In the Balkans

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 50, 28 October 1915, Page 5

In the Balkans

TO-DAY’S NEWS. The news, ifijoin the Balkans becomes every day more ami, more confusing, and, consequently, piore and, | more ) alarining., The pqsjtioiu ,as by the Marquis of. JLansdowpe, in, tlup, north front of. Serbia is that Germans are at Pojareyatz, forty , miles south-east and that the Bulgarians, have captured Negotin, and, therefore,. the two enemy forces are about' to junction. Brief!}’, the position is the same as that some short time ago, when the enemy were at Pojarevatz and the Bulgarians hhd captured the Negotin railway. The events following the position then brought about a change, and the enemy were driven out of Pojarevatz and the Negotin railway was secured by the Serbs am} the threatened junction of the enemy in the Timok valley was prevented. The question now is, whether the Serbs' can again prevent the junction that will completely outflank them. The distance thorn Pojarevatk to Negotin is iiearly eighty miles. The GeHnans had 1 hard fighting to get forty ' miles' from Belgrade with then- communication near at hand. It will take as- hard fighting to get bver the remaining 'eighty miles to Negotin. " ~ * The necessity for this junctioning rather shows that the Bulgarians are in this locality unable to make a strong attack, and badly want to bo with their Allies. As was stated above, the question is,, can the Serbians repeat their performance and prevent the Germans from getting further south-east than they did before? Their forces are as before divided by the Bulgarian thrust in their rear, and therefore the strength of their northern army is as before, less casualties. But the enemy * have lost as heavily and moreover, the further the German big guns get into the difficult hadly-roaded country, the more does their fighting power decrease. When the Germans opened ' the campaign in the north the Bulgarians in the south were not being opposed by the French troops, who are pushing an oficusivc in uie

Vardar Valley, south of Uskub and the Serbs had to meet them alone. The Serbs now are able to send more troops to the north, because the French (the numbers of whose troops is not given) are gradually relieving them in the south, and more are following. On the whole, despite what is said to the contrary, the Serbs are not in such a bad position as careless reading of the cables tends to show. * . The Bulgarians have apparently been pushing their victory at Uskub as har'd as possible and have gone on to Prisrend, right across Serbia, al most to the Albanian frontier. The object in going that far is not apparent, hut the fact remains that if the French continue their success in the Vardar, the Bulgarians who have gone to Prisrend run a serious risk ol never returning. Perhaps the object is merely, a spectacular one. In any case, it is an exceedingly dangerous one. No further mention is made oi the French at the time of writing.

That tho Russians are in great heart is told by- Stanley Washburn who, at the Russian headquarters says that the armies of General Ivanoff have recuperated, and have now the positions to strike viciously when occasion presents itself. Mr Washburn states that the crisis at Dvin.sk and the other points on the Dwlna is subsiding, and the enemy

