BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1918, Page 5

BALKANS.

FRENCH CAVALRY OPER* HONS. ; SOME BRILLIANT WORK. • Loudon, Oct. 3. A French Eastern communique, dated ' October 1, reports: French cavalry played a particularly brilliant part in." : tJlie operations preceding the signing of the armistice. After entering Prilep on September 23 ' they captured considerable booty and • subsequently vigorously co-operated with ' the infantry in overcoming the enemy resistance before Veles. The cavalry turned the defences of Veles by following almost impassable mountain paths, then > daringly penetrated the enemy lines, and on September 29 came within sight of Uskub, which it carried dismounted in • sheer fighting, holding on despite fuii- ■ ous counter-attacks aided by fresh Buigar reinforcements. " t; The measures provided for in the W" 1 mistice are being carried out.-—Aus.,N.Z". ■ Cable Assoc. and Reuter. '-P —-—' - ; DURAZZO NAVAL BASE. DESTROYED BY ALLIED -WAS- ; SHIPS. Received Oct. 6, 1-50 am, * Rome,. Oct. 8.,, Signor Orlando (Premier) announced , that American, British, and Italian war- : ships have destroyed the Damzo naval tee, also that the warships are chorcd there. —Aus.-N.Z, Cable Asaof-*^ OCCUPATION OF BULGARIA GESMAH TKOOFS RETIRING XO DANUBE, . Received Oct. 5, 12.30 a®. London, Oct. 3, . The Echo de Paris states that the Allies' occupation of Bulgaria is proceeding, and that the German troops, in Bulgaria are retiring northward, proV ably to organise defences along £Ba Danube.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. - • EVACUATION" OF ROUMAUIA JiND ALBANIA. ' 1 Received Oct. y, 12.30 ajn. ' Rome, Oct. 3, The evacuation of Roumania and Albania continues. General MackemSen's ■ headquarters are in Transylvania.—* Aus,-N.Z. Cable Assoc. NATION EXHORTED TO BE CALM: Received Oct. 4, 7.45 p.m. London, Oct. 3: A Bulgarian communique announces that the armistice was signed on the evening of September 29, and exhorts the . nation to be calm, as the day of definitive peace is near.—Aus. and N.Z. Calif Assoc. and Reuter. AN ITALIAN OFFENSIVE. : New York, Oct. 3. ; The Italian Embassy states that the Italians in Albania have launched an offensive against the Austrians.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. f " ■ GERMAN VERSION OF EVENTS.; . , London, Oct. 3, The German version of events in BuI J : garia comprise a statement by tM ,■ Cologne Gazette that lighting is proceeding south of Sofia. The paper adds:' , The streets of Sofia already resound with the march of German battalions. A Hague correspondent states it is reported that Mackensen (has cabled to headquarters that ho could safely leave ■ Roumania, which is technically incapacitated for further participation in 4 the ■ war. ■ The assurance is widely circulated in 11 Germany that Turkey will hold last Austro-German troops are holding the Orient railway, and o,n the frontier tie guards have been doubled and the authorities are taking the most rigid measures to suppress the threatened disorder. —Times. Bulgaria is a nation of 43,310 square in extent (New Zealand is 103,288 square miles) and is bounded on the North by Roumania, on the west by Servia and Greece, on the east by the Black Sea, and on the south by Turkey and the Aegean Sea. The population of the Kingdom n is about 4J millions, ' , September 30th is an eventful day for Bulgaria for it was on this day six years ago that in conjunction with Greece, . Servia and Montenegro she began war'with Turkey from whom she was granted a large area of territory in May of the following year when the Treaty o£;:;v London was signed. { A few weeks later, growing dissatisfied with her share of the spoils, Bulgaria treacherously declared war on her former .... allies, but was badly defeated and as a consequence lost a large portion of the ground that liad previously been gained . Roumania taking some 2,900 square miles of Bulgarian territory. The por- : tion of Turkey finally retained by Bulgaria amounted to 10,000 square miles. ; The main product of the country are . ; cereals, particularly wheat, eggs, aud bther'produce, whilst tobacco is exten-\-g sively grown in some districts, There are approximately 1400 miles of, rail-. ways which connect the capital town So- - fla With Constantinople and Belgrnd. These have now been handed over to the allies iu the terms of the surrender. . 0 The revenue in 1914 prior to the present war was £10,279.800 and the expen-, ¥ , diture £10,270,504, tho imports being ■ valued at £8,917,372 and the exports at £5,782,400. . ■ The army at peace strength was only ■ 68,500, and in time of war about 320,* 000.