davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-30

Bigley, Jessie ...-......-...,.....-..... ESQ.
The appraisers In the matter OF
the Simon Goodman cutoff having
made their report and it having been
placed on file, the board now fixes
the time for hearing objections to
the proposed alteration at one o'clock
Monday, October 4, 1915, and the
place for said hearing at the court
house in Leon, Iowa, and directs
notices to be served in compliance
with law.
The board of supervisors proceed
ed to examine the report of the en-
gineer on drainage district No. i,
and finding it expedient, approved
the plans and profile and directed
the county auditor to cause notice
to be given as provided by law, fx-
ing the time for hearing at ono
O'Clock on the 25th day of October,
1915, at the court house in Leon,
Iowa.
The board adjourned to meet in
adjourned session, Monday, October
IA, 1915, at one o'clock p. m.
Attest,
WALTER OSBORN, Auditor.
H. L. NORTHRUP, Chairman.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-30
Wednesday, September Is, 1911

wednesday,, september 10, I51o.
Board met pursuant to adjourn
ment, members all present.
In the matter of the alteration in
the Leon-Garden Grove road known
as the Goodman Cutoff" the board
1were unable to agree with the owner
as to the amount of damages. APP
praisers were appointed by the au-
ditor as required by law.
On lnntinn the following claims
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-30
Tuesday, September IA, 1911!

Tuesday, September IA, 1915.
Board met pursuant to adjourn
ment. Members all present.
Board spent forenoon at the
county farm in their regular inspec-
ton.
In the afternoon the board took
ND the matter of the tax levies for
the year, 1915.
The following levies were made
and the county auditor was ordered
to spread the taxes for the year 1915,
on the tax lists of Decatur county
in accordance Herewith:
TAX table will be published next
week.
At five o'clock the board adjourn
ed to meet at eight o'clock Wednes-
day morning.
Attest,
WALTER OSBORN, Auditor.
H. L. NORTHRUP, Chairman.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-30
MASONIC DIRECTORY.

LEON CHAPTER No. 3S, r.. A. n.
Meets regularly End Wednesday
In each month. Transient brethren
cordially invited.
Francis Varga, w. A. Poush,
Sec. II. +.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-30
BOARD PROCEEDINGS.
Proceedings of the Board of Super.
visors of Decatur County, Iowa.
Scptember Session. 1915.

Monday, September IS, 1915
Board met in regular session
members all present. Spent after
noon considering roads. At fiv'
o'clock board adjourned to meet a
eight o'clock Tuesday morning.
Attest,
WALTER OSBORN, Auditor.
H, l.. NORTHRUP, Chairman.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-30

lUNIIED STAT Ed OC AM
STATE OF IOWA, COUNTY OF DE-
CATUR.
FUNDING BOND.
The county of Decatur, in the
State of Iowa, for value received,
promises to pay to bearer FIVE
HUNDRED DOLLARS, lawful money
of the United States of America, on
the first day of September, 10, to-
gether with interest on said sum
from the date hereof until paid, at
the rate of five percentum per an
mum, payable semi-annually on the
first days of March and September
in each year, upon presentation and
surrender of the interest coupons
hereto attached, as they severally
become due. Both principal and In
|terest Of this bond are hereby made
payable at the Banking House OF
(Geo. NJ. Bechtel & Company, in the
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-30
J. e. BRITAIN, n. D.
Physician and Surgeon.
Decatur CITY, Iowa.
:alls answered promptly night or day

DIR. q. 81. MITCHELL
Surgery and Obstetrics . Specially.
Harvey block. Leon. Iowa. Phone
-. All calls answered day Or night.
Hours 2 to 1 p. m. and Z TO 3 %
saturday.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-30

LEON CHAPTER No. 352 o. e. 8.
Meets regularly End Monday each
month. Visiting members cordially
Invited.
Mrs. A. P. Olsen, w. N.
Mrs. Marion Woodard, Sec.
Evening star., 1915-11-08
History Made Rapidly.

