In the Balkans

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 52, 30 October 1915, Page 5

In the Balkans

TO-DAY'S NEWS. The news to-day is iff an exceedingly pleasing nature and should prov© extremely gratifying to those who have .hot allowed themselves to be carried away by the harpings of pessimistic politicians and others who' would have the public believe that the Serbians* i; were deserted and the Balkan game as good as lost_ to the .Allies. The writer has all ale 'g condemned the spirit of nnre.f 'onable pessimism, and has put forward the view that the military and diplomatic situations have not warranted pffe--simism, and that vjahtahle time is lost in harping. ,over ; the past ,when the serious time demands unity and faith. in our leaders, and, in particular, Earl Kitchener, who has nobly ignored the trumpetiugs of his would be ousters, 'The opportune words of the Commqnwealth Defence Minister support the, "attitude of the writer, and for that reason they are here repeated. Senator Pearc e said: "There is no need for pessimism because of the enemy's temporary success here and there. I have no time to tailabout abandoning Gallipoli or losing life, but to send more men, munitions, and money, with every confidence in the brains of those directing the strategy"'' Readers may be sure that the Senator did nob refer to Gallipoli alone but to the ■ whole aspect of the war, including the Balkans round which the veil of pessimism seems to ' have wrapped: most closely. There is not room for pessimism when the fight is only beginning, and victory and reverses must be taken .soberly as they come Without losing sight of the fact that the Allies are sure to win in the end.

In the Balkans two items of news herald the entry of new forces in the field of active operations. Paris reports that the British troops have effected a junction with the Serbians. The locality of this junction is not mentioned, but is probably spath or west of Veles. With the French operating along the Bulgarian side of the Yardar, and in possession or Strumnitza with a steady move on Jshtib and from the south-east, and the Anglo-Serbian troops advancing from the south-west, the Bulgars' hold on Veles, TJskub, and Kumanovo is destined to be a shortlived success, and the enemy will have to devote a mighty lot of attention to the defence of their own country. In fact, the Bulgarian army! will have to scuttle back to where' they came from to avoid complete envelopment. They will also have to abandon the activity on the north in the Timok valley and around Nish, where, despite the capture of Pirot and Knaisvetz, they have heen dealt with by the Serbs in a determined manner. This means that the movement that was to stab the Serbian j position in the. back will have to be abandoned or, at least, not pushed dangerously. That will leave the, Serbs to bring more forces to bear against the enemy in the north and hold out, as they say they will, for several weeks. Another factor that seemed to have been forgotten entirely has entered, into the fray against the enemy. J Little Montenegro, as the writer anticipated, has attacked the Auatrians..

but has been defeated according to .the enemy report. The other side of the story is due yet. However ,_ even if in the first round the Montenegrins were defeated, they still remain a thorn in the side of the Austrian force which will have a hard task 'to, get rid of the hardy moun- ! taineers—if they can get rid of them. | The chances are that they cannot do i s»The Russians are reported to have a million men on the way .for Bulgaria, and their fleet is at grips with the Turkish fleet that is bound to oppose them. While the fleets are at it, the troops are doubtless preparing to land at Varna aud Burgas, which have been bombarded. 2t million men on the Bulgarian east coast j will necessitate the complete with- | drawal of the whole Bulgarian army from the west, to be completely swallowed up by the Russians who outnumber them by over two ,to one. The news has not been confirmed, but the authority is reliable, and the! Black Sea light conclusively., supports it. ... : The German admission of the abandonment of the Riga campaign is explained by the report from the west that infantry from Russia were prominent in a great attack on the Allied lines. They were decimated in the monotonous manner in which the Allies seem to be dealing with all enemy attacks in the West. The abandonment of the Riga attack means that the Germans will be in a very dangerous, position in the winter. Allied submarines proved the cause in preventing the transport of munitions in the Baltic. HELP FOR THE SERVIANS. BRITISH TROOP EFFECT JUNCTION. ' [United Press ."jiSociation.] (Received 8.40 a.m.) Paris, October 31. The British troops have effected a junction with the Servians.

| BEAR SHOWS HiS TEETH. RUSSIANS FOR THE BALKANS. Copenhagen, October 31. The Tageblatt's Bucharest correspondent reports that great contin- ; gents of Russian troops have left Odessa and Sebastopol, convoyed by ' cruisers and destroyers, for Bulgaria. I The recent bombardment at Varna was the preparation for this landing. London, October 30. Great contingents of Russians., are leaving Odessa, and Sebastopol for the Bulgarian coast. *!■■' I—W—WW w^tfwM— mmmmmmmmMM

