BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1915, Page 5

BALKANS.

THE OFFER OF CYPRUS. NOW WITHDRAWN. SIR EDWARD GREY EXPLAINS. London, Oct. 26. When the House of Commons met, Sir P. Magnus asked Sir Edward Grey if he could give information as to the conditional offer of the Government to cede Cyprus to Greece. Sir Edward Grey said: "We felt bound in the \ery critical position in which our Serbian Allies were placed to make every possible effort to obtain for them the only assistance which was immediately available. Accordingly the Government made it known that if Greece would give full and immediate support to Serbia against Bulgaria Britain would be prepared to give Cyprus to Greece. As Greece has not seen her way to sppport Serbia the conditions under which the offer was made have not been fulfilled and the . offer lias therefore elapsed.

■ SERBIAN SUCCESSES. RECAPTURE OF VELES. Athens, Oct. 26. Official.—The Serbians, after desperate fighting, recaptured Koprulu (Veles). i FRENCH DEFEAT BULGARIANS. A REPORT DENIED. Paris, Oct, 26. A communique says:—The Bulgarians on the 22nd attacked along the wholefront of the French forces occupying the Strumnitza region. They were completely beaten. Reports that the French were thrown back to the right bank of the Vardar are false.

AT SALONIKA. (SMALL BRITISH FORCE. THE LANDING PROCEEDS. London, Oct. 20. Lord Lansdowne states that there are only 13,000 .British troops sit Salonika. These were all that eould be collected at the moment. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, Oct. 26. The Times' correspondent at Salonika, in a letter dated October fl, says that daily since October o successive fleets of transports have discharged troops, stores, artillery and ammunition. No figures must be given, but it can be said that our host is mustering. Several tens of thousands are encamped in the vicinity of Salonika. In addition to thousands of British, of fine physique there is p, multitude of Frenchmen in the pink of condition, who are sunburnt and war-stained, and already veterans. That such a number can he spared from her own frontiers is a cheering revelation. No troops could be in better fetI tie or better equipped.

THE POSITION OF GREECE. A WEAK-KNEED STATEMENT. New York, Oct. 26. King Constantino, in a statement to the Athens correspondent of the Associated Press, states that Greece is merely loosening her sword in the scabbard. She menaces no one bnt cannot permit events constituting a menace to the integrity of the nation or the freedom of the Greek people. "It i 9 ray duty," he said, "to preserve the country from the danger of destruction through becoming involved in a general European conflict. J shall do this at all hazards, if possible."

A CRISIS AVERTED. SCENE JN CREEK PARLIAMENT. Received Oct. 27, 8.10 p.m. London, Oct. 27. Athens reports that ii striking incident took place in the Chairfber of Deputies during a debate on the GrecoTurki.sh agreement, relating to properties confiscated in the Balkan war. M. Vcnizclos disputed the accuracy of the Ministerial explanation, and there was much interruption from the Government benches. M. Venizelos reminded the Ministerialists that the life of the Government depended on him and his party. Tumult ensued, and the sitting was suspended for an hour. Cabinet met in the interval, and when the Chamber resumed M. Dragoumis made a conciliatory speech. AT. Vcnizclos accepted the explanation and a crisis was averted.

BULGARIA'S WORK HALF DONE. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. NOT PLEDGED TO ROTJMANIA AND GREECE. Received Oct. 27, 10.15 p.m. New York, Oct. 27. M. gjxloslavoff, interviewed by the Associated Press, sayß that Bulgaria's future military actions will depend upon the Entente's course towards Bulgaria. He said: "Our work of occupying Macedonia is already half completed, and we are not pledged to undertake further operations on behalf of the Austro-Germans." He denied the existence of a specific agreement with Roumania and Greece.

ROUMANIANS pANGER. A VIOLENT SPEECH. Received Oct. 27, 8.15 p.m. London, Oct. 27. Bucharest telegrams indicate!that M. Filipescu is heading a popular demonstration to force the Government to use the army to prevent a junetionary which which endanger Romnania's existence. M. Filipescu, in a violent speech from a window at the Political Club, ended by saying-. "We will overthrow Father Brationa and will also overthrow hia eon.*

A CALL FROM SERBIA. "HASTEN TO HELP US." Received Oct. 27, 11.15 p.m. London, Oct. 27. M. Pasitch (the Premier), has cabled begging the friends of Sert>ia to hasten the sending of troops to save the eountry. He adds: "For twenty days' the enemy has tried to annihilate us, and we cannot hope to maintain resistance indefinitely." A JUNCTION IMMINENT. WILL THE ALLIES BE TOO LATE? Received Oct. 27, 11.15 p.m. Bucharest, o<ft. 27. A junction between the Bulgarians and the German forces is imminent.

THE RING CLOSING IN. SERBIANS IN DIFFICULTIES. PLAIN STATEMENT BY LORD LANSDOWNE. Received Oct. 27, 5.6 p.m. London, Oct. 26. Lord Lansdowne, in a statement in the House of Lords, said it was highly improbable that the Serbian army would be able to withstand the Austro-German-Bulgarian attack for any length of time. It had been shown to the public that the situation in the Balkan? was most serious. Few details of the fighting had been received, l>ut all cablegrams indicated that a crisis had been reached. The Austro-German-Bulgarian ring had been drawn closer even than was rumored. The Bulgars had occupied Prizerend, the former capital of Serbia, and the Austro-Germans were now at Posorevate, forty miles south-east of Belgrade, while the cavalry had entered Valjevo.

RETREAT FROM USKUB. SERBIANS AWAIT THE ALLIES. IMPORTANT BULGAR SUCCESS. Received Oct. 27, 8.15 p.m. London, Oct. 27. Athens telegrams state that after the second son of King Ferdinand headed the Bulgars' triumphant entry into Uskub the Serbians retired in good order and entrenched in a mountainous line at Perlipe, twenty-five miles from the Greek frontier, in the hope of preventing the capture of Serbian Macedonia before the Allied reinforcements arrive. The Bulgars claim to have captured Negotin, thus making a junction with the Austro-Germans imminent, and enabling them to forward big guns and munitions to Turkey without traversing Roumania.

GERMAN REPORT. THE ADVANCE CONTINUES. Received Oct. 27, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct, 2fi. A Berlin communique states: The Germans east of Visegrade reached the heights of Snhagoro Ponos, and General von Katsvi's and General von Gollwitz's armies are progressing. We captured the northern slopes of Rama Valley, which is south of Planka, and also captured Markovavitk. Further east we captured 900 Serbians in three days.

PRO-RUSSIAN OFFICERS. SHOT IN BULGARIA. London, Oct. 20. Six Bulgarian Colonels have been shot for showing sympathy with "Russia, the Deliverer."