AT SALONIKA.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 December 1915, Page 12

AT SALONIKA.

1 I LANDING OF ALLIES. , SPIES AND SUSPICIONS. ' London, October 28. J A correspondent of the Times at Salon- , ika sends his journal a most interesting J account of the conditions at the Greek 3 port when the Allied troops landed. ] Day by day, he writes, since October > 5, successive fleets of transports have J discharged their burdens of troops, 1 stores, artillery and ammunition on the section of the quay reserved by treaty ( for the exclusive use of Serbia and P known as the "Serbian zone." No figures must be given, but it can i r already be said that of the host now i mustering here to help the gallant Serbians several tens of thousands are ( now encamped In the vicinity of Salon- . ika. The contingents for Macedonia 1 are convoyed hither by flotillas of swift j destroyers; for a few enemy submarines still lurk in Aegean waters, and their 1 activities cannot be safely disregarded, i The weather is fine and warm and ■ dry, and a four-mile tramp awaits the I men from the landing stage to their | camps at Zcitinlik and Lcmbed. Crowds of sightseers line the way as the regi--1 ments defile to the souni of bugle and ! drum. An occasional cheer is raised r to greet them. But there is no general i enthusiasm in the crowds. Not all 1 Greeks are pleased at the arrival of this : friendly army; partisans of the I-lun are not few among the local Turks and Jews, t while Germans and subjects of the Dual 1 Monarchy abound in this most cosmopolitan of cities. I 3 FRENCH ARMY VETERANS. To watch the bearing and demeanor 1 of these thousands as they pass may be recommended as an excellent tonic. The fine physique and martial aspect of ' our own men are too well known at home for me to enlarge upon. It is sufficient to note that those who have 3 landed here are fully up to the aceusr tomed standard. But what to say oi the daily growing multitude of joyous, ? active little Frenchmen, in the prime of life, and the pink of condition, sunburnt and war-stained, already veterans of this 1 world struggle, proud of themselves and e of their Allidß, well fed, well clad, cheering and singing between the hursts of their regimental music, as they march 1 along this dusty Macedonian road? That 1 such troops in such numbers call be spared from the struggle on their own fron--9 tiers is a revelation of cheering import. That they are 'burning to meet the 1 enemy again on new ground is evident j to all beholders. No troops could be in better fettle or better equipped. And j tne spirit of victory shines in their j laughing eyes. In the evening 01 the first day of the landing, after all the • regiments have j passed, we driijs out to Zeitinli, where e the French pitched their „ tents. It is a lonafcttrrow plateau, bare and uncultivated, tlier side of e which, hidden camps arc being prepared. from a e distance like a embroidery in 5 relief traced along BKiither slope turns out on a nearer approach to be troops Btanding at ease in their ranks. Below the lines hucksters and pedlars, fruitsellers and vendors of cheap drinks, are h already assembled waiting for the ranks to break up. Presently the Frenchmen I begin to pile their arms, small parties of [i "piou-pious" detach themselves from the n main bodies and surround the tempting d wares. Orderlies mount bicycle and ride J for the town The scene is being snapt shotted by half-a-dozen photographers. d AN INTERRUPTED COLLOQUY. !• A couple of officers stride up to us. is The senior of them, a grizzled major, 't salutes us, and with an air of great it bonhomie, introduces himself as belong--1 ing to the " Regiment de Marche I de la We. hand him' our cards. ■ His companion knows a little English Hi and Is glad of an opportunity 0/ airing Hit. At this moment an orderly hurries the slope, whispers a few words the elder officer, and passes on. unconscious that anything is we are about to resume the colloquy when the major fIHH&s himself up, and with a stilt bow and "Monsieur, j'.v de vous saluer," wall;s oil' follows suit, and we artconjecture the reason of this j^HHflhiii. round we see close behind us inquisitive face. Its ownus up the slope and has listening. We try to that it is his presence cut short well be the warning all members the exto avoid contact and we as much the forbidding to Salonika to must literally so long the be promptstaffs enemy re e very much cafes French the lias landing the British k German lias scene he was no filled by pertional the quite -bh■HwHHnH^HßHH^Biching since