The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-01-08
TROOPS IN
IMPROVED CONDITION
Better Equipped with Small Arms, and
Big Field Guns Have Strengthen
ed Defenses.

CONSTANTINOPLE. Dee. is
Correspondence Of The Associated |
Press. THE withdrawal of large |
portion Of the allied troops on the |
Gallipoli peninsula has been almost |
coincident with the arrival at the
Turkish front of heavy German and
Austrian batteries, which are so for
midable. that the people of CONSTANT
nople believe there is no longer the
slightest doubt as to the ability of the
| Ottoman army to clear the peninsula
of the invaders. Large shipments Of
ammunition for the Turkish artilIery
also recently reached the Dardanelles
coast batteries and the field guns, and
according to indications in the Turk
ISL official report, the Ottoman troops
Iare constantly increasing their effect
iveness in artillery fire.
During the last interview which The
Associated Press correspondent hal
with Field Marshal Liman Won Sanders
Pasha, the latter pointed out that
with sufficient artillery at his disposal
the allied troops would find it diff
cult to remain on the peninsula. es
peciallv if their artillery was able TO
keep the British and French men Of
war from coming too close TO the
coast
As pointed out in previous despatch
Is, the lack Of sufficient artillery ana
ammunition proved at times a sore
/ problem fer the Turkish troops The
! Turkish artiilerr fire was always weak
L and the allied warships were able to
take the Turkish positions under the
most CALLING fire without running the
slightest risk, except that occas;oned
bv the presence of German submarines
II was only occasionally that one Of
!, the allied ships. venturing in tol
closely was hit. The fire Of the Brit
ish monitors. also, by reason of helm.
r high curve made certain expose
d trenches of the Turks next to untena
e bic. But the Turkish infantry stoo,
f its ground so bravely that il has be
< come popular saying in Constantine
e pie that they defended Gallipol
n with their naked breasts
II The installment of the heavy Ger
lie man and Austrian guns will make
le necessary for the British monitors
$, torpedo boats AMI cruisers to keep a
II respectful distance after this. Wit
Y the Allied trenches also exposed I
PC the fire of heavy mortars, if Is 4,
ii ciared that the fate of the British an
q French troops on the GallipOli pen
&c ish authorities. tG take them ava
I'll tWhile there is get a chance would +
81 an act Of mercy. The prospects
n success for the allies are declared I
be So slight that il would require a
expenditure Of men and material twic
as great IS has already been made
bring the British AMI French au
closer 70 CoastaDtinople.
n Although tens Of thousands of II
Turkish infantgEmen fought fCT son
time with rifles ct the antique Snvd'
hc tYqe they haze an now been equippI
9y with modern models. nctahl-r the rift
J taken from the Russians The gre
"a scarcity Of machine guns Ia the Ott
to man army is also thing of the pas
net Everything that coulI tend to pla
Q. the Turkish army on an equal foe
] in8 with the best organization
Id, Europe has been rushed here since Il
nd opening Cf traffic on the Danube.
he Todav If has become Il questi
ed whether or not il Is possible for t
us allies to remove the rest of the
troops without losing a great share
dy them. The transports. if brought
40 shore to embark the troops would
as under Il terrible fire by the ne
art Turkish batteries. even if a powerf
no British aud French fleet were assel
bled to protect the retreat