Excerpt
Now that the war between Greece and Turkey has really commenced, people are much interested in comparing the strength of the two armies, and wondering which side will gain the victory.
The Greek regular army numbers one hundred and twenty-five thousand, the Turkish one hundred and fifty thousand. When all the reserves are called out, it is thought that both countries can put twice if not three times as many men in the field.
The Turkish army is considered the finer of the two, because it is so well drilled, and so perfectly armed. It is said that German officers have been teaching the Turkish soldiers the modern methods of war.
The Turks, however, are the weaker in two important points: their means of providing food for their soldiers, and in facilities for carrying them quickly from one point to another.
An army that is weak in these two very important points loses a good deal of its usefulness.
As we have seen in Cuba, men cannot fight well when they are hungry. It is also a fatal thing to have no good roads or railroads, along which large bodies of men may be sent when they are needed.
The Greek army is not nearly so well drilled as the Turkish, nor so well officered. The Turks have in Edhem Pasha a splendid leader, while the Greeks have no great general to lead them, and at present no general who seems even particularly clever. But that need not worry the friends of Greece. The history of the world has taught us that every great occasion has brought with it a great man capable of dealing with it. The French Revolution brought forth Napoleon, the War of Independence gave us Washington. We can therefore trust that what has happened before may occur again, and that the Greek crisis may produce its Washington, to lead the brave little country safely to success.
The great strength of the Greeks lies in their navy, which is one of the finest in Europe. The Greek ships are modern, well manned, and well armed. The Turkish navy, on the other hand, has been the joke of Europe for many years.
Since the invention of the great guns that will send a cannon ball through the side of a wooden ship as easily as you can pierce an egg-shell with a needle, all the warships have been fitted with strong steel armored hulls and water-tight compartments, such as we told you about on page 75 of Vol. I. of The Great Round World.
Turkey has none of these new ships. She has been bankrupt for so many years that she has not had the money to buy any of them.
It is supposed that the Turks will be more successful on land than the Greeks, but that the Greek navy will win back on the sea as much as the army loses on land.
It is also said that the Turkish arrangements for feeding the soldiers are so bad, that, if the war runs on into months instead of weeks, the Turks will not be able to hold out.
The Senate has not yet taken any action on the Cuban Bill.
Senator Morgan again brought it before the House, hoping that he would be able to bring it to a vote. He was, however, obliged to agree to hold it over for a day or two until Senator Hale should be able to be present, as Mr. Hale has some very important things he wishes to say on the subject.
From Cuba there is very little news of interest....