Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-09-14

THIN RANKS BEING
VERY HARD PRESSED
Internal Dissention Breaks
Out and Triumvirate Is !,
in Complete Power

Athens Sunday, Sept. II. (Via Parls)
Sent 13. - An American citizen OF
standing in Athens has received ad
vices from Constantinople, which ne
says are trustworthy, that the SITUATION
of the Turkish army and government
is unfavorable. According to this In
formation the position of the Turkish
forces defending the Dardanelles ls
precarious. It Is said the Turkish
front. thinned by the heavy losses
which the fighting has entailed on botn
sides. is finding it increasingly difficult
to hold the lines against the Frencn
and British.
Turkeys position at sea is described
as Instantaneous. The former Ger
man cruiser Goeben and Breslau, re.
named the Sultan Selim and Medullu,
are said to have been incapacitated,
while the Russian feet preys on TURK
ish shipping.
According to this Information, Turk
ish affairs are under the control OF
triumvirate with autocratic powers,
consisting of Enver Pasha, minister OF
war; Talaat Bey, minister of the IN
terror, and Bedri Bey, chief OF police
of Constantinople. Dissatisfaction
among the Moslems is reported and 1t
is said that Shiek VI Islam was dis
missed because he did not approve OF
measures taken against the Armen-
fans. The committee of union and
progress is reported to have been vir-
tually superseded by secret commit
tee which is responsive to the wishes
of the triumvirate.
The Americans informant states
that Armenians are being shipped to
concentration camps at various points,
being driven afoot or forwarded In box
cars. He adds that the earlier mas
sacres of Christians In Asia Minor are
being duplicated in the present In
stance and that in some cases only a
comparatively small part of the ex-
pelled Armenians reach the cOncentra.
ton camps alive.
Henry Morgenthau, American am
bassador at Constantinople, has exert
ed every effort to protect the Armen.
ians, but apparently his endeavors
have been unavailing. 1t Is stated that
American women who attempted to go
with the refugees to look out for Ar
menian children were turned back and
that a number Of young Armenian
girls, who were students at the Ameri'
can college at Constantinople, fell into
the hands of the Turks.
Owing to the interruption OF sea
transportation, 1t Is almost impossible
to purchase coal in Constantinople,
and wood is being used for locomo
tives. The crops were good but 1t has
been almost impossible to harvest
them. Petroleum costs 81 gallon and
the price Of sugar has increased seven
fold.
The Americans informant states
that the agreement said to have been
reached between Turkey and Bulgaria
has not effected a definite settlement
of relations but that to the contrary
the Turks are hastily erecting defenses
against the Bulgarians.
French Statement.
Paris, Sept. 13.-French official
statement:
Several hand grenade combats
were reported during the night near
the Bethune-Arras road an enemy at
tack was easily repulsed to the north
of the Souchez station. At the same
time there was artillery activity on
both Sides"
''The mine fighting proceeded con-
tinously and stubbornly before Faye.
There was violent bombarding in the
sectors Of Arrnancourt and Beuvraig-
mes, as well as on the plateau of
Quennevieres and Nouvron. Intermit-
tent cannonading took place in the
Champagne and the Argonne. On the
Lorraine front our batteries directed
an effective fire on the German
trenches in the neighborhood of EN-
bermenil, Leintrey and Anserviller."