MONASTIR ABANDONED TO THE ENEMY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2633, 2 December 1915, Page 5

MONASTIR ABANDONED TO THE ENEMY

A DESERTED CITADEL ORDERLY RETREAT OF THE SERBIANS Br Telegraph.—Press Association—Copyright Salonika, November 30. The civil authorities abandoned -Monastir on Saturday It is reported that the Austro-Germans from Mitrovitza have joined up with the Bulgarians, and are now advancing on Monastir, where only twenty gendarmes and three army officers remain. The Serbians are retreating in good order. ■ - Nearly 80,000 Serbian troops huvo taken Tefuge in Montenegro and Albania. They are preparing to reconstitute their forces, and it is hoped that 30,000 will junction with the Serbians in the Monastir district. DISPATCH FROM MR. DONOHOE. (Reo. December 1, 5.5 p.m.) London, November 30. . Mr. Martin Donohoo (the war correspondent), writing from Athens, announces the fall of Monastir. The Serbs, he says, are withdrawing without fighting, in order to. avoid useless bloodshed. The Greek and Rumanian Consuls, the Greek patriarch, and the Bulgarian Exarch have been appointed to negotiate for the surrender, and have gone to the Bulgarian Headquarters. The French, on Sunday, were fighting at Gradsko, east of Krivolak. The Serbs are retreating in good order, in two bodies., ono heading for Albania and the other for Montenegro." Heavy snowstorms continue, and Fiorina is crowded with refugees, in a uitiablb state—mothers carrying infants who had died from cold and hunger. The Greeks have sent urgent appeals to Salonika for food and clothing for tho destitute refugees. / ' REPORTED ABANDONMENT £)F WAR ON SERBIA. (Reo. December 1, 10.55 p.m.) Brisbane, December It The State Governor announces that he has received a caWs-rara from Mr. Bonar Law to tho effect that Germanv is not going to continue the war against Serbia. _ [The Prime Minister fMr. Massey), in reply to a question last evening, said that vo message of this kind had reached the New Zealand Government.] FATE OF THE KOSSOVO ARMY. m>- <,rv •, ki -ii )i j x 4. o j •, London, November 30. The "Daily Mail s" correspondent at Salonika, says the Serbian army at Kossovo was scattered. i One portion was captured; the remainder reached Montenegro. The Serbians who retreated to Monastir' encounteied enormous difficulties, chiefly from the Bulgarian comitadjis (irregular bands. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Reo. December 1, 6.5 p.m.) . . ~ •, , . •. ~ , London, November 30. An authoritative statement has been issued stated that tho Serbians were not Teduced to a scanty remnant. One section is retreating in food order to the Albanian and Montenegrin frontiers, and the other south-wo'sterlv Serhia still has availablo 250,000 firstrclass fighting men, though they require arms It is positively known that the German losses have been extremely heavv' and their successes have been achieved at a terrible cost. The finrhs st.ili retain their former 50,000 Austrian prisoners. V borbs stlH ! * ' . GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. ... ~w r, , Amsterdam, November 30. A. German communique states: "Near Rudmk anil south-west of Mitro vitza, General von Koevess was succesful. "The Bulgarian forces on November 28 captured 3000 prisoners at Prizrend." 1 BULGARIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. Amsterdam, November 30 A Bulgarian official communique states: "We have occupied the east <?'pr bian position' on the Prilop-Monastir road." ' ' \ ~ ' .THE AUSTRIAN ATTACK ON MONTENEGRO, (Reo. December 2, 0.10 a.m.) .. , . . , , irnr , Amsterdam, December 1. An Austrian communique states: "Wo have driven the Montpumrnnc ! the direction of Wlevlje." legnns ln HEAVY LOSSES SUSTAINED BY THE BULGARS. London, Novcmlior 30 The "Times's" Bucharest corrcspondeiit reports that tho Bulgars sustained heavy casualties, which were largely duo to the frequency of bayonet ■ charges, for which they liavo a strong predilection. Many ollicers of hii>iirari'lliave fallen, including tlid famous insurgent chief, TchergeiielL Tli'o campaign, as designed and carried out by General Bojadjelf, has won warm German encomiums. Berlin and Vienna have dispatched numerous sanitary missions, and ; liberal hospital trains, each composed of thirty ears, li,?vo-arrived. Alunillcunt nibscriotiVns bave bean, seut to tho Bulgarian Bad Or^s,

