KITCHENER AND KING CONSTANWE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2627, 24 November 1915, Page 5

KITCHENER AND KING CONSTANWE

DIFFICULTIES REMOVED

BULGARS FORCED BACK

THE BLOCKADE

GERMAN DREADNOUGHT MINED

NINE PIRATE SUBMARINES MISSING

FRESH OFFENSIVE IN GALLIPOLI

Lord Kitchener, go it is stated in one message from the Balkans today, las successfully accomplished liis mission to Greece, and his visit to King Constantine is understood to have cleared away the difficulties of the situation. In the meantime the Bulgars have been forced back at one point hy the Serbs, who have pushed forward and improved their position. Some interesting light is thrown on the French advance in this theatre of the war by a war correspondent, who retails two brilliant coups of the French commander, General Sarrail, who has already achieved a great reputation in the Western theatre as a master of tactics. Reports from Constantinople via Amsterdam mention a big Allied offensive in the Dardanelles, but our own reports merely refer to a, "local action," in which we were successful. Indications point to a big German move in the West. There is quite a big budget of reports from the sea. A German Dreadnought—this is not official—has been sunk- by a mine in the Baltic; the Austro-Germans are uneasy about the fate of nine submarines in the Mediterranean, nothing having been heard of them for some time; and the British Fleet has evidently caught the Germans napping in the Baltic, for large numbers of submarines have been smuggled through the Sound, under escort of a tor-pedo-boat flotilla, and convoyed by powerful battleships and cruiscrs, tlio spectacle of which sufficed to send a German flotilla off in haste.

KITCHENER STRAIGHTENS OUT THE TANGLE

HIS TALK WITH KING CONSTANTS

BULGAR OFFENSIVE WEAKENING

By Telegraph—Press Association—OoDjrldu i

("Time's" and Sydney "Sun" Services.)

London, November 23. King Constantino has assured Lord Kitchener that Greece will not attack the Allies. The basis of a satisfactory agreement has been established. ■GERMAN NEWSPAPER'S COMMENT. The "Berliner Tageblatt" says the neutrality of Greece depends solely on the increasing success of the Central Powers in Serbia. King Constantino is being guided rather by their approach to the Greek frontiers as conquerors than by the Serbs, French, end English fleeing. Tho neutrality of Rumania will be determined by the inability of Russia to bring help. Tho intervention of Italy is discounted. » THE THREATENED BLOCKADE / ■ GREEK SHIPPERS APFREHENS.IVE. (Reo. November 23,12.15 p.m.) . ' . . . London, November 22. The situation m Greece is occasioning the greatest interest. All the newspapers are canvassing the possibilities in view of Lord Kitchener's visit. Advices from Athens state that after Lord Kitchener's departure the Greek Cabinet sat until three o'clock in the morning. There is great excitement in the Piraeus, and shippers await the development of the blockade with apprehension. Ministers say that the attitude of the Allies is not unexpectedj some declare that the importance of,the situation has been exaggerated. The Liberals announce that they will only participate in the elections in the event of the demobilisation measure which M. Venizelos desires in the present oircumstances.

The "Daily Telegraph's" Athens correspondent states that the British Legation's declaration announcing an economio and commercial blockade is oreatuig a critical situation. M. Denys-Cochin (the French envov), who intended to leave with General Sarrai' for the front, is returning to Athens. Greek officials deny the possibility of Greece attacking and disarming the Entente troops. AH contend that Greece's differences with' the Allies will soon be adjusted.

SLUMP IN FREIGHT FOR GREEK STEAMERS,

(Rec. November 23, 10.58 p.m.)

m , ■ i „ , London, November 23. Tliere is a slump in freight for Greek steamers in the shipping exchanges. Hitherto these have been in the keenest demand. The fact is the more serious because most cf the Greek owners are captains, and other private individuals not companies. '

EXPLOSIVE SPEECH BY A GREEK MINISTER

ATTACK ON BRITISH GOVERNMENT,

(Rcc. November 28, 10.55 p.m.)

