The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-04
URGES ONE HEAD FOR
ALL BALKAN ARMIES
Gen. Cherfils Says Allies
Should Put Marshal Putnik
in Chief Command.
CONCERTED MOVE VITAL
Special Correspondence to THE srs.

Special Correspondence to THE srs.
LONDON. November 17.-Gen. Cherfls.
the well known French military writer.
is Of the opinion that both Russia and
Italy will cooperate In the Balkans and
soon five allied armies. Serbian. British.
French. Russian and italian, will be
fighting side by sice.
In an article in the People . Cher
fills. referring to Gen. Jonre's visit to
London to discuss personally with the
British Government questions arising
out OF the war. says:
This voyage to London. which called
forth such demonstrations Of confidence
in the French commander In chief BY
the British public. Is very significant
from the point OF view OF the general
principles which should guide a coal!-
ton such as the armies OF the Allies.
Gen. JofYre's conference with Lord
Kitchener largely corrected the lack Of
unity of direction which Is the Inherent
faut of all coalitions without a single
leader. They will have the greatest i'm
poitance nov that the parties to the
conference have separated again after
having come to a complete agreement.
although conversations Of this kind.
despite their rcgrettable loss OF time.
may largely remedy the lack of a sole
direction of the general conduct OF the
war. the same method OF exchanges Of
views cannot be applied to the man1u-
wiring OF separate armies whose Efforts
are converging on a single theatre OF
operations.
soon Will Have Five Armies.
an Macedonia we already have two
armies coming from Salonica- Soon q
Russian army may appear on the scene
BY way Of the Danube, and later on al,
Italian army by way OF the Adriatic.
We shall have then five armies whose
operations will be convergent, and con-
sequently should be concerted. or rather,
hould obey one single directing force.
IL will be absolutely essential that the
various armies In the Balkans shall be
under one
1T Is well to remember the lessons OF
the past During the crimeAn var the
British. French and Turk.sn armies. To
say nothing Of the P~iedmontese corps.
were faced with very great difficulties
owing TO the lack OF unity OF command.
Yet in the Crimea the three armies were
operating side by side and in parable
INV keeh. 1881 es'N
Omar were neighbors. and could easily
meet whenever they liked. Although
they were close together. they saw little OF
one another. and the wheels Of the war
machine. driven by the three separate
armies. reake no.sily and occasionally
completely clogged. Let us profit b. the
lesson or this experience.
In Macedonia the allied armies are
not in direct touch with one another
They are isolated in the large theatre
Of war Of which the Serbian army forms
the centre. Consequently DER com.
mandeIs cannot meet to concert theii
action. /, IL useless 10 try and keep tho
armies in touch by way OF London
Paris. Petrograd or Rome. There mus
be a single commander. who alone vii
te in a position to insure the converg'
nee OF isolated operations toward tn.
common victory.
Putnik q Capable Commander.
1T so happens that We have the goos
fortune TO have a supreme and capabl,
commander on the very scene OF opera
tons. / refer to Marshal Putn.k. com
mander in chief OF the Serbian army
This sble General would himself be un'
der the direction OF King Peter. n sol
d!er as well as a monarch, who woult
DC :hs rorn:na. head
Marshal Putn!k is one of the ables'
Generals in Europe In addition TO III.
rank OF Marshal he possesses the pres
tige OF three victorious campaigns ant
has a profound and intimate knowledg,
Of the whole theatre OF operations. 1
seems 10 me that the allied General.
would lie abandoning non OF their dig
nifty in bowing TO the authority Of Ma
shall Putnik, who Is himself covered b,
the royal authority OF King Peter. tn,
I nominal head of the Serbian army.
! II am quite aware that Marshal Put
I nix suffers from delicate health and tina
l his attacks OF asthma prevent him from
following the actual movements OF IN
= Serbian arrny in the field. But thong!
: he has not the v!gor to follow his troop
in a campaign OF such a h,
is extremely well fitted to control tn
ensemble OF the movements of armie
|, from the tranquility Of a .!xed head
! quarters. I think the British and Frencl
, Cabinets would he we'll advised TO con
slider seriously this question OF a singh
supreme command In the Balkans In or
y der that the operations OF all the arrnie.
In the field In Serbia may bc properl,
c~oordinated.
Italian Local.
, Before turning my attention 20 &c
. tual operations in Serbia ! wish TO re'e
, TO the position on the Italian front. TIL
5 Italians during the past week or so hav
, scored al many points snal local sue
&. cesses, which ave .dened out the!
front and caused the Austrians TO thin
9 hard. But the service rendered to III
? common cause by retaining in the Alp
! Austrian reserves which the enem
would Ike very much to send acros
the Danube Is not sufficient to ave Ser
bia or TO insure in Macedonia the vic
tory which we must score over the Ger
mano-Bulgarians,
= Furthermore the aggressive activit,
Of the Italians absorbs only one-thir
Of the large forces which Italy hts a
her disposal. Yet Italy has a natura
/ point 10 enter into action IN the Balkans
namely by way OF Montenegro and Al
. bania.
at is interesting 10 take \ glance a
I the map OF Albania and consider w'hic
IL the easiest and most rapid road