PRISONERS FROM THE DARDANELLES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3993, 28 July 1915, Page 3

PRISONERS FROM THE DARDANELLES.

FI YE II AIT Y TURKS. FIRST CAPTIVES OF THE FRENCH. On the sunny side of a hill looking diiwn upon the bwiad Aludros Bay lie tour orderly lines of tents, which contain the first Turkish prisoners taken from the Dardanelles. These were captured by the French during the feint attack on. Kuin Kale, on the Asiatic side of the entrance to the Dardanelles', which diverted the attention of tho Turks and prevented them irom sending reinforcements across to tho European shore, where the main landing was in progress (says G. AVard Pn co, special correspondent of the “Daily Alail”). Four hundred and ninety men and five officers and I can see across tho green field on the edge of which I am writing this khaki column of them, marching in a dusty, shuffling company, surrounded by long, glittering bayonets, and tho stocky, soldierly pith helmets of the French Zouaves. They are coming back from a day’s work of carrying stones down by the. harbor. Besides true Osmanlis thero is a smattering of impressed Ottoman Greeks and Armenians among them. You never see much expression in the face of the Turk, but so far as one can interpret the, looks of these captives they are content with their lot. They are better fed, better lodged, and no harder worked than when they were being driven by Germans. 'I ln> Turks in our hands live as well as tile Allied soldiers, who live almost as if at home. A sons-offleer who brought me to the door of an officer’s tent sainted as he introduced me, and one of the Turks rose from a bed of bay on which he was taking a siesta. The other sat up in tho Turk’s favorite attitude, cross-legged, tailor-wise. They wore an untidy unshaven little group, with tunics unbuttoned, showing their cheap flannel shirts beneath Their unintelligent faces are dogged, obstinate, and with just that air of smouldering fanaticism and pride of race mingled with invincible s tup-id t-y which Ims not been veneered by contact villi European civilisation. AVitli all his faults the Turks is a well-bred man by nature. The lieutenant, who was himself spokesman, received one with a diginty and even hospitality that made one forget liis Jot. Their lines of trenches bad lain eastwest along the coast straight past Kuril Kale, where he French had landed both white troops and Senegalese.. The lauding party, supported by the lire, of the ships, which, according to tiie lieutenant, were only 500 yards from the shore, had entrenched themselves 300 yards in front of the Turkish positons. The Turks waited for night to attack, but as soon ns they did so the searchlights from the fleet concentrated relentlessly upon them and machine guns and lighter cannon of the ships took them m enfilade. The Turk drew a spirited plan of the seaside on a box of I urkisli delight to illustrate this. Thirty of the French surrounded them and 500 were taken prisoners. All that these captive officers said I am unable to relate, but when they finished the lieutenant rose to accompany me to the door of the tent, putting on the new Turkish army headgear, which looks like a helmet but is really a straw fe/. covered with a khaki doth which comes down in a flap over the forehead and neck, I left him there smiling and saluting but with all his nation’s immemorial hatred and contempt ior tho Christian in his heart. A brave man, but narrow-minded, one rigidly fettered by prejudices and tradition.