Norwich bulletin., 1917-02-15
STORIES OF THE WAR
constantinopIe a Starving City.

l There has arrived in Holland gen. | tleman who holds a very responsible position of commercial and, finan- cial character in one of the largest business houses in ConStantinople. He brought with him the very latest inn preSsions from that city, and the pie | ture he gives me is by no means cheerful one. Were you to publish his | name more than one head would come ] off in Constantinople, writes a core spondent from Amsterdam
 asked first for a general impress sion of conditions in Constanti- nople. He then gave me the following gloomy picture:
 "Constantinople is a starving city, where very certainly dozens of poor creatures perish every day, and where for a year and a half typhus, cholera, and plague have never been absent as epidemics. Constantinople is dirty, and over all hangs the terrifying spectre of famine which also threatens nearly all Turkey in Europe.
 'tOne sees Turkish soldiers, very bad 1y dressed, with worn-out boots, ramb- ling along the streets with a dead beat air. Turkish losses up to now have been very heavy. heard several who are in a position to form fairly lion and a half men,"
 And what" I asked, "is the condi- ton of the more fortunate classes, and what is the feeling about their power 
 The traveller replied.
 That I cannot form any definite conclusion about, but it needs no gift of prophecy to say that from all ap- pearances and all that member of the general public can hear the Turks are at the end of their resources. In any case, Turkey has certainly mobil- iZed all she has to mobilize. Old and young men with one hand or one eye I have seen under military orders. En- yer Pasha has without warning swept into the military net every more or less able bodied man and forced many thousands of women and children to work in factories.
 "One has hardly set foot out of doors when one is surrounded, almost assailed and borne down, by an in sistent mob of beggars, dirty and half perished with hunger. Every race of resented in this army maimed and halt soldiers and others with grave but less obvious war wounds"
 Complete control of the Turks army has been assumed by the Germans. All the. highest and higher commands are filled with Germans; also the ad- ministration of national affairs is in German hands, with the result that there is a perfect, inundation of Ger man officials everywhere. The Turkish military have absolutely no voice in directing affairs, the German Feldwe- bel, or Sergeant, having higher power than Turkish captain. The Turkish soldiers are only kept in order by vigorous, vicious, and constant corpor- al punishment for any and every al- legged offense. Many Turkish generals and other less high officers have been sent back from the fighting areas by their German superiors, and even offi- cers in most ranks are frequently sen- fenced to serve military punishments.
 Mere is an unceasing demand on the part of the Germans for Turkish
 
 serving. These demands always create resentment and anger in Turkish rnili- tary circles. where the view Is strong ly held that Turkey should primarily where her foces are already. weaken ed and scanty."
 My next question was about muni- tions, to which the traveller replied:
 Germany sends large quantities. but l the Turks are now making much more in their own factories than at the com- of the war. Work is inces- sant in the national factories under | German foremen sent from Krupp's l at Essen. Many new factories have been erected, but the whole Turkish l output is not very large.
 "As to finances, all Is discrganized into anarchy, national and private ef- fairs being heavily and adversely af- It is not difficult to imagine 1 the condition of Turkey when I say that tine Turks prefer the German | mark. Austrian groner. and even Bull | garian money to their own currency.
 Food is more often than not dan gerous. Meat is scarce and bad and | very dear. A wretched sort of bread | made from potatoe mixture and chest | nuts has a horrible taste and is inn | possible to digest Rice costs shil- ings a pound Tea costs, when obtain | able. about sovereigns for oHe pound. | The decrease in the rations of potatoes | caused a desperate situation among