THE BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 November 1915, Page 5

THE BALKANS.

LANDING OF THE ALLIES. 300,000 TROOPS PUT ASHORE. RUSSIAN TORPEDOERS GOING UP THE DANUBE. Rome, Nov. 9. The Salonika correspondent of the Corriere della .Sera says that the Russians have landed SO,OOO men on the Bulgarian coast and the Allies have landed 220,000 men at Salonika. Another dispatch states that a large number of Russian torpedo boats and destroyer? are going up the Danube to attack the Austrian fleet.

THE CAMPAIGN IN SERBIA.

MORE HOPEFUL OUTLOOK. A BELATED STORY OF EVENTS. Received Nov. 10, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 9. News which is slowly filtering in from Serbia shows that the gallant defence continues. With the occupation of Ivruahevatz the enemy holds another section of the railway to Constantinople, and this menaces the Serbian retreat towards Montenegro. The Serbian Legation at Rome announces that the Bulgarians lost eighty thousand men at Krajevo. Another important report from Glievgheli states that the French have occupied Velcs, and it is now evident that the Serbians at many points, by guerilla warfare, are worrying the enemy. German correspondents state that there are difficulties in the adrane owing to the weather and to the nature of the country. A small detachment of Serbs, hidden in the mountains, will fall on the enemy unexpectedly and disappear witli alacrity. The Germans thus sustain heavy losses, requiring increasing vigilance.

AH messages are subjected to delay, but the Daily Telegraph correspondent supplies connected stories.

POSITION OF THE ALLIES. They describe the position of the line then held. The Allies started from Brod and passed south through Rostarashni, Gabrovnik, and Stepanci, and thence through Trojak on to the Prilep-Gradsko road, the most advanced point on the line astride the Veles-Prilep road. One division of Bulgarians was operating at this point, and there is also a Bulgarian column from Uskub marching down the Treska Valley towards Kirchevo and Brod. This column may threaten Monastic THE ATTACK ON MONASTIR.

The French have taken a strong offensive at Grodsko, preventing the enemy from reinforcing at other parts on this line. A bitter attack was made on Monastir by the enemy from the important height of Mezen, dominating the Prilep-Grodsko road, which maintains contact between the Serbians at Babuna Pass and the French. The Bulgarians advanced to the Kryatec defile, where they were checked by the Serbians, whose guns were perched on almost inaccessible peaks. As the enemy's dead lay in the defile a truce was granted to permit of burial. Subsequently the French retook Mezen and arc advancing to Fario. Although the situation is ameliorated it would be rash to say that there is no danger to Monastir. The Serbian troops here are commanded by Colonel Vassitz, the hero of Monastir during the last Balkan war. With the limited forces at his disposal Colonel Vassitz is accomplishing great feats. The enemy counted on risings among the Bulgarian section at Monastir, Ochrida, and Struga, but the Serbians are warding off these by strict regulations. DANGER IN ALBANIA. The Albanian danger is real and may develop into a conflict, Austrian agents are distributing largesse in Albania and stirring up trouble. The first British blood was spilt near ;he Krivolak railway, where the forces ;ook up a position on the French flanks. The losses were slight. The correspondent adds that there are ;ood grounds for hoping that the misforunes of the Serbians arc ended. What are left of them have been sorely tried, but the country is saved, and it is considered that the Allies will soon be ready for a general offensive. Ghevgeli town is decorated in honor of the Allied troops, one large banner being inscribed, "In honor of the armies of liberty and justice." IN THE NICK OF TIME. A train was held up at Strumdcha, ow;ing to an attack by the Bulgarians at two o'clock in the morning. French troops arrived in the nick of time, for an hour later Strumdcha would have fallen into the hands of the Bulgarians and probably the Vardar railway bridge would have been blown up. n News from the northern front is good, xorlak Hill, overlooking Belgrade, has been retaken at the bayonet point by the Serbians, whom the Germans believed were aiming at advancing in the valley of the Morava. IGNORANCE OF BULGARS. The correspondent interviewed German, Austrian, and Bulgarian prisoners. The Bulgarians belonged to the frontier guards and pleaded ignorance of the war. They said they were told that they were sent to guard the frontier against the Germans invading Bulgaria and refused to believe that they were warring against Russia. The public mind is obsessed by the fate of Belgium, which it i 3 feared they may share, unless the Allies arrive in time, but there is no wavering anywhere.

THE INVADERS JOIN UP.

IN THE MORAVA VALLEY. Amsterdam, Nov. 0. Official telegrams claim that Kruchevatz lias been occupied. A Bulgarian communique says: "Wo are pursuing the hastily retreating Serbians on the whole front. Our troops northward of Nish have made a junction with the Germans near Para,chin, in the Morava Valley.

STRUMNITZA INVESTED.

ALLIES BOMBARDING THE TOWN. Received Nov. 11, 12.25 a.m. Bucharest, Nov. 10. The Allies have invested Strumnitza and have commenced a bombardment of the towa.