attacks are becoming weaker and the artillery more on an equality. This is very pleasant news, and although the Germans may yet gain slight successes, the tide is just on the turn, ami the Czar's* legions, will once again return to the offensive, of which the failure of her Allies to supply munitions through Archangel and to take tbe long expected offensive in the hi May last, robbed (them., v ■ . r.» - r — r RELIABLE INFORMATION. , . . • , ■ ■ I; i , < - I»1 , ! ' ■ 1 - > ! * I Press Association. I.i I ( ‘ Itondpn, October 26. The Times’ correspondent at Salonika, in a letter dated October 9, says that daily since October 5 successive fleets of transports have discharged troops, stores, artillery and ammunition. No figures must be given, but it can be said that our host is mustering. Several tens of thousands are encamped in the vicinity of Salonika. In addition to thousands of Brit'ish of 1 fine physique there is a multitude of ; Frenchmen in the pink of ' condition,' who are sunburnt and war-stained, and already veterans. That "such a number, can be spared from her own frontiers is a cheering revelation. No troops could ho in better fettle or better equipped. ASSISTANCE WANTED. London, October 27. M. Paitch (the Premier), has cabled begging the friends of Serbia to hasten the Sending of troops to save the country. He adds: “For twenty days’ the enemy has tried to annihilate us, and w© cannot hope tef maintain resistance indefinitely.” JUNCTION REPORTED IMMINENT Bucharest, October 27. A junction between the Bulgarians and the German forces is imminent. London, October 26. Lord Lansdowne, in a statement in the House of Lords, said it wag highly improbable, that the Serbian army would be able to withstand the Aus-tro-Germah-Bulgarian attack for any length of time. I had been shown to the public .that the situation in the Balkans was most serious. Few details of the fighting had been received, but all cablegrams indicated that a crisis had been reached. The Austro-German-Bulgarian ring had been drawn closer even than was rumoured. The Bulgars had occupied Prizerend, the former capital of Serbia, and. the Austro-G ormans were now at Pojavaretz, forty miles southeast of Belgrade while the cavalry had entered, Valjevo. , London, October- 27. Athens telegrams state that after the second son of King Ferdinand headed the Bulgars’ triumphant entry into Uskub the Serbians retired in good order and entrenched in a mountainous line at Perlipe, twentylive miles from the Greek frontier, in the hope of preventing the capture of Serbian Macedonia before the Allied reinforcements arrive. The Bulgars claim to have captured Negotin, thus making a junction with the AustroGermans imminent, and enabling them to forward big guns and munitions to Turkey without traversing Roumania.

BRITISH FORGES LINKED UP WITH THE FRENCH. (Received 12.50 p.m.) London, October 27. In the House of Commons Mr Tennant announced that the British forces in Cl recce were already co-operat-ing with the French on the GrecoSerbian frontier. MUTINOUS SPIRIT AMONG BULGARIANS. (Received 12.35 p.m.) Sofia, October 27. Reports state that Bulgarian troops killed two of their own generals. There are numerous oases of Bulgars refusing to obey German officers. NO QUARTER GIVEN. MURDEROUS STREET FIGHTING AT USKUB. I _ (Received 10.15 a.m.) London, October 27. Official Bulgarian reports states that murderous street-fighting preceded the capture of Uskub. The Serbs defended every inch with heroic fury, ami no quarter was given by eithei side. AN OUTSPOKEN ROUMANIAN. London, October 27. Bucharest telegrams indicate that M. Filipescu is heading a popular demonstration to force the Government to use the army to prevent a .functioning which would endanger Roumania’s existence. M Filipescu, in a violent speech from a window at the Political Club, ended by saying: “We will overthrow Father Bratiano and will also overthrow Ids son.”

STATEMENT BY BULGARIAN PREMIER. New York, October 27. M. Radoslavoff, interviewed by the Associated Press, says that Bulgaria’s future military actions will depend upon the Entente’s course towards Bulgaria. He said: “Our work of occupying Macedonia is already half completed}’ and we are not pledged to undertake further operations oil behalfb of ( f the Austro-Ger-maus.” He 'denied the existence ol a specific agreement with Roumania and Greece. - - : ' ’ / , i «| i : SENSATION IN CREEK PARLIAi , MENT. ' >i, < ■ 'lt* . ! , • London, October 27. Athens reports that a* striking incident took place in the Chamber of Deputies during a debate on the Greco-Turkish agreement, relating to properties confiscated in the Balkan war., M. Tenizelos disputed the RCcuracy of the Ministerial explanation, and there was much interruption from the Government benches. M’. Venizelos reminded the Minis-; terialists that the life of the Government depended on him and his party.Tumult ensued, and, ,tho ; sitting was suspended for an Hour. . Cabinel met in . the interval, and when the Chamber resumed M. Dragoumis made a conciliatory sppech. M. Yenizelos accepted the explanation and a crisis was averted.

A GERMAN REPORT. London, October 26. A Berlin communique states: The Germans east of Yisegrade reached the heights of Suhagoro Ponos, and General von Katsvi’s and General Gollwitz’s armies are progressing. AV© captured the northern slopes of Rama Valley, which is south of Plankaj and also captured Markovavitk. Further east we captured 960 Serbians in three days. (Rama Valley is on the banks of the Danube, about 40 miles east of Belgrade). 1