The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1916. THE BALKANS CAMPAIGN.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1916, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1916. THE BALKANS CAMPAIGN.

The chief events noted in this morning's cables will cause attention to be concentrated on the Balkans theatre. It will be seen that there' are two main features, one of which is that Monastir is at the mercy of the Allies, the other being the notification that the Germans are sending thither large reinforcements, indicating the great importance attached by Field-Marshal Hindenburg to the Balkan operations. The liussians appear to have made what is described as a dramatic advance, which, together with the continued successful offensive of the Serbians, has brought Monastir within the grasp of the Allies. By gaining the plain on which Monastir i; situated, the Allies overcame the strongest obstacle protecting the Yardar valley, and by pushing forward from Monastir to the Vcudar they ! would compel the Bulgar-Germans to evacuate their present front in Macedonia. The British have resumed with success their Struma offensive, and the Roumanians are making good headway. The capture of Monastir cannot be far off, and it stiould lead to important results. What will be the effect if the Germans carry out their reported intention of sending large reinforcements to this theatre is impossible to forecast, but the question arises a3 to where these extra forces are to be obtained. Assuming that there is a possibility of Germany being able to send these troops to the Balkans, it is only reasonable to assume that the position will become moro serious, especially as Russia alone can supply the necessary •aid. Hindenburg seems to be staking 'his reputation on crushing the Roumanians, and it may be that he will have, the audacity to court disaster elsewhere in order to carry out an act o! vengeance wherewith he seems to be obsessed. If Germany can spare troops for this purpose, Russia is in a far better position to do so, and it may be taken for granted that every effort will be made to checkmate this latest ebullition of German madness. It must be remembered that the Germans are becoming more desperate every week, and their recent severe defeats on the West front, together with the certainty that Bapaume must soon fall, will certainly not lessen this desperation. The great rush made by Mackensen and Falkenhayn soon fizzled cut for want of support, and whether the near future holds a crisis 01* not will depend on what amount of reinforcements come to hand. There will, no doubt, be many tight corners to be turned before the war is ended.