Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-03-04
NEVER CAN REACH GOAL.
is BOAST OF OTTOMANS
Declaring Fortifications Are I'm.
pregnable. Turks Belittle
Efforts of Enemies.
REPORTS FIRE TO BE WASTED
Associated Press Correspondent
Who Witnessed Mondays Ac-
ton. Discredits Claim
of the Allies.

LONDON. March j. I:e5 pm.
The allied fleets this CThurs
day. morning resumed their bom-
bardnent of the inner forts of the
Dardanelles, according to a dis
patch received by Reuters Tele-
gram Company from its CORE
spondent at Athens.
Ten Warships Participated.
The text of the dispatch follows
The bombardment of the inner fort.
Of the pardanelles was resumed Thurs
day morning. Ten big warships took
part in the operations. According to a
British officer. only two of the Turkish
forts remain intact
Allied landing parties found the
charred remains of soldiers in the
damaged forts. showing that the Turks
had burned their dead before evacuat.
ing these positions"
Russian Ship Joins Fleet
The battleships of the allies, which
now show all the colors OF the triple
entente by the addition of the Russian
cruiser .iskoId. undoubtedly have
turned the straits of the Dardanelles
into an inferno which, according 70
British and French claims, has spelled
destruction to the Turkish defenses.
On the other hand. reports from Con-
stantinople deride this activity as in
effective. The Turks. however, do ad-
NIT the destruction of the outer forts,
which they say they expected. but they
declare the inner works pregnable.
The Turks rely on mines, but mine
sweepers OF the allies have been busy
within mile and half of the forts.
destroying a Turkish mine field de-
tected by 4 sharp-eyed aviator.
Among other reinforcements which
are said now to make the feet off the
Dardanelles number over fifty ships is
the British battleship Canopus, last
heard of anchored off the Falkland
Islands. In the Falkland Islands light
the Canopus fired the first shot at the
German squadron under the command
of Admiral Won Spec.
DAYS E1rc Is xnenectlVe.
THE DARDANELLES, March J. via
Berlin and The Hague to London.
March 4.-The allied fleet of nine bat
tleships and two cruisers. the majority
of them British, today again lombard
ed the forts on the Asiatic side of the
Dardanelles. but without success 1t
seemed to the Associated Press CORE
spondent. who was watching the bonn
bardment closely, that the fleet was
unable to locate the Turkish positions
The operations during the course Of
the afternoon became more spirited,
but apparently without results.
British Ship Out of Action.
One British vessel was hit suuarely
and was obliged to steam out of the
action Saturday Owing to the heavy
weather there was no bonn ba rdment
Sunday.
The British and French fire today
was bad. the shells striking anywhere
but the Turkish positions. The bom-
bardment was very heavy. causing
clouds of yellow vapor with crashing
detonations. The fire of the vessels
was met by a strong cross-f1re from the
forts. which rendered the taking OF the
positions impossible. The firing ceased
about 4:30 pm.
A British hydroaeroplane made a short
reconnoitering flight. which was the
only other feature of the opera tions
Declare Forts Impregnable.
BERLIN, via London, March AT
taches of the Turkish embassy here
profess to he unconcerned regardin;:
the bombardment of the Dardaneiles
forts by the great allied fleet.
They declare the fortifications are
fmpre gna BILE. that the landing of troops
at the entrance to the straits is i'm
possible, and any attempt to land a
force at some point along the shore
of the Gulf of Saros would require
more than the allies can concentrate,
out Of consideration the strong
Turkish forces stationed at all threat
ened points.
The Constantinople correspondent OF
the Frankfurter Zeitune sends his
naner an interview with Enver ras,la
in which the chief of the Turkish gem
eraI staff is said to have declared tnar
the damage to the outer forts was less
forts are the oldest of the entire lire
and their early reduction always has
been expected If serious attack were
made upon the Dardanelles. The allied
feet, he declared. has yet to reach the