TO-DAY’S NEWS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 58, 6 November 1915, Page 5

TO-DAY’S NEWS.

THE SERBS SHOW THEIR TEETH.

The Bulgarian General Bodajeff who had been making progress towards Nish from the south-east has met with a reverse and been forced to retreat. The Serbs had up till to-day been following the Russian tactics of gradually withdrawing without giving battle. Now that the enemy had got within ten miles of Nish, the Serbian .General turned and forced a battle in which the Bulgars were defeated and forced to retreat, losing many prisoners in the bargain. Apart from showing that the Serbs can, when they wish, turn and give the enemy a sharp reminder that they must keep their distance, the delay which this defeat will cause the enemy in pressing the Serbs to their limit is valuable to the Allies. Thus on the east Serbian front a welcome and timely defeat of the Bulgarians has cleared the i somewhat obscure operations. It is probable that the Serbs may now be ' able to devote more men and attention to the German-Austrian forces in the north and west. On the West front, the Austrians claim to have advanced io Kraljevo, and are rapidly approaching Kruchevatz. This news requires confirmation, hut it is perhaps true, as the Serbs are not putting up a final resistance, but are merely withdrawing slowly to their chosen ground when they will probably turn as successfully as they have done on the Bulgars. In the South, the h'rehch and British nave consolidated tneir position, aud are lengthening me rrout irom tao Bauuna itange on mo west where they have linked up with the Serbs to Strumnitza in Bulgaria. By such extension of the ironb, me Buigars must soon ue m still further pern of envelopment, and annihilation at the hands of the Allied guns . which com-

inana the Bulgarian positions. The Bulgars have realised their position, arid are entrenching m tile hopes oi holding up the Allies until the Germans have hnished off the Serbs. This very act of entrenchment shows that the Bulgurs have given up the olfensivej and must now act on the defensive here. Their other army east of Nish has met with a reverse. So the Bulgars may be said to have had a rather bad time of it. After all, they have not made very great progress in any direction. The French are now advancing on Ishtep, and. have secured important roads at Corra behind the enemy’s position.

In the North, the Austrians make an extremely satisfactory and pleasing report that the Serbian resistance at Kraguevatz and Jagodina have collapsed. , That is very satisfactory to themselves, but the Serbian resist- .. ance has not broken down, and there is nothing startling to justify such an assertion. The capture of Kraguevatz was prematurely announced by the enemy, and until the Serbs confirm the capture of Jagodina, the situation must not be viewed with alarm. The capture of Jagodina ' would be rather dangerous to the Serbs if their left was not steadily and • conjunctively moving with their centre, and if the Bulgars had not met with a reverse in the east. But the Serbs are retiring quietly and in order, wdiile inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. The Serbs seem to bo able to hold out until the arrival of Allied troops who will greatly improve the situation. The splendid retreat of the

Serbs reflects great credit on Marshal Putnik, and it is a repetition on a smaller scale of the great Russian move. It is fervently expected, and hoped, that the net result of the invasion will merely mean the barren capture of towns and the safety and integrity of the Serbian army. The Russian army continues its harrowing attacks on the Germans in the north, and' are actually recovering lost ground around Riga and Dvinsk. It certainly looks as if the tide has turned on this front, and that the Germans will he left high and dry without adequate supplies of food and munitions.