In the Balkans

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 45, 22 October 1915, Page 5

In the Balkans

TO-DAY'S NEWS. " s . i There httfo'.news; to-day frpnil jflie (Serbian -front, I but what there, ,isj .;of it; % goodj. As.was i anticipated iinj, this i .column, yesterday, the i Bulgarian • occupation of the Nish-.Uskuh i railway! ■" at'' iVranya was only short-lived, and the> enemy have 'been driven out! of the town'and tbe service hasi beeii, restoWdH Therefore the 1 continuous, despatch oi tlie Angh>Frdneh td the north can go on. The only threatened interruption is, the Bulgarian advance on Kumanovo; which,* : ' according*- J td ■ German reports, is progressing. There i is no report of any serious resistance to this advance yet, but it is likely . that shpiiid the' adva { & rea'6h ; tfumanoyp anil the railway again be interrupted, ;the enemy will be as quickly. ' driven.; out as at Vrahya. But' the • UfkeiijipQd, is fclui fc ] itl^ .'^f 8 ■' Vtintgd to reach Kumahovo"simultaneously with the occupation of .Vranya, "and as ( .the', advance• bjas Wen rendered, useless by the! expulsion of! the Bulgars, the attack, on Kumahovo will! v proye equally resultless. The' chances 1 are; that the advance will not reach Kumanoyo. The despatch of the Allied troops to tue north'-east relieves any fear that the Commander ts not ciaily, reported to be - once again iyt- ;. able to cope with the Bulgars, and ra r ther shows that the Bulgarian armies are, kept well in hand.

The Serbian flanking movement which drove the Germans put ,of their positions at PojaVretz yesterday has proved further successful, and Se'mendria is unofficially reported to be once again in Serbian hands. . If this report is correct, then the AustrO-Gernian advance up the Morava valley has been deg feated, and thus the enemy is firmly and'.successfully held on the whole front. The despatch of contingents ,of Allied troops to the Negotin ■ sectdr, ..« nearly'.'-100 hundred miles north-east of Nish, strengthens the. idea that the Serbians are keen on the attack on / Vidin in order to stop the transit of munitions through that city from Hungary .to Bulgaria. The AusfiroGerman forces in this direction have not made a move, and it is likely that they will have to remain strictly on the defensive to prevent the left flank from being turned. Definite news from this quarter may be expected shortly. The Greek Government has . not yet given any indication of her intended move. The'Allied diplomats are evidently striving to avoid as much unpleasantness as passible, i'jj and are reported to have offered Cyprus on the condition that she joins in the war. The Daily Telegraph's Athens correspondent reports that the offer has created a favorable impression, and is regarded as an actual and immediate concession in the event of Greek intervention in support of the Allies. Cyprus itself is off the coast , of Palestine, and a few miles south of Asia Minor. It has an area of 3700 square miles, and a population of 210,000. Britain took it over from the Turks in 1878 under an agreement by which she is to retain it until Russia returns Batoum and Kara to Turkey. Wine, oranges, wheat, barley, silk and tobacco are the main products, but the-absence of good harbors hinders development of foreign trade.

Now that Russia and Brjtain are united 1 against the Turk, 'and that the island is not of. important value to [Britain, there will be little to lose and a lot''to'gain by the offer. The ques'tiori 'of 'the agreement with Turkey, may be justly said to be annulled by the state of war that now exists.; oh Asia-Minor may} ,"lead ner io'accept the offer. . ■'( ; I J'( II .;("K <U , •. • ! ill Ml Since the above" was written, the. newsj'coijaesi that the Bulgarian's ' did not occupy|,v raiiya, but. merely 'hep d. the railway north' of that town. That being so, '|he' Jre&l jsqsitabn is. obscured, but it' may be' safely said that the' ialiway'willbe/heid intact. The Serbian" defeat of the Austrians ' south-west, of Belgrade is pleasant news,' and the position, seems to be that the Serbs are talcing a big effort to recapture Belgrade. • ,