MILLIOi? RUSSIANS AFTER BULCARS. (Received 8.40 a.m.) London. October 81\ The Daily Chronicle's Balkan correspondent states that a million Russians under General Davidoff are on their [way to Bulgaria. DESERTINC BULCARS WISH TO JOIN THE ALLIES". (Received 11.5 a.m.) Petrograd, October 31. Bulgarian deserters are petitioning to join the Serbian and Russian armies, provided they are not asked to fight their countrymen. AUSTRIANS v. MONTENEGRINS. ON THE BOSNIA-SERVIAN FRONTIER. (Received 11. a.m.) Rome, October 31. It is officially announced that the Austrian* crossed the Drina, near Visegrad, and after desperate lighting, the Montenegrins retreated to their second line of defence. An artillery duel continues. THE PLUCKY SERBIANS. Rome, October 30. A radiogram states that the Serbian Government has quitted Nish for a certain destination. | The Serbian army, though sadly thinned, is fighting splendidly. London, October 81. Renter's advices from Nish state that the Serbian army will be able to hold the Germans for several weeks, if they only receive even small Allied reinforcements. Athens, October 30. [fc is reported that the Serbians surrounded and annihilated a Bulgar division in the lower Timok Valley.

1 ENEMY REPORTS. Amsterdam, October 31. A Bulgar communique says: After four days' obstinate fighting w e defeated the Serbians in Timok Valley and Pirot, and they are retreating westward on the entire, front. We are energetically pursuing. Vienna, October 30. A communique states that the Montenegrins were defeated south-east of Visegrad. General s von Gallwitz's army crossed the Lepenica and the Bulgarians have captured Pirot. Athens, October 3,1. The Bulgarians have recaptured Veles. - THE CREEK POLICY. Paris, October 30. It is learned that Greece is renewing her protest against the Entente landing, because it involves Greece in the peril of being engulfed in the war zone. King Constantine is perplexed, and diplomats regard the situation as the gravest in Greece r s history, it hemg dangerous to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. •King Constantino?s attempt to imitate the Potsdam code of international honor will probably bring disaster to Greece, resulting in national disintegration. It is expected the British troops will soon be in action in Serbia, taking up positions supporting the French right and left flanks.

WANTED—A STATEMENT. London, October 30. Mr Martin Donohoe, writing from Rome, says that M. Zaimis i.s now between the hammer and the anvil. Tht» Entente is pressing for an unequivb cal statement of the Greek policy, and firmly insisting that Greece shall 'fulfil her obligation to Serbia. On tlie other hand Germany and Bulgaria are freshly threatening' severe measures if Greece does not prevent tlie landing at Salonika. Transports are arriving and discharging troops with impressive rapidity and regularity. Bulgaria is angry, and points out that the peril threatened by the An-glo-French advance demands Greece to disarm any Serbians retiring across the frontier. Rome, October 30. The Greek Minister at Rome, in a statement, mentioned a long list of falsehoods that had been disseminated in Berlin, Vienna, and Sofia. He said the object thereof was to embitter the relations between Greece and the Entente and create an atmosphere of hostility and mistrust in Greece. It was nonsense to say that the cur-

rent opinion in Greece was hostile to the Entente, and he declared that I Greece had rendered, and continues | to render, inestimable services to the Serbia Entente. | BLACK SEA BOMBARDMENT. : London, October 31. Paris reports that the Russians bombarded Varna and Burgas all day . on Friday, doing considerable dam- | age. | Rome, October 30. | ft k reported that two Bulgarian regiments, at the height of tbe bom- ; bardment ot : Varna, threw up their | caps, cheering and shouting, "Long live Russia." They were removed to tbe interior. ROUMANIA. Home, October 30. The Entente Ministers have commenced fresh negotiations with Ronmania, and the position is hopeful. The Cabinet is alarmed at the growing strength of the interventionist movement. Berne states that Germany is making a strong bid for Roumania's assistance, offering the grant of a loan, provided Roumania marches against Bessarabia, which Roumania may retain if she conquers. - THE WISH' OF HiS PEOPLE. London, October 31. Bucharest reports that in view of Sunday's demonstration M. Makejonescu and M. Pilipescu interviewed the King, who replied that he was lot opposed to the people's aspirations, and ihe added that as a Constitutional King be placed birnself in the hands lof the' Parliament and Government.