THE BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1916, Page 5

THE BALKANS.

REPORTED ABDICATION OF CONSTANTINE. GREECE SIDES WITH ALLIES, RUMORED GREEK REVOLT Rome, Sept. I. Genera] DimitriefV commands the Russians invading Bulgaria. London, Sept. 1. ( It is reported from Salonika that King Constantino has abdicated and hands over the regency to Prince George. M. Zaimis remains with M. Vonizolos to support Greece siding with the Allies. New York, Sept. I. It is reported from Salonika that several Greek cities have revolted and that three regiments have mutinied. The revolutionists are besieging the Salonika garrison. KO CONFIRMATION. '' Times Service. Rcceievd Sept. -2, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 1. The Greek Legation discredits' tlie rumor that King Constantino has abdicated. The Foreign Office has received no official confirmation of the news. VENIZELOS' POSITION. A POWER BEHIND THE THRONE. COMMITTEE OF NATIONAL. DEFENCE. Salonika, Sept. 1. A rumor published as a special edition of the newspaper Angy.ra announced that King Constantino had abdicated and handed the regencj to iFrinee George. M. Venizelos' position will not be official, but he will rather lie the power behind the throne. Tlie announcements must still be received with reserve. The newspaper also adds that Greece will range herself on the side of the Allies. iFeoplc interpret this_as meaning that the army will join the "army of the Orient. The army will probably need considerable revictualling and equipment before it is capable of taking the field. A committee of national defence has been formed at Salonika. There are considerable possibilities, although the present position is vague. The leaders of the. colonial artillery and colonial cavalry arc Venizelist deputies. They distributed long proclamations addressed to the Greek people and army, pointing out that the present state of affairs had lasted long enough. Tlie surrender of the ports was a grievous misdeed on the King's and Government's part. They add that in time to come Greece will place herself on the Entente's side. The proclamations are frankly revolutionary, and urge Greek soldiers not to give attention to orders from Athens, tout to ally themselves with the Entente and assist in driving the Bulgars oil' Greek soil.

CONSTANTINE'S ABDICATION DENIED. CHAOS IN GREECE. VENIZELISTS REFUSE TO JOIN ZAIMIS. GREECE LED TO LIVING TOMB. A POWERFUL APPEAL, Received Sept. 3, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 2. ;, The Greek Minister in London denies King Constantino's abdication. Telegrams from Athens on Friday state that King Constantine's temperature had risen and that he was confined to bed.

The latest detailed description from Athens, dated Thursday, before the arrival of the Allied warships, shows that the Piraeus was overshadowed by the news of the Salonika insurrection. The situation shows an extraordinary state of Aaos The King is in a sick room, Parliamentarians dispersed, and elections postponed. Despite the Roumanian triumphs and happenings at Salonika, M. Zaimis is still of the opinion that a policy of benevolent neutrality is sufficient to meet the crisis. It i g understood that tlio Venizelists now refuse to join the Zaimis Ministry, and share the responsibility of the present, policy. The Liberal newspapers arc wildly exhorting tho King and Government to follow Roumania's example, before it is too late, owing to Bulgaria throwing up the sponge. M. Patria states: "Italy is becoming a great Mediterranean power, and Roumania becoming an Empire, but Greece is being led to a living tomb. Hellenic .ram awaken, and impose, youi will. Tomorrow it maj be too late.'' General confusion is reflected in the army just demobilised. Tho personnel of the higher commands are in the melting pot. General Dousmauis attempted to staff tho army with proGermans, whereof some have been dismissed, but the rest form tho discordant element. Other ollicers favor deserting the regiments and joining the Allies, jut are not desirous of acting while there is a chance of declaring war on the Bulgarian invaders who have retired. General Lepathiotis, leader of the 1009 revolution, has appealed for volunteers for an army of salvation to drive out the Bulgars. SERBIANS REPULSE NIGHT ATTACK. Received Sept. 3, 5.5 p.m. Salonika. Sept. 2. A communique reports: Our artillery set fire to the Pardovica station, north of Ghevgheli. The Serbians easily repulsed a Bulgarian night attack on the Vetrenik sector. A TROUBLESOME GREEK INTERNED. Received Sept. 3, 5.5 p.m. Paris, Sept. 2. A wireless message states that the National Committee for Defence at Salonika have interned Colonel Tricopis, organiser of the resistance against the Nrtionn.liit movemep^