. London, November 23. Mr. Jeffries (the "Daily Mail's" correspondent at Athens, has had an interview with Mr. Rallis, Minister of Justice, who declared that it was madness to suggest that Greece would think of disarming the Allies when the guns of the ileet might be levelled £t the cities. Greece, he 6aid, was Teady to demobilise in twenty-four hours if the Allies left Salonika. M. Rallis angrily declared that the British Government and Press were adopting a disgraceittl attitude. "You tiro_scoundrels," ho added, banging his fist on the table. _ "You are starving us. "You want us to ondure the horrors of the Bulgarian invasion, and become another Belgium, though no English blood will be shed ill Serbia. Only a few thousand troops wero landed to help us, after .endless mistakos and delays." The interview discloses the fact that King Constantino agreed, under M. Venizelos's reasoning, to the original disembarkation of ICO,OOO Allies' troops at Salonika, but repented within twenty minutes, and sent his aido posthaste after M. Venizelos, who had already informed Sir Francis Elliott (the British Minister) of the King's decision. King Canatantine does not love tho Germans, and offered to join tho Allies in April, when Germany's hands wero full,- stipulating that the Dardanelles operations should not be undertaken, but an advance made through Thrace. The Allies did not accept tho proposals. Mr. Jeffries quotes King Constantino as saying: "Whatevor happens France ajid England will never bo too sovero on Greece, whereas Germany would bo implacable. It is My. duty to stu'« m,v country from tho horrors of Belgium."

THE DEFEAT OF THE BULGARS AT LESKOVATZ

SERBIANS TAKE UP STRONG POSITION

Athens, November 22. Details of the battle of Leskoyatz show that tho Serbians concentrated south-westward, and inflicted a serious defeat on tho Bulgarians, who narrowly escaped a disorderly retreat. They abandoned large quantities of material. The Serbians then took nip positions on the heights northward and southward of Lobane, whence they can offer a lengthy resistance, threatening the Bulgarian offensive, which' has latterly been weakening.

BULGARIANS FALLING BACK

(Rec. November 23, 5.5 p.m.)'

Salonika) November 22. telegram from Monastir states: "It is proved that the Bulgarians have retired from Prilep. Serbian cavalry advanced towards the Babuna Pass, and failed to discover any of the Bulgarians. "An unconfirmed report says that two Serbian divisions are marching from Ferizovitch in the direction of Monastir. The Bulgarians, fearing an enveloping movement, are retiring eastward."

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT,

The High. Commissioner reports

London, November 23, 3.10 a.m. "Paris reports that Bulgarian attacks on Friday and Saturday were repulsed."

GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE.

(Rec.' November 23, 5.5 p.m.J

Amsterdam, November 22. A German official communique stat«s: "The Serbian rearguard was thrown back near Socanca, in the Ibar Valley. "Both sides of the Pordujevo Valley have been forced. Two thousand six hundred prisoners, six guns, four machine-guns, and much material were captured.

"We found in the Novi Bazar arsenal fifty big mortars."

GERMANS' HEAVY LOSSES,

(Rec. November 23, 10.50 p.m.)

Ceneva, November 23. General von Koevess's occupation of Novi Bazar was due to his receiving reinforcements, owing to his heavy losses. The mountain routes are covered with dead and dying. Von Koevess's casualties for five days totalled 25,000.

BRILLIANT TACTICS ON THE FRENCN FRONT

EXTRAORDINARY DIFFICULTIES OF CAMPAIGNING.

(Rec. November 23, 10.40 p.m.)

London, November 23. Mr. G: Ward Price ("Daily Mail'), writing from Salonika, rej)orts that tho French are holding fifteen miles of a triangular plain, pointing to Veles-, and bounded by the Cerna River on the west, and the Vardar on the east and north. Both are unfordable. The triangle includes good water, three villages of houses for billeting, and landing places for tho aviators. The French also hold a gloomy height named Karahodjali. When General Sarrail arrived he saw the immense importance of this height and ordered its immediate capture. No bridge crossed tho Vardar, but a crazy old Turkish boat was found, whereby a whole regiment was ferried, tho boat coming and going day and niglit. The Bulgarians were driven out, and later, realising their mistake, repeatedly attempted to recapture the height, but wore repulsed with heavy loss. . . _ Tho chief difficulty of the French position is that every man and every ounce of munitions and supplies must be carried on a single line of railway. There is not even a road. Moreover, the railway passes through narrow ravines, the longest being ten miles, through the Demirkapu Gorge, northward of Strumnitza, of which the northern end is so precipitous that the train only emerges by a tunnel in tho last hundred yards. If the tunnel were blown up, a feiw guns would suffice to prevent it from being repaired. General Sarrail made a ,brilliant cross-country march in order to join up with the Serbs at the Babuna Pass. He reached within ten miles of his objective, after desperate fighting, in which the Frenoh were outnumbered by three to one.