Thereafter incidents followed thick
and fast Serbia was and is wholly
agricultural: its prosperity depended
upon its finding in Austria market for
it's swine and fruits. In an effort to
bring the little state to heel Austria
again and again closed its frontier to
Serhian's exports. thus precipitating the
notorious pig wars" But despite this
pressure the new king, Peter, Russian in
sympathy and French by training,
stuck to the task of liberating Serbia
and giving her a real army
In 1908, at the outbreak of the young
Turkish revolution, Austria annexed
Bosnia and Herzegovina, old Turk
provinces, which had belonged to the
Serbia of Dashan and were peopled
by Serbs. To Russian protest Germany,
as well as Austria. replied, and Russia
WAS compelled to yield. Serbia thus
saw the future she had cherished the
dream of restored Serb empire, de-
stroyed.
Her revenge came four years later
when. under Russian guidance, there
was formed the Balkan alliance which
ended in the first Balkan war In this
war Serbian troops overran old Serbia
and Macedonia, Uskup, Prizrcnd. Mon
astir Prilip and Puprili were captured.
In Albania Serbian armies reached
Durazzo and Montenegrin troops en-
tered Scutari
Evening star., 1915-11-08
Secret Treaty With Bulgars.

When 1t came time to make peace,
however. Austria again intervened
Bulgaria and Serbia had divided the
Turk provinces In a secret treaty: to
Serbia was to fall northern Macedonia
west of a line drawn from Lake Ochrida
10 Egri Palanka, together with Albania
north Of the Skumbi river. Thus Ser
bia to acquire a window on the
sea, which meant independence of the
Austrian market. But Austria said that
Albania should not be annexed. and
Serbia, disappointed here, insisted upon
holding Macedonia west of the Vardar,
which would give her access through
Saloniki TO the Aegean; with Greece she
had a bargain enabling her to use tho
railroad over Greek territory from
Guevgheli to Saloniki
Bulgaria declined TO make the nee
essary sacrifice, acting under Austrian
influence, and the second Balkan war
followed In this Bulgaria was beaten,
| lost all of northern Macedonia to Serbia
save the Strumnitza circle and to
Greece surrendered kavafA and Drama.
| Serbia thus became "A considerable state,
with an exit to the world, acquired
| economic independence, but also earned
| the permanent hostility of both Austria
and Bulgaria In taking Macedonia she
| had annexed not less than half a mil
| lion Bulgars and near half as many AL
| banians. Bulgaria was certain to take
tho first chance to recover her lost
provinces and people.
Became Peril to Austria.
| As for Austria, Serbia had now be-
Evening star., 1915-11-08
OUTPUT OF COTTON GINS
SHOWN BY THE REPORTS
Fourth Exhibit of Growth of 1915
Totals 7,3S4,S71 Bales Prior
to November 1.

The fourth cotton ginning repo.t of the
season. compiled from reports of census
bureau correspondents and agents
throughout the cotton belt and issued to-
day, announced that 7,3S4,S71 bales of
cotton counting round as half bales, of
the growth of 1915, has been ginned prior
to November l. That compares with
,9,S26.912 bales or els per cent of the
entire crop, ginned prior TO November l
last year: S.S30.396 bales, or 63.2 per
cent in 1913. and S,S69,222 bales, or 65.S
per cent in 1912. The average quantity
of cotton ginned prior to November / in
the past ten years was 1,954,534 bales.
or 62 per cent of the crop.
Included in the ginnings We're 69,204
round bales, compared with 23,1S2 last
year 61.577 in 1913 and 54,539 in 1912.
Sea Island cotton included numbered
55.35S bales, compared with 43,115 last
wear. 42SOA in 1913 and 2S,SS7 in 1912.
Ginnings by States.
Ginnings by states-Alabama, 121.36S
bales: Arkansas. 444 ,90S bales: Florida,
4o,3S9 bales; Georgia, 1,431,290 bales
Louisiana, 272379 bales Mississippi.
5S4,O69 bales North Carolina 4oS,Oo6
Evening star., 1915-11-08
Doom of Balkan Races.

In the meantime the eastern question
had come to plague Europe and doom
the little Balkan races. Russia and
Austria were patent and frank rivals
for the estate of the Turk. In the sit
uation Bulgaria became the soldier of
the Romanoffs. Serbia of the Hapsburgs.
This situation endured for many years.
il caused a war between Bulgaria and
Serbia in 1855. which ended in Serbian
disaster at SlivnitZa. Bulgaria and
Serbia were, henceforth. rivals for the
possession of Macedonia, and a third
rival was found in Greece, whose am
bitions found sympathy in Paris and
IN London.
1t was not until 1903 that the Serbian
position in the Balkans underwent any
substantial change. But in this year.
memorable in Balkan history as the
first long step toward the great trag
edy, the King and Queen of Serbia were
assa ssinated in the palace at Belgrade
by officers of the Serb army. The trag-
edy was sordid, and in its details brutal
beyond words. 1t Mortified Europe, and
for years obscured the fact in Serbia.
Yet this fact presently became patent.
The king and queen had been killed be-
cause they were tools and mere hired
servants of Austria, and the killing was
the first step in freeing Serbia from
trIGt trig M.
Evening star., 1915-11-08