GREEK DISARMAMENT. BULGARIANS SECURE 17 FORTS. FRENCH ADVIC London, September 1. British Salonika, communiques say there is no change on our StrumaDoiran front. The pro-Entente Committee of National Defence organised a revolution at Salonika and oilier towns. Greek troops, after bloodshed, consented to disarmament on General Sarrail's intervention. The committee is now supreme in Macedonia. A Salonika corespondent telegraphs that the Bulgarians, without firing a shot, secured possession of seventeen ,forts containing huge quantities of piovisions and hundreds of guns. The French press urges that united Allied action against Sofia would rapidly dispose of the Bulgarian situation. THE MACEDONIAN REVOLUTION. GREEKS SURRENDER TO GENERAL SARRAIL. MARTIAL LAW AT SALONIKA. Received Sept. 2, 5.5 p.m. Salonika. Sept. 2. The fighting portion of the Macedonian revolution is over. When General Sarrail arrived this morning on the parade ground, fifty officers commanding the Royalist forces came out without their swords to meet him, and announced that they were prepared to surrender to the Allies, but not to their Greek adversaries. General Sarrail replied that a state of warfare in the town, which is a headquarters base, could not 'be permitted to continue. General Sarrail laid down the conditions of surrender, which the officers accepted, namely, to remain prisoners until it is decided what further action should be taken. The officers will meantime be confined in a building on the parade ground. The men were paraded without arms. Their colonel inspected them and shook hands with every man. In a speech of farewell he urged them to maintain strict discipline and implicitly obey tlie French, The troops were then marched to the French camp at Zlctenlick, under French officers, where they will remain until a further decision has been arrived at

General Sarrail now explains the action of the French troops. "Martial law having been proclaimed at Salonika. I intend to see order preserved. Last night shots were exchanged, resulting in several persons being killed and wounded. Therefore, French troops have been ordered to intervene and restore order." DETAILS OF OUTBREAK. SARRAIL CONTROLS THE . SITUATION. Received Sept. 3, 5.5' p.m. London. Sept. 2. Mr. Ward Price, in a delayed nies sage from' Salonika on Thursday, states that Wednesday's revolution had confirmation of blood during the night. The Mcacdonian troops who joined the Committee of National Defence, defying Athens, suddenly attacked the barracks at Salonika whereof the garrison refused to join the separatists. There was brisk rifle fire for five minute? across the parade ground. Then the attackers practically ceased fire until daybreak, when a strong force of French with guns hurried tt the barracks. Meanwhile the Macedonians were lying on the pavement on one side of the parade ground and the garrison behind the wall of a fruit garden on the opposite section. The garrison at once endeavoured tr come- out to secure supplies, but were diiven back with the loss of a few men. A body of civilian volunteers reinforced the Macedonians during the night, but were not strong enough to seize the barracks, when a. thousand French troops assen,l:led Zimbreakakis and other leaders of the Committee of National Defence allowed General Sarrail to control the situation.

