Evening star., 1915-12-29
RUSSIANS F|ERCE[Y
ATTACK AUSTR|ANS
Eiuht Assaults on Bessarabia
Border Futile, According to
German Advices.
QUIET NOW REIGMING
" ,ru.
IN THE BALKAN ARENA
Teutons May Not Resume Operations
Directed Against Saloniki-Bul-
gar Mutiny Is Reported.

gar Mutiny Is Reported.
BERLIN. December 29.-The Czerno-
witz (Bukowina) correspondent of the
Tageblatt sends the following:
THE Russians have made eight at
tacks against the Austrians on the Bes-
sara bia border since Christmas night.
Despite tremendous expenditure or
ammunition and men the attacking
forces have not yet succeeded in break :
ing through the lines. Every time the
weakened columns of the Russians sue
ceeded in reaching the Austro-Hun-
garians they were repulsed. The Rus
slams maintained a gun fire for twenty
five hours which was audible in Czerno'
witz"
Balkan Operations Halt.
VIENNA, December 29.-The opera
tions of the central powers against the
Anglo-French army in Greece We're
temporarily suspended in difference TO
Greek susceptibilities regarding the
Bulgarians, when the entente eXpedi-
tion retreated across the frontier The
operations may possibly not be re-
sumed
Nothing positive regarding fdrther
military plans can be learned: these
are contingent to certain extent on
the Greek attitude. and if Greece has
no objection to leaving Saloniki IN the
hands of the British and French a
further offensive movement. It is re-
no-ted. NAV not be undertaken by the
Austro Germans, who, in that case.
would merely stand on the defensive
n1n Ia
Macedonian frontier.
Allied Position Not Menace.
saloniki. a. viewed here. has no
strategic Importance. So long as Bull
saria is able to defend southern Mace
donia and her own borders the occu-
patton of Saloniki by the entente allies
is not looked upon as menace to
any of the interests of the central
powers. Bulgaria and Turkey. It is
considered here that an offensive
against Saloniki would be a political
rather than a military measure. and
from the political standpoint. it is
pointed out, the value of such an Of
fensive would be highly problematical.
since the occupation even temporarily
Of Greek territory would involve only
embarrasements and no advantages.
The press reports that the allies IN
tend to make Saloniki the base for
500, 200 men causes no perturbation in
Vienna as the entente troops will have
to be met in any case, and 1t is argued
the expeditionary forces are operating
at the end of the longest, the most
hazardous and most expensive supply
line of the war, while the Bulgarian
army, constituting the major part of
the force barring the route through
Serbia, has the advantage of very
short communications.
Allied Defensive Lines.
LONDON, December pa dispatch
from Reuters correspondent at Brit
ish headquarters in Macedonia. says:
THE new defensive lines laid out by
the entente allies around Saloniki
make a sweep of about fifty miles in
wide semi-circie from the Vardar river
to the Gulf of Orphanos. Nearly half
this distance is naturally defended by
lakes. langaza and beshik.
Few sites are better suited by ma
ture to the requirements of scien-
tifc defense. The position is very
similar to the Turkish lines at Tchald-
ia. where the Bulgars suffered their
only defeat at the hands of the Turks
in 1912, save that the valley here is
broader and the hills higher.
Little Cover for Foe.
"The whole of the fifty-mile arc en-
circling Salon;ki is surrounded by a broad
valley. which is morass in parts. and
would afford little cover to an advancing
foe The hills within the fortified lines
furnish admirable gun emplacements,
commanding all approaches. On the slopes
toward the north there still remain the
trenches where the Turks intended to
Ire Ia ct nd G,tr rin
Balkan war. and some Of their barbed
wire entanglements have been utilized by
the entente allies.
Serbian General Retires.
PARIS. December 2s.-Gen. Padomir
Putnik. chief o. the general stafY OF the
Serbian army. has given up his position
temporarily by order OF his doctors. ac-
cording to a dispatch from Skutaria. 1t
is stated that Gen Michitch, comma nder
Of the first Serbian army. will take Gen
Putrlk's place during the latters absence
According to reliable information
there gre $4,000 Serbian troops at
scutari and Eibassan, Albania" saws
the Athens correspondent of the Hayas
Agency They are in excellent trim
Notwithstanding the difficulties en-
countered in their retreat They hold
strongly fortified positions against the
advance OF the Austro-Ger and
Bugarians. and II is unlikely that tbev
will be transferred to Saloniki"
Bulgar Mutiny Reported.
The 1lth Bulgarian Infantry reri-
ment. stationed at Gumuldzina. BuI
saria. has mutinied, according to In
formation reaching the Athens corre-
spondent of the Petit Journal.
italian troops which disembarked at
Avlons. Albania, have reached the
vicinity of the northern frontier of
Epirus i'll some places. according to re
ports from voyagers arriving from
Sanu Quaranta." says the Athens cor
respondent of the Havas Agency.
italian troops also have been seer nea ?
-Tepeieni (southern Albania)."
Alleged Greek Assurance.
:, dispatch to the Berlin Tages lei.
tung from Sofia and sent here says:
''rhe newspaper Narodni Praya Saws
that Greece. through it's minister at
Sofa. has Informed Bulgaria. that
Greece does not object to Bulgarian
troops entering Greek territory IL this
step is unavoida bly, necessary in the
interests of military operations. Pre-
mier Radoslavon expressed his thanks
g. n. t...s ssx...