THE BULGAR BILL FOE GERMANY TO PAY. London, November 30. Germany undertook to pay Bulgariathe expenses of tlie campaign. The objects of Jl. Toncheff's (Financo Minister) visit to Berlin and Vienna were to obtain 250 million francs and a second option 011 a loan of 500 million. He also arranged lor t'lio immediate payment of 250 million francs. THE GREEK REPLY TO THE ENTENTE A STATEMENT OF CONDITIONAL NEUTRALITY By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rcc. December 1, 8.55 p.m,) London, Novomber 30. i All the European capitals are with the Balkan tangle, and their anxiety is intensified by the publication of the Greek reply to the Entente, which declares thnt Greece will maintain her attitude of benevolent neutrality so long as her sovereign rights are not infringed, and no restrictions of a military character are imposed upon her. The Note contents that with Salonika and its railways in the hands of tlie Allies, the Greek forces have been deprived of their only provisioning base. The German newspapers are publishing extravagant articles showing the attitude of the pro-German Greeks. One leading Athenian politician, in an interview," States tliat King Constantino and General Dusmanis consider that Italy is even more dangerous than Bulgaria, and that Italy wants Epirus. "It would bo better for to hold Constantinople than Russia. If the Franco-British troops are driven back they should certainly be interned. There would be plenty of highly placed personages in their army, capable, of being used as hostages, and if the Allies should bombard our coasts, Greece can shoot so many British and French officers, and exccute a certain number of soldiers for every Greek ship sunk.' Enough Britishers can bo captured to savo Greece from bombardment." / ' IF GREECE ACCEPTS THfe ALLIES' DEMANDS INSPIRED THREAT IN. THE GOVERNMENT JOURNAL. Athens, November 30. The Government journal, "Neon Astv," states that the Central Powers have declared that they will consider whether they ought to respect Greece's neutrality in the event of M. Skoulodis (the Greek Premier) yielding to the Entente's demands. CRISIS REACHED IN RUMANIA AN EARLY DECISION EXPECTED. (Rec. December 1, 8.55' p.m.) _ Paris, November 30. . Thero is every indication that a crisis has been reached in Rumania. Diplomatic circles are optimistic that Rumania will soon enter the war on the side of the Allies. . The Bucharest correspondent of the l'aris 'Temps" states that the Rumanian Government is only in disaccord with tlite Opposition so far as dates and methods are concerned. M. Bratiano (the Premier), is as convinced as M. Filipesco that Rumania must partake in the_ conflict. Expert opinion in Rome has reached a similar conclusion as the result of the King of Rumania's speech. They believe that Rumania has decided to mobilise directly Russia moves. THE SHADOW OF-THE RUSSIAN INVASION CONSTERNATION OF THE BULGAR POPULACE. ! Buoharest, November 30.' The impending Prussian invasion ha® caused consternation among the people of Bulgaria. ; • 1 Four German battalions at' Rustchuk (Bulgaria) and Bulgarian troops at Varna and Dedeagatch have returned to the Dodrudja frontier. AND SUSPICION OF THE TURKS. Salonika, November 30. News from Sofia is to the effect that the assembling of Turkish troops in Thrace is viewed with askance. Various frontier, incidents have already been reported between the Bulgars and Turks. ("Times" and Sydnoy "Sun" Services.) (Rec. December 1, 5.5 p.m.) London, November 30. Tlie "Times's" special correspondent in Serbia states that the Turco-Bul-gar tonsion has increased. A popular agitation, which the Gorman agents are endeavouring to sooth, prevails m Bulgaria on the subject of the claim bv'Tu'rkey for the retrocession of the districts in Thrace, which were recently given to Bulgaria. Constantinople asserts that Bulgaria'would bo aggrandised bv the conquest of Serbia owing to Turkey's friendship, but the Bulgarians would not bo satisfied with a post-war settlement which did not include the cession of Adrianople. "RUSSIAN EFFORT WILL NEED TO BE GREAT." ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. December 1, 5.5 p.m.) London, November 30. The "Petit Journal's" correspondent, writing from Bucharest, states that M. Bratiano is ill, and' because he has failed to strengthen his Cabinet the situation is more and more strained. Some assert that a compact with Russia is definite. ■ . "The Austro-Germans are massing war materials on. the frontier and the Russian effort will need to be great," he adds. A REMARKABLE STATEMENT ' - AUSTRIA SEEKING A SEPARATE PEACE. (Rec. December 1, 5.5 p.m.) • . London, November 30. The Italian journal "Tribiina," in a remarkable unconfirmed statement, sai'S that Austria is attempting to conclude a separate peace. The Paris Press states that important changes have been decided on in the Austrian Cabinet. ■ MORE CHAFFERING OF TERRITORY GREECE AND BULGARIA BRIBED AT BULGARIA'S EXPENSE. ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) - _ ,London, November 30. Sofia has agreed, apparently acting on instructions from Germany, to -waive the national claim to the Aegean port of Kavala and the Rumanian district of order to secure the neutrality of Greece and Rumania. It is suggested that Bulgaria should acquiesce in the transfer of Doiran and Ghevgheli to Greece ,and even Monastir,_ if King Coustautine joins the Central Powers. M. Radoslavoff (Bulgarian Premier! is said to have agreed. The Government will be compelled to summon the Sobranje for December 28. CRETANS DESTROY A GERMAN SUBMARINE. Parts, November 30. It is unofficially reported that the Cretans dynamited a German submarine at Crete. , IN THE PARLIAMENT OF THE ENEMY OPENING OF THE REICHSTAG PRESIDENT REVIEWS THE PROGRESS OF THE WAR I (Rec. December 1, 10.55 p.m.) ' Amsterdam, December 1. The Reichstag has opened l . Tlie President, in liis address, said: "The enemy has failed to break through in tho- West. The Austrian.? hold tho Eastern positions in an iron grip, while our feats of arms in tho Balkans have carried iis through with splendid and unsurpassed sureness, enabling us to avenge Serajevo and Serbia's intrigues Assisted by Bulgaria we have crowned our victory, and the Serbian Army has been absolutely defeated. The Turks have upheld their old reputation, the result being the failure of enemy's Dardanelles enterprise. Proud England is troubled about tho key to her Eastern supremacy. "All our enemies 'have recognised that we are invincible on the battlefield, and they therefore eagerly cling to tho hope that they can destroy us economically and conquer us by hunger. Wo have com and potatoes in abundance. There is, mnyhe, some scarcity in other tilings,* yet the hardships which, have been caused to the majority or t the poorer population will bo surmounted by our organisation of tho provision market. AVe have financially and economically overy reason to contemplate tho future with determination and unshaken confidence."