CREEK REVOLUTION SPREADING. KING'S CONDITION WORSE, Received Sept. 3, 5.5 p;m. Rome, Sept. 2. A wireless message states that tho Greek revolution is spreading to Thesnaly and Epirus Martial law has been declared at Athens and Piraeus. It is imported that the King's condition is worse. There are violent manifestations against the King and M. Rados lavoff. FERDINAND AND CROWN PRINCE. A VIOLENT QUARREL. PRINCE BORIS IN HIDING, Received Sept. 3, 5.5 p.m. Rome, Sept. 2. The Mcssagero reports a violent ■.parrel has taken place between King Ferdinand and the Crown Prince Boris, 9ii account of the hitter's Russophile tendencies. The King ordered Prince Boris to take his place in the army, but Boris refused, and is now in hiding in Sofia. BULGARIAN CHIEF DEAI; Received Sept. i, 5.5 p.m. Sofia, Sept. 1. Obituary: General Jostoff, chief of tho Bulgarian General Staff. SUICIDE RATHER THAN DEFEAT. Received Sept. 3, 5.5 p.m. Athens. Sept. 2. It is reported that General Jostoff committed suicide, aa he did not wish to lead big army into what he considered certain defeat. The suicide has delayed the Bnlourian declaration of war.

PUTTING PRESSURE ON GREECE. ALLIED WARSHIPS AT PIRAEUS. TO COON'TKRACT GERMAN INTRIGUES. Received Sept. 3, 11.15 p.m. London. Sept. 3. Twenty-three Allied warships arrived »l. the Piraeus at noon on Friday, ae'i'onipanied by transports from -.Salonika. The Allied sqnadi'mi includes cruisers and smaller vessels, and is accompanied by hydroplanes. The squadron, under command of the Frencnh Admiral, continues to cruise before the Piraeus. No vessel has yet entered the harbor. English newspapers interpret the presence of Allied warships at the Piraeus as an indication that tile Allies are weary of the tergiversations of the Athenian politicians and are resolved to baffle the German intrigues.

WIRELESS STATION SEIZED. ALSO GERMAX LINERS. GREEK NAVAL LEAVE CANCELLED. Received Sept. 3, 11.30 p.m. Athens, Sept. 3. Two Allied warships entered the navy yard at Piraeus. Landing parties seized the wireless station and four German Levant liners. It is reported tlie Allies Jemanded the delivery of sixty suspected Germans. According to the newspaper Hestia, Greek naval officers and men have been recalled from leave. BULGARIANS FALLING BACK. PRESSED BY SERBIANS A ROUT PROBABLE. Received August 3, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 2. The Daily Chronicle's Athens correspondent states that the Bulgarians are falling back rapidly towards Mun astir and the Fiorina plums. The Serbians aw prosing on, despite sharp counterattacks by the Bulgai column, upon the slopes of Gornichevo, which i? detailed to cover the ISulgar retreat. The attack failed with heavy Bulgarian loss, jmd the Set Us captured three Krupp guns. The retreat towards Monastir is; so hurried that it may soon be turned into a rout. The Bulgars are already unable to remove their wounded.

BULGARIANS IN FULL RETREAT. SERBIANS ON THEIR HEELS. Received Sept. 3, 5.5 p.m. Athens, Sept. 2. The Bulgarians have withdrawn from Roroivtch towards tin passes of Kirlideven and Banitza. The Serbians' cavalry have reached Sorovitch. The Bulgarians continue to retreat all along the Fiorina and Monastir Valley. ALBANIANS CAPTURE AUSTRIAN GARRISONS. Received Sept. 3, 5.5 p.m. ; Sofia, Sept. 2. Following the declaration of war by Roumania the Albanian insurgents l annihilated and captured several Austrian garrisons. BULGARIA MAY SUE FOR PEACE. v IK GREEKS JOIN ALLIES Received Sept. 3, 4.30 p.m. The Hague, Sept. 2. i German newspaper display great! uneasiness regarding Bulgaria,"and admit the frontiers are difficult to defend. Should Greece join the Entente Bulgaria would possibly be compelled to sue for peace which would be a calamity to the Central Powers. GREEK FORCE, CAPTURED Received Sept. 2, 5.5 p.m. Salonika. Sept. 1. The Bulgarians have -aptured General Christodoulis and 3000 of his Greek force.