In the Balkans

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 44, 21 October 1915, Page 5

In the Balkans

TO-DAY'S NEWS. There are two 1 'Outstanding features in the news' from the Balkrins to-day ■ the success of /'the■ 'Serbs, ' anil the Allies' recjuest Ti'oni Greece: The * Serbians haVe'defeated the Germans • ,at two. places'.'' At" Sh'abatz in the 1 north-west'tltey drove'the enemy out and forced drim' to retroat'iW disorder. On the other''flank •■'the' Serbs-hare made a successful flanking movement and have turned the enemy out of the positions he won at Pojavretz after costly fighting and they now continue ,to attack Mackensen's -flank' that has been turned. The Australians claim to have advanced in the centre: An advance to be successful must be complete oh' the whole 1 line. ' The Austro-Gerhxanadrahe© 1 has been held up on the two flanks; this renders the advance in tHtf "e ; eh*fcre - oi'"§Vtie strategic jvalue and rather endangers the flank of the troops' 1 mrtking the - central movement. The plan of the Serbs seems to he to" hold'flie enVriry on the flanks and thus make progress down the Morara valley dangerous and slow. Until the Kaiser's general links up s'ucessfully, an advance that wOuld be decisive is out of the question and will not be attempted. It seems that the Serbs are successfully repeating the tactics that defeated

the Austrians last year. When the Allied troops are on the spot the Germans will find that the present snr- . prising resistance to their vaunted "walk-through" .the Balkans will become more depressing than Mackenseu has already found it. ' Thirty thousand Anglo-French troops have arrived at Nish and more are to follow. These may be employed in the north, but it is more likely that they will relieve the garrison and allow the whole Serbian army to be one in defending their native soil. The Bulgarian attack against Kumanovo has, as was anticipated, in this • column yesterday, been successful and ' the town of Vranja has fallen into the enemy hands at a cost of 10,000 killed. This success, which will probably be merely a temporary one, gives the' enemy control of the Nish railway, which is of vital importance to us. That being so, the Allied commander will certainly take prompt steps to recover the railroad. The Bulgarians were evidently determined to get the railway and have done so. It now remains to be seen how long they can hold it in the face of pressure from the South and from Nish. The Allies 1 were reported yesterday a.s having been 4.0 miles from Sofia. If the report was true, then the Bulgars must get back to their territory after doing as much damage as- possible to the railroad.

The. Allied have now taken the Greek question boldly, and have, demanded an explanation of the mobilisation and asked the 'Government to state for whom they; mobilised. This will settle the question once and for all, and M. Zaijnis anduhis Government Willi perhaps jump 1 loff'itsho'rail and show their true jintehtimHrf,.' ! Bneh a method is the only pue' toi adopt) junder the: circum-' i stances, and iti is-> prabablelthat the request Will be followed by an ;ultimat»m if the; reply is hot"': t,ory. The : arrival of a stfong'»naval squadron would have a strong! effect. ' c :;: ■-- • - i ■ ■ ; ./l'lie ,Kussian>*sn<:cesses':in [southern Galicia and the Austrian evacuation of Czernowitis are important because the operations involved are along the Roumanian frontier. The Roumanians are stated to be favorable to the Allies, and this favor will be strengthened by the successful strategy "of General Xvandff.

GERMANS REPULSED NORTH OF . • SHABATZ.

RETIRE, IN DISORDER.

TJwTun, Association. (Received 8,30 a.m.) h London, October 20. The Germans were repulsed northward of Shabatz and are retiring in disorder. BULCARS INTERRUPT RAILWAYS BETWEEN STRANJA AND RIVOVATZ. (Received 8.30 a.m.) Nish, October 20. A communique states: The Bulgarians between Stranja and Rivovatz occupied positions commanding the railway and communication is interrupted. SERBS FLANKING MOVEMTNT. CAPTURE OF GERMAN POSITIONS (Received 8.30 a.m.) Bucharest, October 20. ■ Serbians captured some German positions near Pojarevatz and are now attacking the Germans' flank. The battle continues. BtL WOMEN FIGHT WITH MEN. CAMPAIGN A MOST DESPERATE ONE. (Received 9.45 a.m.) London, October 20. The Daily Telegraph's Rome correspondent reports that advices from German sources state that the campaign in Servia is of a dreadful character and of desperate fighting. In the vicinity of Mounts Branovo and Pasulich many women, girls and boys were shot down by the invaders, as they were lighting side by .side with the Servian soldiers.

MUTINOUS BULGARIANS

United Press Association. London. October 19. A Bulgarian regiment near Kinehevatz mutinied, refusing to figlit against the Serbians. Their colonel was killed, and tbe rest of the division surrounded the mutineers and decimated them. Rome, October 19. The Tribuna states that General Jekoff is unpopular. Several regiments have mutinied, and numbers of officers have refused to obey the

Germans. Two colonels were shot by General Jekoff's orders. "NATURAL FRIENDS." Salonika, October 19. Soldiers of the 3rd Greek Army Corps have been ordered to salute the Allied officers. They fraternise with the Franco-British, and tbe whole of them are natural friends* Forty thousand Anglo-French were concentrated at Salonika on Wednesday.

THE FIGHT FOR VRANJA. THE TOWN A MINEFIELD. TREMENDOUS SLAUCHTER OF BULGARS.

(Received 9.45 a.m.) London, October 20. The Daily Telegraph's Rome correspondent says that although the Bulgarians have occupied Vranja, the town is little more than a minefield. The struggle for possession was most desperate, and the Servians defending* were "killed almost to the last man. It is reported that „ten thousand Bulgarians were killed in attacking Vranja. BULGARIANS CAPTURE VRANJA. RAILWAY TO USKUB CUT. SERBIAN BATTALION REPORTED CAPTURED. (Received (8.45 a.m.) Sofia, October '2O. A eomihimique says: We captured Vranja, cutting the railway to llskub. The populace at Vranja hoisted a white flag and welcomed our. cavalry with "crieL of "Zievd." LateV. them came' a hail of bullets from every house, ' .Trpops, advancing from ,Egri, Palankiv captured a Servian battalion.

GREECE AND THE ALLIES

A CLEAR EXPLANATION WANTED

ZAIMIS' SHUFFLING RESENTED.

(Reecived 9.45 a.m.)

The Tribnna's Athens correspondent states that, the Allies have advised M. Zainiis to relinquish his equivocal policy, 'which they are ' not prepared to tolerate. They have also asked for a clear explanation of the Greek mobilisation, and have invited, him to say against whom Greece is mobilis-

PROBABLE RUSSIAN CONTINGENT FOR MACEDONIA.

Rome, October 19

There are indications that Russia is sending a large contingent to. Macedonia. ,

ALLIES REACH NISH.

30,000 ANGLO-FRENCH AT HAND

(Received 9.5 a.m.) London, October 20

The Star announces that thirty thousand Anglo-French troops have reached Nish.

A CERMAN REPORT.

London, October 19

•A German wireless claims that General von Kovess has captured Obretoviz. Austro-German units after a battle reached the heights eastward of Vranic and southward of Groca. On the Danube General von Gallwitz has captured a region westward of Seone.

The Bulgarians pushed forward towards Zaitehar, Kniashevatz, and in the direction of the valley of Pi rot. The Bulgarians also captured Vrania, and, further south, crossed the Egri-pulanka-Ishtey line. General Hindenhurg stormed several positions and reached the Dvina eastward of Borkoyitz.