Evening star., 1915-10-22
INVADERS NOW OCCUPY
KUMAN0vO AND VELEZE
Turks Said to Have Co-0perated in
Selling Macedonian Town
After Great Battle. -:
UsKUP IN ENDANGERED BY FOE
Serb Retreat Upon Monastir Report
ed Cut Of-Berlin Admits That
Progress in Balkans Has
Been Slow.

| LONDON, October 22.-Ser-
bias military position is critical.
Hammered by superior forces on
two sides, her armies are threat
ened with being crushed as no
army has been crushed during the
war.
Not only are these facts ad-
mitted in England, France and
Russia, but they are reflected in
official Serbian statements. The
key to escape from this situation
is the speed with which France
and England can throw forces
north from Saloniki, in the hope
of relieving pressure from the
Austrians and Germans in the
north and the Bulgarians in the
east.
The Bulgarians are now battling
Under the eyes of King Ferdinand.
Notwithstanding the presumably
superior artillery of the Austrians
and Germans, it is the flank at
tack by the Bulgarians which
seems the most menacing to the
Serbians. At few places are the
Teutons as. much as twenty miles
south of the Danube In fact, the
ground gained averages depth
of only ten miles. The Bull
garians, for their part, are display
ing tremendous energy, indicative
of carefully laid plans preceding
the declaration of war. With
twenty miles of the Nish-Saloniki
railway in their hands they have
a strategic advantage which it
will be difficult to overcome.
Bulgars Occupy Towns. =.
bulSdFldl lfoOps HAVE hONdHScu So0lH
of Strumitsa. and have driven the forces
opposing them across the Vardar river.
it was officially announced today by Ger
man army headquarters. Occupation OF
Kumanovo and veleze by Bulgarian
troops also is announced.
Field Marshal Won Mackensen's Austro-
German forces have further advanced in
the north, Gen. Won Koevess troops hav-
to SIatina mountain, while the army
under Gen. Won Gallwitz has advanced;to
a front running through Salevac, Savino-
vac and Trnovca, and to the north of
Ranovac.
Berlin admits the Teutonic advance is
slow. The war Office states that the Ser
bians had been driven out of the strong
ly fortified positions near Ripanj
Turkish Cavalry Aiding.
1t is reported that Turkish cavalry is
co-opefating with the Bulgarians. who.
after a great battle. are reported to
have taken the Macedonian town of
Veleze where the Serbs won victory
over the Turks in the Balkan war of
1912 According to an unofficial report
the Bulgarians have taken the town.
The Serbian army at Valandovo has
been ordered to leave for the north to
reinforce the troops there, according
to a dispatch received from Athens
under Wednesdays date. 1t is stated
that Valandovo will be guarded by
forces of the entente allies.
The latest news regarding the situa-
tion in Serbia is summarized in dis
patch received by the Morning Post.
from Athens.
Retreat Is Cut OFF.
at looks as though the retreat of
the main Serbian army upon Monastir,
on the Greek frontier" says this dis.
patch, has already been cut of BY
the Bulgarians. Uskup Is rapidly
emptying its inhabitants. who are flying
In anticipation of Bulgarian occupa--
tion.''
The saIoniki correspondent Of the
Daily Mail asserts that many Of the
reports current concerning Bulgarian
successes are pure fabrications.
Bulgarian irregulars who attacked.
Vraiya, says the correspondent. suc-
ceeded in damaging the railway SO
that it cannot be used for the present,
hut these irregulars were defeated and
the entire force exterminated.
Seeks to Cut or Bulgars.
The French force, he continues, 10
executing a brilliantly planned move
msnt in the rear of a large Bulgarian
force. for the purpose of cutting Off a
Bulgarian retreat on Istip. The Bull
garians are said to have suffered a.
notable reverse at the hands of the
Serbians near Koprulu. --,-
AS to the doings of the allies. 1t now
appears that the force sent north from
Saloniki was far inferior to the num-
bers at first assigned. and the occupa
tion- Of Strumitsa seems never to have
been actually carried out. Everything
10 said to depend on whether large
reinforcements Sen be
landnd NJ Salnuiki and ruHhA6 ~ the