CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 71, 23 November 1915, Page 5

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

The news conges of a "splendid Ser biah success at north of yranya/ !; and about'the srtme distance south of/NJsh. ', Details'of the baitfe,- that the 'Bulgajrs' were \dealt wjth, and narrowly (escaped s j'tjjsorderly retreat.. 'The Serbs have now taken* up an enormously defensive.position, and ah offensive, position whence they 'can offer ji|engthly resistance,'and threaten the,, Bulgarian offensive which is weakening. Their position is north and south of Lebana, which is slightly north-west of Leskovatz. .This victoVy is re-assuring to those who have put faith in the Serbs on the one hand, and should' prove 1 astonishing to those of the "Northeliffe ilk, who consistently without" Regard 'to %> real facts': would' bave the 'woTld (believe that''Serbia' ;i 'is "overwhelmed, 'that Moiiastir h'a'i failed days ' ago,* and that 1 the' Serbs have been driven' right opt of'Serbia' 'which j is bverruh> by the.'ehmy,'' ; " Pe ! position is that' Serbia "U not"overwhelmed, Monastic has nol' fallen, f, 'ii§ the Bulgars are still somewhere hear Prilep, which is thirty miles away,' and the enemy who were attempting to overrun Serbia have met with a severe check. The Serbs are holding two very strong defensive' positions at Kachanik and Lebana. Lebana must be held to prevent the despatch of Bulgar reinforcements to Uskub for Prilep and Kachanik. The victory at Leskovatz, and the fact that the Bulgar s are still thirty miles from "Monastir, does . no render the position so ' pressing after all, and time has been gained for . the straighening of the Grecian bend. The Austro-German forces are not having a very rosy time, and they report that their advance is being snowed up in the mountains where they are fighting the Montenegrins and the Serbs around Novi-Bazar.

The Grecian question seems to be coming more favourable to us, and King Constantino has, according to Ministerial journals, assured Kitchener that Greece will never attack the -Allies, and that the is clear to an agreement. This is distinctly pleasing when the searching of Greek steamers and other measures are being taken against Greek shipping. The holding up of these steamers is a hostile, act, and was a direct challenge to Greece to take hostile active measures if she was in the mood. Greece has merely ordered her shipping people to call their ships home. Surely this is a fair indication of the extent •of Greece's indecision. The gauntlet was thrown downj and she refused. Now, care is taken to deny the existence of an agreement with Bulgaria. It looks as if diplomacy has prevailed, backed by the threat of force, and perhaps a strong enemy has been converted into, at least, a passive neutral. Distinction must be made of the Greek people, as a people, from the wiles of the Government, which is merely the mouthpiece of the Prussian Field-Marshal, who endeavours to rule by the same methods as his j . Prussian brother-in-law. The Greeks j are reported to favour the Entente, I and Constantino has at last seen that his atcion was indeed a risky one, and the fate of, hi s father may have thrown a pall over himself. A de- • cision is near, and the whole question, will probably be settled immediately.'

| In.the last few days news hn s come ito hand of several of Britain's'smaller wars in the work of the .capture of both German and Turkish colonies or districts. The Mesopotamia,, and the operations in Central and German East Africca, 'have been dealt (\>)th-]n ,'th.is and | now a ' sho.rlj | resume .pf the C&meroon! (or Kamqrun) campaign is opportune, ,ori accoup^of the,.report' to-day or an Allied j success,', a,t Tahiti, where the enemy had prepared defences that were to be held until the end of the wa'r, probably, meaning thereby that they I.have, reached their limit! The, details of this campaign are, as the other campaigns in Africa, but scant. As far as, can be judged, the Kamerun is-being attacked from British Nigeria in the north and from French Equatorial Africa from , the south. The! (British operations seem to have begun from the north-west Kamerun by means; of the, Benue river, along which the forces were transported on river; steamers and barges to attack Garua, which is about forty-iftve miles, from, the ;j boundary .i!> Garua ,was strongly :held, by J,henGermans, and %j bard fight: took phVce before, they were, driven diit.. The British losses were not heavy i\ F||m Garua a portion of thei forces fled tothe north into Central Africa. This force was not very strong, 1 ' and apparently the stronger portion retreated south towards the coast, where they have been pursued and defeated at Tahiti. Banyo Mount referred to in the cable to * day is some miles west of Tahiti, and would, judging from the topography of the surrounding country, offer an ideal defensive position. The Kamerun campaign has demonstrated the splendid co-operation of native .troops who have given here as elsewhere a splendid exhibition of endurance and bravery. It is noteworthy that British trained native troops seem to be better fighters than German-ridden native races. The termination of the Kamerun campaign may soen be expected.