Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-11-03
Germans and Bugarians Should Smash On to Nish
Before Nov. IS, Expert Says; Blow to Allied Cause


which is invading Serbia from til!
north, aided by the Bulgarians, shoult
have captured Nish," declared higf
officer in the service of the United
States, one of the closest students o
tactics and strategy in this countr.
whose name, because of regulations
prohibiting open discussion of the wa
by American officers, cannot be used
"With Nish in the hands of the in
vaders they would be in possession o
direct railroad transportation from
Austria and Germany to the Darda
nelles. Germany and Austria ar
fighting for this Invaluable trunk lint
railroad rather than to crush Serbia
The only thing that can stop thu
invading Austro.Germans with theil
bulgarian allies is the sending Of {
large force at once to the assistance
of the Serbians. If newspaper re
ports are correct, the British ant
French troops now fighting for Serbia
are relatively few in number and are
operating largely along the lower
fringe of the country, near the border
line of Greece.
Need Allies Help Inland.
"While the Anglo-French may be
able to keep Bulgarian army busy
in the south and prevent it's cooper
alton with other forces Of King Ferdi
Eard and the Austro-Germans, WhaI
Serbia requires most vitality is large
force Of fully armed and equipped
men in the northern part of the coun
try, where her main army is in :
death struggle with the forces Of Fieli
Marshall Won Mackensen. Unless s
large force is sent inland by Grea
Britain and France the vitally import
ant trunk line railroad will very soOl
be in the hands of the invaders.
"The allies, however, are confront
ed with very serious obstacles. While
press reports indicate that France has
landed large force at Salonica ant
that the Bulgarians have been driver
out of Uskub, still II has been official
ly conceded that the Bulgarians, hay.
interrupted the operation of the Sal
onica-Nish railroad, making It impos
sible for England and France to NOV,
large bodies of troops northward ex
pedtiously. ~
IF the allies must send their army
overland it will require considerable
time. The country is rough and noun
famous. The mountains are much
more formidable than the average
map indicates. Modern highways are
not to be found
Nish Objective in Serbia. ..-
Should Greece decide to enter the
war on the side of the allies the
situation would be improved, but the
Greek army also would have to trave
overland so long as the Bulgarians
held the railroad south of Nish. Sc
far as Serbia is concerned, Nish un
questionably is the main objective o
the Austro-Germans. Nish is further
from Salonica than from Belgrade
and the Austro-Germans have made
considerable progress down the Nor
ava Valley, holding the railroad as
they come.
1.-THE Austro-Germans also have had
to overcome formidable natural OBJ
stacles to the progress of a large
army. The country in which they are
operating also is rough and mountain
GUS. The valley of the Morava river
is quite narrow and the mountains de
sidedly rugged The Serbians are
fighting for life and therefore desper
ately.
"The primary purpose Of Germany
and Austria, presumably, is to cut q
path through to the Dardanelles
While the Turks were able to feed
themselves. like the Serbians. they
had not the facilities for manufactur
ing arms and ammunition in the guam
titles required to mold back the land
and naval forces of the allies. Pres
sure on the Turks has been greatly
lessened by the allies in order to send
an army to the relief of the Serbians
and, if possible, prevent the Austro
Germans cutting their way through
Serbia.
Invasion Of Egypt Remote. ..
"The possibility that Germany will
make serious attempt to invade
Egypt or India. or to cripple the Suez
~oAAuA, 10 WY 1CAlOIS. Ill lAC uIS(
place, such far-distant campaigns
would be of doubtful military value
Germany, Austria and their allies
have neither men nor ammunition to
spare for campaigns or that character.
They cannot afford to indulge in mill
tary novelties at this stage Of the war.
They have put up a great fight, but
every blow must count more than
ever from now on.
There has been considerable dis
cussion in Europe about a possible in.
vasion of Egypt, and the capture of
the SueZ canal. It would require d
very considerable army 10 seize the
Suez canal. Germany and Austria
could have no good reason for de-
stroying this great commercial artery.
1t would be of assistance if they could
contro! it, preventing the shipment Of
foodstuffs from the far east to the
allies, as we'll as colonial troops. Such
a campaign by Austro-German troops,
however, is hardly in the realm of
SHOULD the Austro-Germans fail to
reach and capture Nish before the
British and French troops make a
junction with the struggling Serbians,
they will still be able to get through
Bulgaria to Turkish territory, and in
(COntinued on PAGE Seyen.) -