STRANGE PROCESSION ON THE DANUBE,

("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.)

(Rec. November 23, 7.45 p.m.)

London, November 22.

An extraordinary scene was witnessed on the Danube. Sots of six and oight immense steel lighters, towed by tugs, and convoyed by Austrian monitors, passed down the river. Three armed paddle-ships were used to transport thousands of wagon-loads of munitions, while six lighters carrier! barbed wiro, and wo telegraph wire. Several heavy guns have reached Bulgaria. The Russians mined the narrowest passages, but the stream was swollen and tho monitors passed over the mine's.

BULGARIAN PREMIER AND OPPOSITION LEADER

("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.)

(Reo. November 23, 5.5 p.m.)

Londoni November 23,

"The Times" Bucharest correspondent states that M. Radoslavoff. the Bulgarian Premier, has had a conference with M. Malinoff, the leader of the Opjjositioh, and arrived at an agreement to convoke the Chamber. The Oppositionists, who form a majority, demand that .Bulgaria should not participate further in the war after the occupation of the Macedonian districts, which were offered by both groups of Powers in the recent overtures. If a separate peace is impracticable, Bulgaria will cease hostilities.

ITALY'S DECLARATION OP WAR ON GERMANY

BREACH ONLY A MATTER OF HOURS

Borne, November 22. A correspondent of the Central News Agency states that diplomats understand that Italy's declaration of war oh Germany is only a matter of hours.

THE WAR IN THE DARDANELLES

DARING EXPLOIT BY BRITISH AIRMEN.

The High Commissioner Teports:—

London, November 22, 6.35 p.m. "In connection with the Dardanelles operations, two British aeroplanes successfully attacked the railway station at Ferejik, near Enos (in Thrace, and 35 miles north-west of Gallipoli), on Friday last. One machine was brougnt down by the onerny fire, the pilot managing to land in the marshes on the opposite side of the river, where he burnt his machine; tho second pilot landed beside him and brought him away just in tim e to escape capture. "At Russel's Top, in the Anzac zone, where the Turks recently fired a mine, we occupied on Saturday part of the enemy's underground workings. A fight occurred underground. Two Turks were snot by our officers; several others were killed with bombs."

SUCCESSFUL ATTACK BY A BRITISH DIVISION.

The High Commissioner reports

London, November 23, 3,10 a.m. "In the Dardanelles, a local action last week by a British division, supported by French batteries and a French armoured oruiser, resulted in tlio capture of a trench and' a bomb depot."

TURKISH TRANSPORT SUNK,

(Rec. November 23, 5.5 p.m.)

Amsterdam, November 22. !A! telegram from Zurich states that a Turkish transport, with five hundred on board, struck a mine in the Sea of Marmora, and sank. Nearly all on board were drowned.

BIG OFFENSIVE BY THE ALLIES REPORTED

(Rec. November 23, 7.40 p.m.)'

• Rotterdam, November 23. The "Kolnische Zeitung" states that according to reports from Constantinople the Allies have begun a great offensive in the Dardanelles.

"THE BULGARS ARE GLEAN FIGHTERS."-

(Rec. November 23, 1.45 p.m.)

'Salonika* November 22. Journalists representing the 'Allied nationß visited the French fronts at Strumnitza and the left bank of tho Ornaya. The officers stated to them that tho Bulgars aro good artillerymen, and clean fighters, observing tho rules of war and the dictates of humanity. _ They nover fire on the ambulances, and have scrupulously avoided interfering with tho work of colleoting the dead and. wounded. BRITISH CASUALTIES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. His Excellency the Governor (Lord Liverpool) has received a cablegram from the Secretary of State for tho Colonies, giving the numbers of casualties in the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force up to October 23, which are as follow Regular officers, 1900; other ranks, 37,488; Territorial officors, 1060; otlrer ranks', §2,355; Australian officers, 10021 other ranks, 23,361; Naw Zoaland officers, 317j other ranks, 65094