The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-15
Allied Troops Rolled Back in
Disastrous Defeat, With En-
envy IN tiot Pursuit
BORDER TOWN Is
VOW IN FLAMES
| urks Have More Than Six
Hundred thousand Men
Under arms and Are Believ.
ed to Be Giving Affective Aid

h~btfApSt kStH~ l3--&A uE1Ail60
acGoant of the last phase OF tina
butte In the southeastern corLcr
nt serbia was issaed Dy the HUI
garian war once today. 1t shows
that wnjie tae Iritish stood the
hrant OF the BuiSar onslaught
when driven from their position
west OF Lake Dorian over the
dFeck frontier, tias French forces.
too, were badly cut mp and that
tiic disastrous retreat OF the allies
from serbian Macedonia WAS
caused mainly by n Bulgarian
wedge dcis en- between tho Brit
isl. and French.
At the same time that the main
Buisar army swept down upon the
British. west OF Lake Dorian. an
osher strong Bulgarian forca
coming down along the Nish-
sasoniea Railway, battered the
French with ever-increasing fury
III their positions north of Ehcv-
ghcii. broke through the alIis>d
itue at the point where tho
French and British were In CON-
tact, and cfYecfing the fatal
wedge. badly CUT up the French.
The~. operations are described
by II bulgarian war Office state-
1ncnt issued on December IL. and
May Make Grcete battle-ground
The extent and meaning OF tina
bulgarian and German statement
"The pursuit continues" holds now
the key 10 the question whether tho
Bulgars and Germans, or either. in
tend to push the driver over the
border, thus making northern Greece
t he new battle-ground. Thus far there
is nothing in official or unofficial re-
ports TO indicate that he pursuit has
been continued over the Greek from
Tier. though Burgar shells already are
said IN have fallen on Greek soil. The
whole town of EsheygheH. on the Dor
der. is report Il by an Anglo French
HEADQUARTERS statement to be in
flames. following the Bulgarian bonn
bafdn@rt
Speculation concerning Turkish
armr In the E;alkans was revived to-
day by a state mrnt in the House OF
{ 'ommens on the p@.t of Harold j
Tenant under Sc retary. Of war. that
Turkey has SGD 400 men in the field
ana that the Number might be in
creased Ga a million. reports havs
been frequent II late 10 the effect
that Turkish forces are assisting the
Iwlgar!ans and Germans in the Near
f.ast.
Rel of Greece. Paramount Issue.
THE role Of Greece i'll the present
Balkan situation Is now the para
.4444.444 opinion
here il that the Hellenic government
atl, before many days have To take
sides with either the entente powers
or Ne Germans and Bulgarians.
Threatened froIu the sea by the allied
4elts and FROM the 0orth by q Bul-
1arU- Herman Invasion. Greece Is to-
14t IN dilemma surprising II
seriousness all she has gone through
since the Balkan = operations began.
Pressure from both slties continues
with Increased yigor
All advices from Athens indicate
nat the further maintenance Of Greek
depends chiefly on whether
he German and Austr rams " the Eal-
saes carry the pursuit Of the Allies
uto Greek territory. For the armies
IF the tal trail powers Greece is eX~
5ectcd 10 allow leeway should. how.
svsr tHe Hu,Earians her traditional
'oe4. cross the frontier, Il Greeco-Bui-
sar.an embodiment is believed In
sv,tahle. ON the other hand, ths
snilding factors Of Germans dip-
otnacs and her general staff are tre-
;u1ned TO be fully realizing these facts.
ind 10 have devised their plans ac-
sordin2lN-
Desire to Ayoid Friction.
Unofficial Athens dispatches ssS
hat Germany has asked Greece
whether the new facilities afforded
he Allies comprise Greek neutrality
n any way" The German diplomats
n the Greek capital are known -
,e DESTROYS uf avoiding "a friction Wild
Sin.s t'onatantGnes government, bN
q re equally determined not 40 alloW