Turkey

Art. 40 of the constitution of Turkey states that, "The su preme command of the army is vested in the moral personality of the Great National Assembly and is exercised by the President of the Republic. In time of peace the command of the military forces is entrusted to the chief of the general staff within the limits of the corresponding laws. In time of mobilization the command of the armed forces is entrusted to a person nominated by the President at the proposition of the Council of Com missars." The land forces of the Turkish Republic in time of peace amount to : 163 infantry battalions, 42 field, 44 mountain, 5 how itzer and 27 heavy artillery batteries; 48 cavalry squadrons, 13 machine-gun mounted companies; 29 pioneer companies, 8 trans port companies, 3 radiotelegraphic companies, 1 light-projector company and 8 field hospitals. These forces are formed in 18 infantry and 5 cavalry divisions composing the IX. Army Corps, distributed over 3 military inspection regions. Each of these comprises 2 to 4 army corps, and is under a chief who is the designated commander of the corresponding army on mobiliza tion. An army corps is normally composed of 2 infantry divisions, I heavy artillery regiment of 2 to 4 batteries, 1 squadron of corps cavalry, 1 technical company, 1 transport company, 1 automobile company and 1 company for communications and liaison. The VIII. Army Corps has no heavy artillery. An infantry division has 3 infantry regiments of 3 battalions and 3 machine-gun companies each, 1 artillery regiment of 2 field and 2 mountain batteries, I pioneer company and 1 company for communications and liaison. The first 9 divisions are numbered from 1 to 9, while the remain ing 9 divisions bear different numbers, inherited from the old. organization. A cavalry division is composed of 3 cavalry regi ments of 3 squadrons, 1 machine-gun mounted company and I to 2 mountain batteries each. The numeration of the cavalry divi sions is also inherited from the old organization.

The distribution of these forces is as follows:— In addition, the following other forces exist within the frame work of the army corps : I. The National Guard of the Great National Assembly, consisting of 1 infantry battalion, r machine-gun company and cavalry squadron.

2. 4 frontier commissariats of 4 battalions and 4 machine-gun companies each, in Artvin, Diarbekr, Adana and Adrianople.

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heavy batteries and technical units for the fortified places, namely; Smyrna, 8 batteries, 1 projector company and I pioneer company ; Kars, 12 batteries, 1 pioneer company and r liaison company; Erzerum, 20 batteries and i liaison company; Chatalja, 8 batteries.

4. 16 batteries of coast artillery, at Samsun and other points.

5. I railway battalion, i pioneer and i liaison company.

Service in the army is obligatory. Its duration is 1/ years in the infantry and transport, 4 years for the navy and 2 years for all other arms.

The Gendarmerie represents a force of about 25-30,000 men, organized in 9 flying gendarmerie battalions and numerous com panies, platoons and posts. There are also 5 mounted gendarmerie regiments, one each at Angora, Chorum, Yozghad, El `Aziz and Erzinjan respectively. The recruiting is on a voluntary basis.

The equipment of the army is satisfactory, but it is not uni form. The rifles are of diverse types. The number of automatic rifles is only 1,200 to 1,300. The machine-guns are altogether about 800, i.e., 4o for each division. The field guns are estimated to be about 600 to 65o, but the reserve of shells is low. The cartridge factory in Angora is being steadily developed, but the production is insufficient.

Air Service.

The air service numbers 13 incomplete squad rons of 8 aeroplanes each, 2 schools for aviation (land and naval) in Smyrna. The instructors are French officers. The air units are concentrated in Smyrna, where there are 7 hangars for aeroplanes, others are being planned for construction at Afiun Qarahisar, Mersina, Constantinople and Erzerum. A workshop for repairs exists also in Smyrna. The organization of the meteorological service is not completed as yet and is to include 24 meteorological stations. The service will have the assistance of the existing radio telegraphic stations and those under construction in Constanti nople, Smyrna, Qastamuni, Gallipoli, Sivas, Angora, Eskishehr and Konia. Much attention is being given to the development of the air forces by the authorities and the public alike, who are rais ing donations and subscriptions for this end. The air services for postal and passenger service are only in embryo.

Navy.

The naval forces are in an unsatisfactory condition. By the end of the World War the fleet numbered about 20 units, thanks to the German battle cruiser "Goeben" (which passed to Turkey in 1914) and some torpedo boats. By the Sevres Treaty, only about 1 o unimportant units were left to Turkey. By the Lausanne Treaty, however, Turkey got back the remnants of her fleet and moreover the liberty for further armaments. Turkey intends to entrust to a Japanese mission the development of her fleet, within the limits and necessities of a mobile defence to sup plement the coast defence. To this end it is intended to repair and arm anew the cruisers "Goeben," "Hamidiye," seven gun-boats, two submarines and three torpedo boats. Further, within a period of 8 years, the construction is intended of 2 battleships, 2 cruisers of io,000 tons each, 2 cruisers of 7,500 tons each, 4 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats (of Boo to i,000 tons each), 4 submarines up to 1,200 tons each and 6 mine-layers. A sea dock is planned for construction at Izmid, where an inlet of the Sea of Marmora has the shape of an easily defensible fjord. Two more naval aviation schools are planned (besides that in Smyrna) ; one in Constanti nople and another in Trebizond, and 4 hydroplane stations. In the present situation the fleet can be used only for a defensive pur pose, owing to its numerical and technical weakness and to the coastline of nearly 4,000 kilometres that has to be defended, espe cially the Aegean coast line where the opposite islands are in the hands of foreign states; but in the Black Sea it might to some extent take the offensive.