In the Balkans

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 65, 16 November 1915, Page 5

In the Balkans

FRANCE SAYS SO. GREECE MUST BE CAREFUL. IMPORTANT ENTENTE DECISIONS United Piifss Association. (Received 9 a.m.) •London, November 15. The Daily Telegraph's Paris correspondent' says: Tin? Entente will soon be taking important decisions in Greece. France is now determined not to tolerate temporising from King Constantine. 1 can state that the slightest unneutral proceedings by Greece at Salonika will meet with severe measures."

ATHENS AND THE FLEET. j , THE ALARMING POSSIBILITIES. (Received 9 a.m.) Petrograd, November 15. Newspapers prominently discuss Greece's attitude. There is a consensus of opinion that if King Constantino's advisers contemplate fresh manoeuvres against Serbia, the only course for the* Quadruple is to remind the Premier (M.' Skonloudis) that Athens is not beyond the reach of the Allies by the Fleet in the Aegean. RUSSIANS LEAVE ODESSA. Athens, November 15. Five Russian transports, full of troops, loft Odessa on Saturday, The Bulgarians have rota ken Tetovo.

FIERCE BATTLE AT KACHANIK. ■"' » London, November 14. A Serbian official communique states: A fierce battle is proceeding at Kachanik. The Serbians are making a desperate stand against a large force of Austrians, Germans, and Bulgarians, who are equipped with long range guns. The Serbians' principal hope is to hold up the enemy until a junction is effected with the AngloFrench. FIRM CREEK NEUTRALITY. Paris, November 14. Le Petit Journal's Geneva correspondent says that the Austrian and German Ministers at Athens have demanded that the disembarkation of the Entente troops at Salonika should be prevented, even by force. *> -The King has replied that Greece will remain neutral until one or other of the belligerent has ceased to respect her rights. Salonika being a free port the disembarkation has not constituted a transgression of neutral rights.

BULGARIANS REPULSED. Home, November 15. II Corriere Delia Sera prints a despatch from Prilep which describes the Bulgarian repulse at TJdvor. The .Serbians are quitting Yeles, not desiring to waste time in defending unimportant points, and have retreated for ten miles to the Baboina range, behind* Isvar, and organised their defences awaiting the Bulgarians, who numbered twenty thousand against six thousand. _ j The Bulgarians attacked furiously, , and the Serbians were in danger of being overwhelmed when there came a fortunate error. The Bulgarian column marched into a narrow defile and the Serbians allowed them to advance to close range. Then they made a bayonet charge and completely routed the Bulgarians. ' This success electrified the remainder of the Serbians, who drove rrck the enemy, and then the distant sound of the French guns compelled the Bulgarians to withdraw the portion of their forces in this region. A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. Amsterdam, November 15. A German commupique states that Generals No'vess and «- pulsed the enemy, along, the entne front. "There is obstinate fighting at various.'.points. ; , ( , u , v THE BULGARIAN 9 ARMY. •i ■ ;■<! n-. \ -—p' 1} n j■; i .»'■■.!.: ! . \ Berlin;- November 10. • •'S The "German press has been sup-! plied with some semi-official "figures s regarding the strengFn of the new Bulgarian armies. According to these figures, which are proba% ot German rather than of Bulgarian origin, the army of operation consists; of, ten iwfantry divisions (actually -smalt armttf. corps), (each of three brigades of twenty-four battalions/ two squadrons, ' ,a^d M thir,teeri to fifteen batteries,, be* sjfles mountain guns. In addition there ,is a divisitm-of cavalry;' u""" :..:: The fighting power of a^i vision of three brigadfes "is estimated' at'24,000 i;ifles</24 machine-guns, 200 troopers, 72 field guns, T field howitzers,' and from 8 to 12 mountain iguns. ; This works out at 240,000 rifles, 240 mach-ine-guns, 8000 cavalry, 720 field guns, 40 howitzers, besides the mountain weapon. There is a field reserve of 20,000, and in addition a sort of semitrained militia corresponding to the German Landstrum. According to tue figures published in the German newspapers, Bulgaria can dispose of a total of close on half a million of men.

THE PESSIMISTIC TIMES. London, November 15. The Times' Balkan correspondent says that the British communique announcing the impending dispatch of Anglo-French troops, and the news that the Germans are fortifying the Serb bank of., the Danube has deeply impressed Bucharest. The satisfaction caused by the prospect of the opening of the river for the export of Roumanian produce is considerably diminished by the menace of German military domination of the great commercial waterway, and apprehonsian is felt that Roumania will soon be isolated and exportation be only possible to the Russian side. Military opinion views gloomily the strategical situation in Serbia. It is not believed that any efforts of the Allies can now save the Serbian army from the combined Austro-German and Bulgarian attacks, whose forces amount to 600,000 men. If Russia would sond 200,000 men, disembarking them on the Black Sea or via Rem, while the Anglo-French landed a similar army on the Aegean coast, it would probably result in the adhesion of Roumania and Greece and the failure of the German advance on Constantinople, because Roumania could

attack the Bulgarians in the rear and jthe Germans in the front. The Balkans are watching events in Greece with the keenest interest and the outcome of the crisis in Athens will greatly affect the attitude of Roumania. It is believed that if the Allies simultaneously despatch adequate forces to the Balkans, Greece will resolve to support the Allies, and this will decisively affect Roumania's policy. German prestige has diminished in the Balkans because of the checks in Russia. The early British capture of Baghdad would considerably impress them, hut the determining factor with Roumania and Greece will b e the proof of the Allies' ability and readiness to inaugurate a great Balkan campaign. Russian participation is of prime importance. The Court party in Athens is using every device to discredit M. Venizelos.