BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1915, Page 5

BALKANS.

SERBIA'S FINE STAND, DESSPJSRATE BULGARIAN ATTACKS REPULSED. London, Oct. 17. Reuter's Athens correspondent denies the impending departure of diplomatists. Roumania's decision to remain neutral is not confirmed. The Allies' forces left Salonika on Saturday for the Scrbo-Bulgarian frontier. A Paris official communication, referring to the Balkans, emphasises the significance of the Germans' attempt to secure Turkish soldiers to fill the places of Germans, which indicates a shortness of men. Le Matin's Athens correspondent says that the Serbians, with the assistance of French troops, obliged the Bulgarians to retire. The Serbians further north advanced towards the Strunmitza, and, moreover, assumed the counteroffensive on the Save, where they threw back enemy detachments towards the river, annihilating them. Athens reports that the Austrian Prince Windischgraetz and his staff have arrived at Sofia. The Bulgarians concentrated feeble forces at Pirot and are holding three complete divisions between Pirot and Sofia with strong attillery at intervals along the railway. A GERMAN REPULSE. TRYING TO LINK UP. , Paris, Oct. 17. A German attempt to surround the Serbian left near Semendria was repulsed with enormous losses. The Bulgarians are stubbornly attacking in the Timok region, hoping to join up with General Mackensen. "The Serbians entrenched on the hills near Belgrade are strongly supported by artillery, and are repeatedly repelling assaults. BULGAR'RULER'S MANIFESTO. "OUR FELON NEIGHBOR." j A DOCUMENT OF EXCUSES. . Sofia, Oct. 17. King Ferdinand's manifesto is as follows: "I and the Government have striven through neutrality to realise the nation's ideals. Both groups of belligerent great Powers recognised that a great injustice had been done to us by the division of Macedonia, and both agreed that the bulk ought to belong to Bulgaria. Our treacherous neighbor Serbia alone remained inflexible in face of the advice of friends and allies. '•Serbia in her animosity and cupidity has attacked our lorrito'rv and forced our brave troops to fight'.'in defence of our own soil. "In 191-2 our dear national ideals alone compelled me to call my valiant army to the struggle in which we unfurled the banners of liberty and broke the chains of servitude. Our Serbian allies were the principal cause of our posing Macedonia. "Exhausted and latigued, but unconqucred, we were compelled to /old up our banners and await better days. They arrived much more quieklv than could have been expected. The European war is nearing its close. The victorious armies of the Centra! Empires in Serbia are advancing rapidly. I call the Bulgarian nation and army to the defence of the country sullied by her felonious neighbor and to the deliverance of our enslaved brethren from the Serbian yoke. Our cause is just and sacred. I therefore command my valiant army to drive the enemy from the limits of our kingdom. Our felon neighbor must he crushed."

PRESS REPORTS. GENERAL MACKENSEN'S PLANS UPSET. London, Oct. 17. I.e Matin reports that large numbers of British have been landing at Salonika since Friday. Le llatin's Nish correspondent says that General Mackenseu is greatly depressed at Serbia's unexpected resistance, which has upset his calculations and necessitated Bulgaria's attack earlier than was intended. L' Echo de Paris states that the Serbians have retaken positions at Pisana and Bonkva which the Bulgarians captured on Tuesday. Rome, Oct. 17. 11 Secolo states that fifty thousand Bulgarians attacked the Serbians on Wednesday in the direction of Doiran. Obstinate lighting continues.

GERMANY REPORTS FURTHER ADVANCE*. Amsterdam, Oct. 17. A German communique states: General von Jlackcnsen made a further advance. We stormed positions south of Semeudria and Varnova and a hill east of Pozarevutz, also the village of Moljina. The Bulgarians forced the crossing of the frontier on the ridges between Negotin and Strumica and captured the eastern forts of Sewitchar. FRENCH DECLARATION. WAR ON BULGARIA. , ' Paris, Oct. 17. France has declared war on Bulgaria. ROUMANIAN FEELING. IN FAVOR OF THE ALLIES. ' London, Oct. 17. The Chronicle's Rome correspondent states that the campaign in Bucharest in favor of armed intervention on the of the Quadruple Alliance is assuming grave, almost anti-dynastic, proportions. < Independent newspapers warn the King of the danger of revolution if he hesitates much longer. The Roumanian public views with alarm Bulgaria's cooperation in the attack on Serbia.