Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-08
AUSTRO-GERMAN
ARMY IS MOVING
T0ATTACK SERBIA
Long g-Threatened Offensive
in Balkans Begins in
Earnest.
AEGL0-FRENCH TROOPS
GO TO MEET INVADERS
Greece Is Expected to Remain
Neutral, Unless Public Opin-
ion Forces Action.
BULGARIA is ADDED MENACE
BULGARIA IS ADDED MENACE
champagne Still Is Main District
OF Contention In West, but Re.
ports Are Contradictory.

LONDON. October THE long
threatened Austro German offensive IN
the Balkans, with the added menace OF
Bulgaria. has begun in earnest. AL
most simultaneously with the runtura
OF diplomatic relations between Sofia
and tho entente powers. an Austro-
German army, estimated at 400, ,ooo rnen
with an enormous weight of heavy ar
tillery, started to attack Serbia from,
the north and west, and, according 20
the Berlin official report. crossed tho
Drina, Danube and Save Rivers a.
many points. and firmly established IT.
self on the Serbian side.
The Anglo French troops. landed ar
Saloniki with the tacft CONAN, ~ .h
Ireek government. are being hurried
northward to assist Serbia, and. if nos-
sible, keep the Bulgarians from can
turing the saloniki-Nish railway. the
only source by which the Serbians can
be fed with munitions Of war
The hoped-for suppor, from Greece
has not been forthcoming. King Con.
stantine. by the dismissal oe preniec
Venizelos, having shown tha.. whilo
his country synlpathiEes with the CAUSE
OF the allies. he rs not prepared to 60
against the central powers or to fulfill
the obligations Of the Greece -Serhian
treaty OF alliance, which provides THAT
one ally must go to the assistance OF
the other in the case OF attack.
NEW GREEK CABINET
new Greek Cabinet, composed of
men or pro-German and pro-ally sym
pathies, has been appointed, and the
expectation now is that, unless public
opinion forces the hand of the govern
ment and insists on action on the side
or the allies. Greece will remain neu-
tral. 1t is hardly conceivable to the
entente diplomats that Greece will go
over to the central powers, for thew
point out. Bulgaria is known to covet
some OF her territory, and the treat
ment Of Greek nationals In Turkey
makes 1t virtually impossible for her
TO become the ally of that country.
AS In Greece, public opinion in Bull
sarla Is not unanimous in support Of
King Ferdinand. and reports Indicate
that the Bulgarian mobilization is not
being carried out without difficulty.
The King and Premier Radoslayoff.
however have finally thrown in their
lot with Austria Germany and Turkey
having, after consultation with the
ministers OF those countries rejected
the demands OF Russia for the dismissal
OF the austro- German officers, who, tt
Is alleged. have been engaged to COM
mand the Bulgarian army. They IN
fact, denied the presence of such Of
hcers. and the British. French, Russian
and Italian ministers have either left
or are leaving Sofia.
Italy also has taken action by eiyine
the Bulgarian minister at Rome his
passports.
1t Is possible that Bulgaria may avoid
arousing the Greek people by refrain
ing from attacking Serbia, simply keep-
ing her troops on the border This
would have the effect Of preventing
her from bringing her full strength to
bear against the Austro- German attack.
RoUMANIA TRYING
TO REMAIN FRIENDLY
Roumania. the other Balkan state.
is still neutral. Roumania has not
been heard from, but. like Greece, for
the moment is bent on continuing
friendly relations with all the bellic-
erents. Doubtless. to influence her
ana the other Balkan states, Russia
is reported to have commenced an
energetic offensive in Bukowina and
to have attacked the Austrian positions
northeast of Czernowitz
AT the other end OF the eastern front.
the German offensive against Dvinsk is
at last making some headway. The
German official communication says
that Field Marshal Won HindenburC ia
penetrating the Russian lines over
front OF about three miles Through
out the center the Russians are still
on the offensive
Champagne. the country over which
the French made their big gains late
In september, still Is the main district
of contention in the west The reports
are so contradictory. however, that IL
Is difhcult to ascertain what is actual
ly happening. The Germans admit that
the French have made slight progress.
but. on the whole, claim to have re-
pulsed the allied general offensive On
the other hand, the French declare that
1t is the German offensive which has
been repulsed.
The two official communications show
that the French have approached very
close to the Challerange- -Bazancourt
railway. which is their objective.
DISPATCHES FROM SOFIA
HELD UP ny CENsORS