GENERAL WAR NEWS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 57, 5 November 1915, Page 3

GENERAL WAR NEWS

[United Tress Association.] London, November -T In the Divorce Court. Mr dustiee ! Deane declared that actions against soldiers at the front should stand over till the end of the war. It was undesirable, iu the interests of the nation, that men should he served with papers and their minds diverted Horn lighting. Recruiting is exceptionally good m all centres. The machinery ol Lord Derby’s scheme is nearing completion. Two hundred thousand men and women canvassers are last enrolling recruits, and there are also Ib-S recruiting committees. Nearly one thousand postmen in Birmingham, who have joined the army, will he replaced by women. The Times’ correspondent at Tokio says that the press is genuinely pleased at Japan’s participation in the Allies’ compact wot to conclude peace separately. Leading writers pay much attention to the results ol the war, as to how it will affect Japan, and the character of Japanese representation at the peace conlerence. Baron Sliload/.n, who recently returned from the Smith Seas, emphasises that the islands won from Germany represent additions to Dm Empire. TRAGIC PICTURE BY ITALIAN WRITERS. London. November 3Whiting in f| Seeolo, published iu Milan, Signor Luciano Magrini, the well-known correspondent, paints a tragic picture of Serbia, the result ol a twelve days’ tour he took. He describes the anxiety of the Serbian general staff owing to the Allies’ delay. General Pavlovich, chief of the Serbian staff, said there was an impression that there was still hesitation on the part of the Allies. He added: “if efficient and prompt help fails we will he obliged to abandon the country in order to save Serbian people. If the population survives the nation will not die.”

Signor Magrini continues: “The Serbians unfortunately scattered from the frontier are likely to be beaten separately. Hie Austro-Cermans bluffed the A Hie- that they were without reserves to cru_'i Serbia, and so collected troops from all fronts, and pretended that they had concentrated hall a million men. As a matter or fact they had only a small bouy oi men, with an abundance of powerful artillery.” The Cermans kept up : >u artillery lire for four days, without using their infantry, and tile Serbians were swept oft tlie ground by the had ol shrapnel. After vainly trying to reach the enemy the Serbians are retreating to the Morava valley, in order to take up positions in the mountains between Kaplana and Topola, where King Peter is ill and exhausted, waiting to retire with the rearguard, it is a retreat of the people, not of the army. Tens of thousands are streaming southward on the muddy roads, none knew whither. There is an unending procession of soldiers, mixed with peasants, gun carriages and carts loaded with war materials, alongside vehicles filled with old women, children, men sick and wounded, Hocks of sheep. Herds are intermixed with groups of wounded. Some of the wounded are carried on stretchers, while others are attempting to walk, owing to the lack of stretchers. Many are wounded by shrapnel, and are not even bandaged. Mrs Stobart, head of the British hospital at Kraginevataz, who was previously in the Bed Cross hospital at Brussels, did wonderful work in relieving their sufferings. Nish is deserted, the ambassadors left, and the shops are closed. The I majority of the inhabitants have fled, and many are now bare-footed’on the 'muddy roads. The hire of a carriage I for two days is forty pounds. I M. Yovanovics, the Minister of 'Justice states: “We have lived a tragic hour. When Bulgaria mobilised wo vainly besought the [Entente to allow us to attack, but the Entente were still under the delusion 'that Bulgaria would march towards Turkey. We obeyed, and that was our ruin. If the Allied troops don’t come in time, Serbia will be no more, and! the' fate of Belgium will bo ours i