,AN."OFFER TO GREECE. I, ,TJP E, P pSSATJON| pf! CYP RUS. q , '.'l'.- u.ifwifi'i 1 . tpndon, Qctober.2o, Britain has offered to Greece the lisl&nd of Cyprus, .'©hi condition that she joins in. tJhe> war. -GVeece is consider-* ing the offer; > - The Daily Telegraph's Athens correspondent says the Offer is creating a favorable impression, and is regarded as substantial proof of Britain's goodwill in not taking the form of a promise for the future, which the Germanophile party suggest that Britain could hot carry out, but an actual and immediate concession in, the event of the, Greeks intervening in support of the Allies. ■ t.j '.50... ■

SERVIAN SUCCESS. AUSTRIANS DEFEATED SOUTHWEST OF BELGRADE. if .. ii (Received 11.10 a.m.) Paris, October 21. The Servians counter-atacked • and .defeated the Austriahs south-west-ward of Belgrade, inflicting terrible losses, and capturing many prisoners and machine guns. CERMAN EXCESSES AT BELGRADE. MALE POPULATION EXTERMINATED. FRIGHTFUL VIOLENCE To WOMEN. (Received 11.10 a.m.) Bucharest, October 21. The Servian Minister has protested to the American Minister against German excesses in Belgrade, where the male" population were exterminated, while the women were subjected to most frightful violence. BULGARIANS MASSACRE THE SERBS. (Received 11.10 a.m.) London, October 21. Le Peijit Pariesen's Athens correspondent states that Bulgarian invaders of Servia are massacring the civilians, burning the towns and villages, and mutilated the wounded prisoners.

BULGARIAN SUCCESS DENIED. GREAT BATTLE IN PROCRESS. United Press Association. (Received 11.10 a.m.) London, October 21. Le Petit Parisian's Athens correspondent states that the Bulgarians have not occupied Vranja, but hold the railway norlliward of Vranja. A great battle continues. BULCARS' CLAIM TO SUCCESS. (Received 11.10 a.m.) London, October 21. A Bulgarian communique claims to have completed the seizure of an important strategical position at Sultantepeh, on the Stratzin front, together with the capture of 2000 Servians, twelve guns, and ammunition wagogns. RE-CAPTURE OF SEMENDRIA. Taris, October 20. L'lntrassigeant states that the Serbians have retaken Semendria. A message from Salonika says that numerous detachments with strong artillery are marching along the Greek-Bulgarian frontier towards Serbia.

ITALIAN FLEET SAILS. London, October 21. A Brindisi despatch states that an Italian squadron has departed under sealed orders. It is supposed " that their objective is participation in the blockade of Bulgarian ports. ALLIES ON THE MARCH. Athens, October 20. ' There are reports that the Bulgarians have been thrown out of Vranja, and railway communication has been restored. Bucharest states that thirty thousand Anglo-French troops have reached Xisb, and other contingents are marching towards the Negotin-Pra-hovo line to assist the Serbians on the north-eastern front....

A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. :f s [■! Sj:rji'!i; '■ ■'{ I', I' • {{'' |.|i ftSfl *'' '« . Amsterdam,'belabor 20. A, German,,communique jsays that southward of Belgrade the in a 1 quick'action captured a*.hill sOutnjwestward' of .Egri, Palanka, and.. *™ advancing towards Kumanovo. They captured twb thousand prisoners. BULGARIA'S FUTURE. : .'fcome,' 'October %. The Kaiser has issued a proclamation to the Bulgarian army, In it he exalts their courage and heroism, and adds that Bulgaria is destined to become the Mistress ,of the Balkans, and reign on, the. Black Sea,..the Aegean Sea,, and the Adriatic Sea.

THE POSITION IN BULGARIA. . , .• i . .Rome, October 201 Mr Martin Donohoe says that tjlie Russian Consul at Dedeagatch, ,whb has arrived at Bucharest, confirms ,the; statement thati the Allies are blockading the Bulgarian Aegean coast. , The enemy are feverishly fortifying the Uf toralJ The Consol considers that the appearance of Russian troops in Bulgaria will be the signal for a general revolt of the army and people against ing Ferdinand. Bucharest, October 20. Reports from Sofia state that the city has been put into a state of defence to resist a siege. The neighboring chain of hills'.is'covered with a network of trenches and barbed-wire defences, constructed by- German engineers. There is a rapid concentration of Bulgarians on the Black Sea Coast, close to the Bulgarian frontier.