AS to German purpose, that is in part
plain. 1t was essential to open road
promptly to the Turkish ally, who was
suffering from lack of munitions. One
road was opened when the Serbs We're
driven out of the corner of their coun-
try touching the Danube and command =
ing that stream. This opened the river
and supplies and ammunition We're
promptly dispatched by boat But 1t
was necessary, in addition, to get a
more satisfactory route removed from
Rumanian interference. This road viii
be had when the German and Bulgar
armies meet a NiSh.
There remains the possibility of the
development and destruction OF the
Serb army. Doubtless the Germans
and Austrians will do their best to ac-
complish this. The complete subju-
cation of Serbia would be extremely
welcome to Austria. who might either
deVastate the country completely, thus
removing a peril for many years. or
else. as has been suggested, partition it,
taking the western half and giving the
eastern TO Bulgaria. Finally, there is
the opportunity to attack the allled
army and drive it out OF Macedonia
and conceivably out of the Balkans.
The fate of Sir John Moore's army in
Spain will be recalled, and an eVacua-
ton of Saloniki might be as Spectacu-
lar and impressive as that of Corunna
more than a century ago.
on the other hand, the Germans, nav
ing opened the railroad and river
routes. may content themselves with
taking a defensive position south OF
these lines and leave il to the Bulgars
to deal with the Serbs and their allies.
This is wholly possible. for the coun :
try in Macedonia is hardly suitable for
offensive fighting. The winter season
makes operations difficult and Germany
may prefer to make her attack on Eng
land in Egypt. In other words, she may
content herself with having opened the
road to Constantinople and let the
complete conquest of Serbia go by the
board for the present.
In any event, German success IN the
main purpose of opening the road can
no longer be doubted. This speiis the
complete failure of the British cam
paign at the Dardanelles and will prop
ably lead to prompt evacuation OF 'he
positions on the Gallipoli peninsula.
Evening star., 1915-11-08
The Geographical Aspect.

TURNING. now to the seogra phical aspect: :
Serbia is a country of about 35.o"o square
miles, almost exactly the size of Indiana
with a population Of 4,5oo,ooo. 1t is fairly
regular in outline, some 1G0 miles broad
from east to west and a tritie more than
80 miles long from Belgrade to Monastir
1t is a country with II" large cities, Wnoiiy
agricultural, y country OF small holuihSS
like France, a pure democracy. with no
considerable bourgeois element ana no
nobility.
Its geography, so far as it is inter
estng from the military point OF view.
may be set forth simply by comparing
the country to long narrow mouse
facing north upon the Danube
Through this house. from north 10
south, runs a wide corridor, rather
nearer the eastern or Bulgarian sloe'
which leads up the MoTdVa ana down
the Vardar valley and connects Bel
grade with Salonilii, fifty miles south of
the Greek frontier. From time lmme-
mortal this corrider has been the route
of armies and of commerce between the
Danube and the Aegean.
The other essential feature, from a
military standpoint. is a second corri-
dor running at right angles to the hrst
and extending from the BOSNIAN IRON
tier to the Bulgarian. The two CORR
dors lntersect near the city OF Nish'
which in Roman times was great I'M
perial city. Coming south along the
first frontier. from belgrade to Nish. is
the main line of the Orient railway.
At NiSh it forks. one branch goes east
toward Bulgaria and through Bulgaria
to Constantinople- along the eastern
half OF the Bosnan-Bulgar corridor;
the other continues south along the
Serbo Greek corridor to Salonikl. just
north of Nish another railroad goes
west along the Eosnian-Bulgar c4rri-
dor to Uzhitze, just east of the Bos-
nian frontier Across the frontier at
Vishegrad begins an Austrian lhe
leading to Seraievo, where il meets the
main Austrian railway lines.
Evening star., 1915-11-08
Serbia's Road to Safety.

Laying aside for the moment the pos
sbility that the allies may be able to
get up in time to check and throw
back the Bulgars, who are about
Eskub, there is only one read to safety
left to the Serbians, and that is south
along the valley Of the Ibar, which
comes north into the Bosnia Bulgar
corridor from Montenegro. BY this val
ley the Serbs can, if they retreat be-
fore the Austrians and Bulgars meet
get back into the mountains OF Mon
tenegro. Once there they can, unques-
tionably make a prolonged resistance
resorting to guerrilla warfare in a coun-
try of mountains snoW-covered al
ready and lacking In roads and rail-
roads.
Through Montenegrin ports and through
the northern end of Albania. which the
Montenegrins have occupied, the Serbs
can draw supplies from Italy and the
allies by Antivari and DuraZZo But
from Antivari the route lies through
high mountains and over mere track 8,
while the harbor itself is small and
exposed to raids by Austrian warships.
AS for the DuraZZo route. the hostility
of the Albanians makes this DANGER
Gus highway, and it is useless unless
the Serbs can hold Prisrend and the
country north of Jskub.
Conccivably, the Serbs will be able to
Evening star., 1915-11-08
A Minor Phase of War.

