The Detroit times., 1915-12-14
Press Agents of Tiny
Powers Bask in Glow
of Limelight
.SALONIKA NOW
is BUSY PORT
Great Ships Fill Har.
Dor, Allied Troops
Fill Streets
nv wILJIAM q sHEPHERD.

BY WILLIAM G.. SHEPHERD.
| (gtdT CorrespondeIf United Press.l
sALONICA, Nov. t.-tBy Mail.}-
Here's the World War news center
AT last the stormy little Balkans
have come into the worlds eye.
Correspondents from all corners
OF what used 10 be civilization nock
here to be near the great German
push 400 mites north of us.
There are other lesser correspond
enis hanging around the hotels OF
Salonica. mostly queerly dressed
chaps with queer habits and man
ners, newspaper men from European
countries who have spent their lives
In the BALKANS try ing to get the busy
world. interested in their little AZ
fairs; men who have lived In queer
Balkan cities and have dashed mad
iy 10 the Balkan telegraph offices
In times past with news items which
hey themselves thought tremendous
" important 5nt which were honor
ed with tiny headliaes in the news
papers OF the world.
These Balkan-fan journalists knew
that some day the Balkans would ex
plode. The day has come. The ex
plosion has occurred.
At last the feet OF European
armies are pounding the Balkan
highways; European cannon. ma
chine guns and rifles sound through
the Balkan bills and European
spades eat trenches in the Balkan
soil.
In sue Olympus Palace hotel. on
the water front, gathered around the
tiny tables IA the cafes. are the
officers of the British, French. Rus.
gian and Greek armies, melange
Of color and language. And these
Balkan journa,ists--English. French
| and Italian-caatter gaily. wisely OF
the great day which has come al
last. -
Salonica harhcr Is filed with zrea
boats, wsrships torpedo boats. hos
pItal ships. aaa two or three boat.
which have huge American fag'
painted on their sides ana which are
making small fortune for their own
ors running rhe submarine gauntlet
with supplies for the Ballan Allies
| That busy harbor OF Itself Is
enough TO delight the soul Of the
Balkan Journalist. But las. evening,
inst al rundown. came the climax
OF his excitement Az aeroplane was
scoring over the bay OF Salonica.
Behind IL. across the harbor. loom-
ed Mount Olympus. where the old
Greek gods use,i to live and cut their
caDers.
Just To Gee an Eeroplane with
olympus. which has been peaceful
and quiet eve' since the gods died.
as background. was enough to
prove to the Balkan experts that the
great day really had come at last.
To top II OF. the engine Of the
aer0piape weakened in its stroke. the
machine came nearer anG nearer 10
the water. II had wheels instead
II boats beneath It's planes and when
Its Momentum vas gone and IL came
TO the surface Of the bay, II dug its
nose Il or - Teet into the water.
pilct and all, and then stood on end
with its tail IN the air
Here was i catastrophe OF the
world war. right at the foot OF
Olympus. The Balkan experts watch
ed the ayiato-s come to the surface.
climb into the half sunken planes
and wait for three tug boats in the
harbor To rush TO the rescue.
Then they went hack to the Oiym-
pus Palace cate where the French
old timers in the balkans ordered
absirthe--which one cannot buy in
Paris--and the others ordered whis
Ky anr soda. ever which they fresh
ed out the whole problem Of the val
ue Of aesor'aBe6 i'm Balkan warfare
happy n, last 10 be able to say:
"The eyes of the orld are not ol
the French front or on tie Russial
| front. They are on the Balkans. a
If have always said they would be
and here the world war will b
threshed out"