GREEK KING'S DILEMMA.

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

GREEK KING'S DILEMMA.

DEFEATED PREMIER DECLINES 1 OFFICE. COUNCIL OF MINISTERS PEND-j INC. (Received 12.30 p.m.) London, November 5. King Constantine reoffered the Premiership to M. Zain.es, who declined it. A Council ol Ministers has been called. THE LOVE OF KiLLIMG. AWFUL MASSACRES IN SERVIA. GERMANS’ SUDDEN MADNESS. (Received 12.15 p.m.) Geneva, November 5. The Journal do Geneve states that tho Germans massacred men, women, and children at Dncicha, southward of Powarevatz, indiscriminately and wholesale. Eye-witnesses declare that the Germans apparently went suddenly mad, killing without knowing why. There was also a general massacre at Selvatz, southward of Semendria, helpless old men and invalids being taken from their beds to the public square and executed in the presence of the population. Old men, women, and children were bayonetted at .Sopot, twenty-five miles south-east-ward of Belgrade. Houses were fired, and those attempting to escape were shot down. The German allegation that civilians fifed at them was absolutely false.

THE GREEK PARLIAMENT. Athens, November 5. The entire press predict a dissolution of the Chamber, and the formation of the same Cabinet, containing, possibly, a new War Minister. In the course of an all-night debate on demobilisation a Venizelist deputy angered M. Yanakitsa, reminding him that he was not a deputy. M. Yanakitsa abruptly quitted the Chamber ,and tumult followed, the sitting being suspended. When it was resumed, after a Ministerial conference, M. Venizelos insisted that M. Yanakitsa should apologise for his disgraceful departure; otherwise the Chamber, be said, would lie unable to continue the sitting. M. Zaiinis justified M, Yanakitsa’s conduct, and demanded a vote of order of confidence. M. Venizelos thereupon attacked the Government’s foreign policy, and deplored the abandonment of Serbia to Bulgaria, Greece’s hereitary enemy. He pointed out that the Government could not shelter behind the King. The Government alone were responsible. Under the constitution, the Crown has a right to disagree with the Government, but after the lust elections there should not have been further disagreement. M. Venizelos said he considered it better to suspend the Constitution than have fresh elections in order to fix the responsibility fairly, and the majority will assert itself. M. Gournaris replied that the King had a right to disapprove of the Government.

M, Venizelos said: “I should have preferred not to draw the King’s name into the discussion. Our State is a democracy. If you want monarchy say so openly. I know that the King is a distinguished General, but be is not equally experienced in things political.” THE POSITION AT VARNA, Petrograd, November 5. The reported Russian landing at Varna is denied.

ENEMY REPORTS. Berlin, November 5. A communique states: Despite the enemy’s tenacious resistance we are advancing on both sides of the mountains north of Kralfvo, and the enemy are retreating east of the Morava. General Bojadjetf, advancing on Nish, stormed Kalafat, 100 kilometres north-east of Nish. London, November 5. An Austrian communique states:— The Serbian resistance at Kragujevatz and Jagodina regions has collapsed, and they have retreated. The Gormans have occupied Jagodina. IN THE FIRING LINE IN SERBIA. CORRESPONDENT’S THRILLING EXPERIENCE. London, Nov miner 4 Mr Re a wick, cot responden* of i be Daily Chronicle, icached Mucista' from northern Serbia after a tertnight’s thrilling experience. The main impression he formed was of the superb courage and endurance of the

Serbian army and people, and the magnificent human qualities ,||With which they face death, homelesffibss, and hunger. He concludes his appreciation : “God! but it is a nation worth saving, and that quickly.”

He was with the Shonmadia Division, the flower of the Serbian Army, which opposed the attack on the Danube and compelled General Mackensen to ask urgently for reinforcements. Rabin and Semendria resisted three furious onslaughts, and only succumbed to the hellish artillery fire accompanying the fourth. The Germans showered ten thousand shells on the Serb position at Malakresna, south of . Semendria. After the position was captured the Serbian infantry, who were concealed in a wood, attacked . and drove out the Germans. Meanwhile the cavalry got amongst the enemy and did heavy execution, besides capturing three guns. | During the bombardment of Belgrade 42-centimetre shells threw up debris to a height of five-storey houses. Every square yard of the city was searched by machine gun fire, German aviators meanwhile bombarding the fleeing inhabitants. Despite the rain of death and terror, attack after attack was driven back, until at length the enemy gained a footing in the town. Then the most formidable part of the German task began. They were compelled to win the captial street by street, paying a price for every paving stone, each street corn- ; or and the citadel. Before the Germans were masters of Belgrade, it was a ghastly mass of smouldering ruins, strewn in the grimest horror with a covering of dead. A little lad of fifteen supplied hand grenades to five comrades, who kept a German company at bay for two hours. The boy was promoted to corporal on the field. The capture of the hills behind Belgrade was frightfully expensive. Every one was covered with dead before it was won. On the Drina front 500 Germans were launched across the river, but not a single man returned alive. Motoring from Palanka Mr Henwick came on Colonel Terrmitch’s division, holding the angle bewteen the Danube and the Morava. The German advance was a wonderful spectacle. In the far distance, purple (mountains were lit up with the lurid flame of the Germans’ artillery, with the blue Danube winding below. General Mackensen battered away for two whole weeks without shifting the Serbians from the Danube. When retreat was essential the men were cheerful, believing they had so hampered the enemy’s advance that General Mackensen would take months to carry out his scheme, hoping thus to enable English and French succour from the south to wreck him. The little which the Germans accomplished was due to their almost unbelievable artillery strength. It is now know that General Mackensen had only 150,000 men, but artillery sufficient for half a million, and it is evident that Germany is getting to the end of hei resources of men.

“I have spoken to prisoners Irani the Flanders, French, Italian, and Russian fronts, and also to some from garrisons in Germany. Many of them are only eighteen years old. If Bulgaria had not entered the war the Germans would never have crossed the Danube.” Mr Renwick reached Uskub on October 24, and found the Serbians being attacked at four points, often being outnumbered by live to one. There was an eleven days’ battle, the armies being often only two hundred yards apart, and hand to hand encounters of the most ferocious character were frequent.