In closing this review it is necessary
to remind the reader that, despite all
recent impressions to the contrary, thls
Serbian campaign is a minor phase OF
a great war. 1t is incomparably less
important than Napoleon's Spanish
campaign, and in this case the part OF
the French is being played by the
Germans.
In the end the Napoleonic wars were
decided not in the peninsula, but IN
Germany and Belgium and Russia.
There is no reason to question the
prospect that the decision Will be mad
in the same places this time.
Germany has already rescued an ally
and enlisted another. But neither IS
considerable nor capable OF detachlng
any strong force to send to France or
Poland.
1t is entirely possible that Germany
will be able to organize an expeditlon
to attack Egypt and the Anglo o-French
armies will be recalled to face this
thrust. But it is equally possible that.
as happened in Napoleon's case, the
pressure in the important field OF oper-
ations will compel Germany to recall
troops and the first sign of weakness
in the Balkans will be as fatal as 1t
was in Spain. AS for Bulgaria, she
has frankly made a speculation. She
will change when there is profit, as
the Rhine states changed when Ma
poleon began to weaken
At most, the allies have lost cam
paign in minor field. They have
failed to relieve Russia by opening the
Dardanelles: they have been powerless
TO save Serbia from disaster and pos
sibly from the fate of Belgium. But
up to the present moment they have
lost but few troops in Serbia, as com
pared with exceedingly heavy losses by
the Germans and Austrians. They have
lost prestige, and probably there is
no longer any possibility that Greece
or Rumania will join them but 1t is
idle to attach to this reverse the i'm
portance that is attached in many
quarters. Its effect upon the war. from
a military point of view. can be only
insignificant and It's political effect
seems already to have been discounted
Evening star., 1915-11-08
Military Aspect of Situation

Now, in a military sense, these two
corridors. the Serbo- Greek and the
Bosnian -Bulgar, are all that is of vital
;mportance to understanding the mill
tarv operations The purpose Of the
Austro o-CiermanS is to open ROAD from
the Danube through Nish to bulgaria
All that is necessary for them TO 90
is to push south along the first coffi-
dor to Nish and then turn east along
the second toward Bulgaria. The main
object of the Bulgars is to push west
along the Bulgar- Bosnian corridor
until they meet the Austro- Germans
coming south.
But the Bulgars have a second pur-
pose and a second mission. They de-
sire to reconquer Macedonia is soon as
possible and to prevent the arrival of
AngIo-French aid to the Serbs. TINS
aid is coming north along the Serbo-
| Greek corridor toward Nish. but is still
a long way from the city and cannot
possibly reach the town before 1t
falls to the Bulgars Accordingly,
they have struck across the mountains
from their own country and entered
the Serbo-Greek corridor, halfway be-
tween Nish and the Greek frontier,
taken the city of Jskub and the town
of Kumanovo, where the Serbs won
their great victory over the Turks
in the first Balkan war
Meanwhile an Austrian army, COM
ing east from ibOS!iid, has tl OSStd tiiI
Drina, near NiShegrad and is entering
the Bulgar-Bosnia corridor. striking
for Uzhitze, the western end of the
Nish-UIhitze railroad. at the same
time the main German force is descend
ing the Serbo-Cireek corridor from Bel
grade and the Danube on a wide front
and has taken Kraguivetz and is ap-
preaching the junction of the two cor
ridors just north of Nish.
Now, to use another figure, the Ser
bian forces are in obvious peril of
being caught in huge net, one end
of which is carried by the Austrians
advancing from Fishe2rad; the other
by the Bulgars, who have passed Us
kub and are pushing west to join
hands with the Austrians. The rest
OF the net is carried by the Germans
coming south along the Serbo- Gree k
corridor and the Bulgars coming west
along the Bosnian-Buigar corridor.
Evening star., 1915-11-08
italian Deputies Meet December l

ROME. November S.-The chamber OF
deputies will assemble December !. The
session is expected to last for week.
The chamber probably will extend to
the government for a further period
full powers to carry on the war.
Evening star., 1915-11-08
Subscription to Austrian Loan.

