Turkish Front Strong.

New York Times 100 years ago today, November 16, 1912:
Visitor to Tchatalja Believed It Could Stop Bulgarian Advance.
Special Cable to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Saturday, Nov. 16.— A special correspondent of The London Times, telegraphing from the Tchatalja lines under date of yesterday, says:
    I have been able to ascertain from personal observation that the Bulgarians are constructing field works west of Papas-Burgas. These operations attract occasional shell fire from the Turkish warships off Kalikratia.
    "The Turkish front appears to me to be capable of disputing any further advance. The evidences of disorder which marked the rapid retreat of a fortnight ago are not to be found in this part of the lines. The position is being intrenched along the entire front, and the warm weather has greatly helped the Turks to recover from the effects of the past three weeks.
    The masses of fugitives and villagers congregated in the environs of Stamboul defeat description.
    Is quiet along this front to-day. The Turkish officers talk of a combined Greek and Bulgarian descent on the Dardanelles as likely to be the closing episode of the war."

Turks' Rear Guard Unmolested.
    Another dispatch from the same correspondent, dated Nov. 12, says:
    It is extremely disheartening, after making every sacrifice possible to find that the entire British press has been deceived by the spoon-fed information published from the Bulgarian side by the Vienna Reichspost. If this information is to be believed, there has been a running rear-guard fight and hot pursuit from Lule-Burgas to Tchatalja during the last week.
    As a matter of fact there was no pursuit whatsoever. The Bulgarians did not advance beyond Lule-Burgas before Nov. 7. The Turkish rear guard left Tchorlu without having fired a shot for six days, and the following day the Bulgarians began a forward movement and the Turkish independent cavalry division evacuated Tchorlu before them. Of all this the writer was an eye-witness, as he was nearly bagged by a Bulgarian patrol as he retired on Rodosto. The Bulgarians on this flank certainly lost one of the greatest opportunities ever presented to a victorious army in the field. Why? Because of the resistance shown by that moiety of the Turkish Army which remained stanch.
    "Unfortunately only three correspondents with the Turks saw anything of the fighting, while the remainder saw nothing but the disorderly flight, themselves being hurried back by their official sponsors amid the disorganized retirement. The stories they supplied gave color to the Reichspost correspondent's, no doubt, intelligent anticipation of events; hence the false reports to the effect that Rodosto was occupied Nov. 3 and that there was fighting at Tchatalja a week ago."

Armies in Contact Thursday.
    Further the same correspondent says:
    "The Turkish left fell back during the ten days from Nov. 2 to Nov. 12, first to Tcherkesskeui, then, on the information of Mahmoud Mukhtar's success on the right being negatived, on Tchatalja. On the left no shot was fired at this army in its retirement after Oct. 31 until yesterday when the now advancing Bulgarians are said to have come into touch with the Turkish advance guard division at Kabakje.
    "As far as I could learn when in a unique position between two hostile armies, there was a similar failure on the part of the Bulgarians to follow up the retirement of the Turkish right wing.
    "The reading public must dismiss from their minds all stories of cavalry charges and of positions carried with the bayonet. With the exception of the battle at Kirk-Kilisseh, and the wasteful counter stroke by Mahmoud Mukhtar, nearly every issue has been decided by fire supremacy, especially by the efficient Bulgarian shrapnel, added to the supremacy which the Bulgarians established by their superior fire tactics."

Praise for the Hampered Turks.
    The correspondent continues by giving a picture of Turkish lack of organization which is even blacker than that already painted by other correspondents.
    "Yet on the front at Lule-Burgas," he continues, "this maladministered army, in spite of fugitive units of the First Corps tumbling upon it, in spite of the lack of direction, the lack of officers, and the lack of food, gave pause to the Bulgarians for four solid days and retired without pursuit.
    "The chief staff officer of the Fourth Corps told the writer that if he had had food and ammunition or any chance of getting further supplies his skeleton battalions would have held each succeeding position back to Tcherkesskeui. But most of the troops had had no bread for from forty-eight to seventy-two hours, and the ammunition supply had broken down completely. Nothing was left, therefore, but to fall back as narrated.
    "The reason why the Bulgarians gave a respite to enable the Ottoman Army to pull itself together the events of the future alone can explain.
    "Whether on a restricted front, so near their base, the Turkish Army will ever be able to sort itself out from the stupendous muddle and establish any adequate system of administration I do not pretend to prophesy. At last they are having resort to the spade, the best friend of the soldier when intelligently used.
    "Personally I do not believe there will be a battle at Tchatalja of any magnitude. The allies will shortly be taking measures to possess themselves of the Dardanelles, a step which may well avert a price in blood possible at Tchatalja which the Bulgarians can ill afford."