The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-04-11
TURKEY
by Ed. L. Keen, United Press Staff
Correspondent.

LONDON, April 1o.-News OF the
approach Of allied expedjtlonary
forces has reached constantinople and
caused fresh spasms Of fear among
the popuIace, according to Sofia dis
patch received here tonight. The pop
uIar view In the Ottoman capital Is
that Constantinopie will fall before
the allies within three weeks. The
Turkish fleet 10 almost without coal
supplies, according to private advices
received at Sofia. The sultan has COM
wandered all private stocks, but
these are sufficient to last only twenty
days when railway lines will be use
less for the transportation of troops.
To this pessimistic picture Of condl-
tions in Turkey, the Sofia correspon.
dent added a story Of open dissensions
between the Turkish and German off,
GERS both at constantinople and at
the Dardanelles. The defeat Of the
AngIo-French fleet In the operations
against the DardaneIles forts on
March 18, when three battIeships were
IsIam's capital, according to Sofia DIS
patches. The Turks boasted that the
DardanelIes never would be forced
ana pTCu'SIeU SPCSoy d1d'0SitnSHs
Of the attacks.
Rumors then reached Constant
nople that the alii0s were preparing to
send large army to assist In the
operations. The German officers In
constantinopIe ridicuIed this report.
When the Turks learned that the ex-
peditionary force actually was on its
way they gave vent to outbursts OF
anger against the Germans, who had
previously made themselves unpopu.
liar, according to Sofia dispatches, by
insisting upon supervising every detail
Of the Turkish military and naval
operations.
Threats against the German oft7cers
became 80 serious, according 70 Sofia,
that the Turkish OFFICIALS feared an
attempt might be made to assassinate
them. 1t was finally decided to isolate
the German star aboard steamer In
the Bosphorus, connected by wireless
and by telephone with the Turkish
war office and admiralty. The Ger
man officers seldom 90 ashore now,
according to the Sofia dispatches, and
are provided with armed guards when
they visit the government offices.
Despite claims from the Turkish
war office, the Russian bombardment
Of Eregi and other Black sea ports, 10
reported to have wrecked the coal
mines from which the Turkish govern
ment obtained Its supplies. The gov
ernnent commandered supplies Of all
I the steam railway and electric lines
and obtained 1000 tons Of coal from
HerekIea in Asia Minor, but this
stock is quickly being exhausted. Lack
of an adequate coal supply, It is re-
ported, is interfering seriously with
the Turkish war office plans for troop
movements to oppose the allies. The
| Turks, however, are confident that the
allied fleet will suffer more losses be-
fore the DardanelIes are forced.
They are relying more upon their
extensive system Of mines than upon
land batteries to defend the narrow
waterway. The location Of anchored
mines inside the strait are changed
| almost weekly, according to Sofia re-
ports, to prevent the enemy's destroy
ers from picking safe route through
the mine fold and guiding the fleet.
The report that the former German
cruiser Goeben 10 in no shape to give
battle, is erroneous, the Sofia cores
| pondent wired.
| The Goeben participated IN the re-
cent bombardment of the Russian
coast, but was slightly damaged. She
v.,;ous her life boats,