VIENNA, November 7, via London,
November Sit is officially announced
that subscriptions to the third Austrian
war loan exceed to date 100000, 900
crowns (s75, ,000, 0,000).
Evening star., 1915-11-08
Allied Possibilities.

1t is necessary. also, now to con-
slider what the allies may be able to
do. The maximum of possibility is
obviously push north to Uskub,
which will clear the Serbo-Greek cor
rdor as far north as kumanovo. This
will open the railroad from Saloniki
to Eskub: it will also clear the rail-
road running from Uskub northwest
to Mtrovitza-thar is, to the valley
of the Ibar up which the Serbs must
retire if they are able to escape en-
velopment. 1t will break one arm Of
the net.
If the allies can clear these two
railroads. then they can steadily In
crease their forces in Macedonia, until!
they are able to take the offensive
against the Germans and Austrians to
the north and menace the Belgrade
Nish- h-Constantinople railroad. The safe
ty of the Serbian army Will be assured,
but its position Will unpleasantly sug-
gest that of the Belgians, clinging to a
tiny fragment of their territory in
Flanders.
A second effect of allied success to
this limited extent would be the de-
struction of Bulgarian hopes of gain
ing Macedonia. They would, to be
sure, hold that portion of Serbian Mace
donia east of the Nardar valley, but
this would be a small reward for their
efforts and was offered to them as the
price of their neutrality by Serbia. Con-
ceivably. the failure of Bulsar hopes
would fan discomfort at home and lead
to a revolt against the Turco-German
alliance.
But it is equally necessary to recog-
niZe that the allies may not be able to
get up in time to join hands with the
Serbs and the Serbians Will either be
enveIoped and destroyed or driven west
into the Montenegrin mountains. TINS
would leave the allies to bear the whole
brunt of an Austro-Gernlan-B gar
thrust down the Vardar valley and
might end in their retreat into Greece.
It is the possibility Of this which
seems to have dictated the caution
which is being displayed in the allied
advance. The situation in the near
east, from the allied point of view. is
certainly bad enough without new
and real military disaster.
In the next few days the important
thing to watch from the allied side is
the success or failure of the Anglo
French force in breaking the wedge
that the Bulgars have driven in be-
tween them and the Serbs between
Tslub and kuprili. If the wedge is
not broken then, even If the Serb
army escapes, it will be flung into the
mountains, where it may be destroyed
Evening star., 1915-11-08

bales; Oklahoma, 17l,o29 bales: South
Carolina, 712,4S1 bales Tennessee, 146,-
$50 bales. and Texas, 2.345,566 bales. All
other states. 40.26I bales.
Evening star., 1915-11-08
The Allies in Macedonia.

1t remains now to consider the allied
intervention. The immediate objective
of the French troops. which were land
ed at Salonikj. was to cover the lower
end of the Serbo-Cireek corridor. at
point west of Strumnitza, where the
Bulear frontier is but ten miles away
from the railroad. This seems to have
been done successfully and the French
reinforced by the British, have pushed
north along the railroad to a point a
little southwest of the town of lstip,
which is occupied by Bulgars. Rough
ly speaking. they have covered half
the distance from the Greek frontier to
USkuh.
Contrary to the general expectation
Of the non-Inilitary Observers. this
force has not yet November y been
able to push on straight to tskub, be-
cause ii has been confronted with
growing Bulgar forces pushing east
from Strumnitza and south from kup-
rili In point of fact. the French and
British. rapidly as they have been
detrained. seemed to have faced east
and undertaken to guard the railroad
from Bulgar attacks.
Meantime a small Serbian force oc-
cupyinS kuprili, which is more COM
monty called Neles in the dispatches
has been driven out. has retaken and
lost the town. AS it now stands, the
Eulsars have a wedge between the
aAleS ana Cskub. which reSts on
Kuprili, forty miles to the south of
Tskub. The allies themselves are at
least twenty miles south of this point
and in recent days seem to have made
little progress.
What seems to be true is that, de-
spite the magnificent promises, the
allies have failed as yet to get any
considerable number of troops into
Macedonia, the first troops having been
hastily Withdrawn from the Gallipoli
operations Such troops as have ar
rived seem to have been insufficient to
and Il force strong enough to make a
dash for Uskub. There is in all this
mournfuI suggestion of what happened
in Belgium, and the appeals of the
Serbs and their pathetic eagerness to
learn the whereabouts of the Anglo
French troops recall the similar Bel
Gian anxiety over reinforcements that
never arrived.