Evening star., 1915-12-19

ing
tier post, it had opened communication
with the Germans along the DANUBE
and it was approaching Nish.
second Bulgarian army was doing
south OF Sofia, at the railhead of Kus-
tendil. just inside the Bulgar frontier,
and, war having been declared. had
stepped over the mountains. pushed
the plain near Kumanova. the battle
ground which had seen the great Serb
victory over the Turk in the first Bal
kan war, thence it had turned south.
and was now pushing still further
west, up the branch line to Kossovo. to
cut off the retreat of the Serbs.
The race was thus won by the Bull
gars, and it was won before the allies
had made real start toward Uskub.
II the Bulgarians could keep that cork
in the neck of the bottle. which their
second army constituted, then the Serbs
were lost, 1t remained to be seen
extracting this cork by driving the
second Bulgarian army out of Uskub.
They had lost the race to the city. but
the campaign was still undecided.
Unfortunately the Bulgars were able
to find men for a third operation. A
strong force coming in two divisions.
the first from Strumnitza by the Stru-
ma valley and the second from Istip
and the Bregalnitza, across the battle-
field, where the Buigars had been de-
feated by the Serbs in the second Bal
kan war and lost Macedonia, began to
press heavily upon the allies. advanc-
ing up the Vardar valley. The result
was that the French and British, hav-
ing only very small forces. were pinned
down: that is. they were obliged to
stand and fight to protect their line Of
communication with the south, and
surplus Of troops to push north.
The Last Hope Goes.
1t was now clear that the Anglo
French forces would not get to Uskub
In time. There remained one hope of
insuring a junction between the re-
treating Serbs and the allies. There
was open to the Serbs a road through
Albania, leaving Serb territory at
Ilsrend, following the Drin valley to
the frontier at Dibra and then turning
Monastir. If they could get south
along this line they might Join the
allies and hold Monastir and the valley
But the BuIgars were aware Of tbi.
Possibility and were taking steps to
abolish it. From Veles, south of Uskuh,
the extreme point reached by French
passois; pass sisag good road goes over Babuna
TINS road the Bulgarians were now
s,sriving 81, to push south to anticipate
the Serbs. They had in front of them
only few thousand Serbs, outnum-
oered and outgunned.
Again there was a pretty race Fror,
.ne French position at the mouth Of
tne Cerna, marked on the maps by the
rosd rown Or OF %kriviolak. there is mountain
tbha tbis ro.d ~n1ch m goes = west to Prilip. BY
ailles. and II they could get reinforce-
ments and artillery across in tfme the
Bulgars might be held up at Babuna
The French troops were rushed wes,
tney did arrive on the very outskirts
or Prilip, only to find that again thew
nad come a few hours too late; the
Serbs had been driven out of Babuna
pass. suffering. defeat as the Turks had
been defeated by the Serbs on the same
lnes IN the first Balkan war. The
tate of Monastir was now settled
There was no longer any chance of a
junction between the Serbs and the
reached the Albanian coast and were
possibility.
All this having been decided, the
order into Montenegro and Albania.
The French for their part recalled their
troops from the environs of Prilip and
Veles. and slowly moved south along
the Vardar valley toward the Greek
frontier, haltfng temporarily at the
Demirkapu pass There was no longer
any object in holding the Cerna front.
since they had lost the race and their
numbers were still too small to hold
back the ever-increasing Bulgarian
Confronted by New Perils.
Meantime. new perils were threaten
ing the unlucky allied expeditionary
army. In their rear the main Greek
army, which had mobilized as the al
lied forces were landing. had been con-
centrated at Saloniki. This army num-
bered at the least 100000, while almost
as many more troops were stationed
along the Bulgarian frontier. Greek
official hostility was daily becoming
accentuated. German officers were re-
ported in Athens, and there was a
possibility that the Greeks might at
any time cut off the allied retreat to
Saloniki.
there would presently come from the
north a new storm. The Austrian and
German press had declared the Serb
ian campaign to be ended; this meant
contain the beaten Serbs at mouths of
the passes in the mountains. and the
balance would soon be available for
an attack upon the Anglo-French ,
force.
The allies were thus faced with three
distinct attacks. in addition to the
menace constituted by the Greek army
in their rear. Down the Vardar valley. |
following the Nish railroad from
Uskub, an army was advancing and |
pressing heavily upon the French at
Demir Kapu. At Monastfr an Austrian |
army was collecting and advancing |
toward the Greek frontier. just south (;
of this Macedonian town. By follow |
ng the Monastir-Sa -Saloniki railroad this |
army could interpose between Saloniki !
and the allies, following in the last |
portion of their advance the route OF |
The victorious Greeks in the first Bal
Kan war In the carrier campaign King |
having routed the Turks !
at Yeuitsa- -Vardar. forced the river |
crossing and closed in on the city.
Again, the Bulgarians were pushing
another force. strengthened by Ger
mans, down the Struma valley through
kresna pass, along the road which the |
Greeks had followed in the second wa-
lfter their victory at Kilkis East of
he town of Strumnitza this road meets
he Dedeagatch railroad coming west
o Saloniki, and along this the Bulgars
Ind their Gergatch railroad coming
vest to Saloniki. drawing supplies
llong this railroad from Bulgar and
Turkish bases beyond the Mesta. that
8, from Adrianople and Mustapha Pasha.
In a Tight Place. i
The allied force then was-and ID. for