever passed the first line of mines
IN the strait.
Back Of this mere sentinel, as it
were, lie wnode mine fields and sub
marine detenses Of the most modern
and perfected types. Even were a ship
able TO elude the first line, the chances
That she could pass the real mine de-
fenses That follow are so infinitesmally
small as not to be calculable.
AT the very moment when the world
at large DelleVed the Turkish army to
De the weakest because OF the reverses
IN the TWO Balkan wars, 1t has come
fTward suddenly with degree OF
strengtn ana resistance never attained
IN the past rms Is due to two things
lnstilled INTO ~ by the Young Turk
semeratlohLnatiInal li'. rat .ia uhlty ana sehti-
''en' ioI ns.lUIai eNis.ehce.
t.p.,it, isnUiis ioi hHisIDhce'
Droauls sPcahlhg, the turkish army
1ouay Is lor the tifst time really
TSr ISrN1sn Ti army, lighting lor existence;
4 ne lurNish empire means latheriand
u eTery Sr lhulHluuai soiuier
inesei Pr,nSipaliy, are ,he reasons
s, Mny 'no English anu, Z rench trying 10
iisne .heiy way inlo lnc Que Guy Wnich
.,ore ~ Vnan "nytnlhg else symOollzes 10
lhe IurNlsh mihu, greatness ana glory
anu even tne e1lstehCe Vi tne ottomah
el'lplIe, touhu themselves racing an IN.
SuIi1ounIaple barrier OF IRE ana steei'
hau peeI received py ms eHceliency
IN ,'e Pilcule apartlleht mnlch ne oG'
cuPies III Oons'autinoPie durlng the al
SerhaVe perlous ne PaSses mere petweeh'
MS uHties as Illltary aiu 10 the sultan
anu vnlei 'ennlanuer ol lne IiIst lurk'
isn army oulIounneo NOT only py OF
ilcers i.ICt OF MS iInmedlate personal STAR,
pu1 aiSo py q ns'nper ol Peulgreeu eats
anu kenhei Oh tnoroughDreu uogs' ne
manages curing the rev hours OF re-
Pose sldI.eI I..1 nun III .nc esenmilss 10
enl" ht.e aV'nosphere vi hou'e
anu uulles1lely' III, =,
ne hau received NE atllreu IN ciVll'
ian costume, suen as any American
'usinese f1It man !, n'isn. WIZ
i. ~ "ouia Vt u iI,islahe nVM ~ relet
70 70 me az Ihe iatner OF .he moSer1
Iurhisn army PIoleseu lne Ileiu
Inafshal' me Iuri'lsn army 0rganl-
aation %nlcn 10 NOW ssrcrlsIlg g Ine en-
uIe wor,u uules Inlt lroll tne Daihah
wars ana Is entlreiy INC creation {" tne
luIhs themselves a. IarauoAieai .i as IL
ulay seenl' t"e uisas'gts ~, VI the Dalhah
wars ProNeu IoI tne LurEs tnelr grea,'
est source OF strcnR,h' ~ ~ Piopaple
tna' 70 e ,hen, aione they owe 'neir pres
eht ssls"t1on. Wy. l.. ,, A.
Nal V.hcTilTIase Ilor ARMIES
untll tne palhan wars IL hau peen
necessary az an tllnes 10 Keep tne
rloWer OF the hurhish army sta,lUueu
constantly III Maceuohia anu, aipaIla
because OF the menace OF uPrissimngs ny
tine buigariah' serbian, ufeeki hlpanlah Lal
ana other raelal elements OF the popu.
latlon; for the ilrst tlihe IN histQpIy
the Iurkish government glllln n no" ..Ic aglc
TO concentrate N sunsll ares lts eR'ife !I
miitary strength oWo iW tne aeIense ,ri qi is lIs
capital ana tne OTTOMAN empire; Inere re
- !, no rear OF intefnationai 1si uprls'nss Ut
dlsaensions IN tne ranks 4,