The Daily News. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1918. THE BALKANS OFFENSIVE.
There has for some time past been so little news concerning the Balkans front that the report of the great victory achieved by the Servians against the Bulgarians ooraes as a dramatic surprise. That the victory will be eagerly welcomed may be taken for granted, more particularly because the Servians have achieved so great a success. There are those who consider that the Balkans campaign was a mistake from the first, but that is because they fail to fully appreciate the many possibilities which success in that quarter means for the Allied operations in general. Under the present system of unity of command it is quite evident that the Balkans campaign plays an important part in the general scheme of defeating our enemies, and it is for the generalissimo to decide how and when, the movements in all the war theatres are to take place so as to fit in with the whole progress of the Allied operations. Since the capture of Monastir nearly two years ago there has been no offensive on the Servian front that has given such excellent promise of big results as that which is now progressing.' The Servians are now on the edge of the Cerna Eiver plains. They have broken the Bulgarian defences, taken a number of villages, advanced twelve miles, and forced the beaten enemy to retreat, captured 20,000 prisoners, besides much booty, and their cavalry is advancing on Prilep and the railway line along the Yardar valley, which is the chief feeder of the enemy front. It was in this region that considerable fighting took place at the latter end of 1915, so that there should be from two to three months available for attaining the objectives of the advance before winter puts an end to military operations. Only French and Servians have so far been engaged, but, in referring to the operations, Mr. Balfour stated ! that the advance was only a pre- , lude to greater successes, in which ; British and Greek troops will pax- 1 ticipate. We have no data on which to calculate the strength of : the Allied forces on this front, so . that it is difficult to estimate what ) the developments are likely to be, 1 especially in view of the arrival ] ..ore of Jugo-Slav units of un- i known strength. At any rate there < appears to be a gathering together '] of a considerable number of armed ' men—French, British, Servian, 1 Italian, Greek and Jugo-Slav—and ! the fact that an offensive on a nia- ' jor scale is in progress would lead 1 I to the conclusion that the Allied strength is sufficient for the pur- J pose. Apparently the movement 1 has been launched at a time when f Bulgarian troops have been sent to the west front, and it may be taken for granted that Marshal ] Foch lias timed this movement with j his usual skill. It is particularly J satisfactory to find that the ef- : forts of M. Venizelos to get to- 1 getker a staunch Greek army with ' which to aid the Allies have ' been crowned with success, and his ' in his countrymen's ( ability to defeat the Bulgarians, i is doubtless fully justified. The Bulgarians need a wholesome les* son, and to all appearances they will get it. The attack is being taken up where the right wing of the army which captured Monastir ceased operations. By following : either the Cerna valley or the road through Prilep, 25 miles north-east ; of Monastir, over the Pelagonian plain, the Allies would reach the i Yardar valley, through which passes the railway from Salonika to Servia, so that a rapid develop- ! ment of attacks may be expected. All the routes into Bulgaria and Servia are easily defended, but if pressure is applied at different points a successful Jesuit maybeobtained. Assuming that the Al- . lies can muster an army of a million men—which is a reasonable 1 estimate—it is reasonable to hope ; that tliey will be able to make a considerable advance, especially as now that the Bulgarians can : expect no further aid from the Central Powers they are likely to rapidly become demoralised. We have to bear in mind that any ad- ■ vantage secured in the Balkans at . this critical state of the. war will i have a far greater effect than : would have been, the case previously, for it will strike the Central : Powers at a vulnerable point, ne- i cessitate the recall of Bulgarian 1 troops from the west, and hasten . the end of the colossal struggle.
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Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1918, Page 4
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759The Daily News. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1918. THE BALKANS OFFENSIVE. Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1918, Page 4
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