Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1915-12-02
ORIENT RAILWAY
VITAL WAR FACTOR
Allies Attempting to Smash
the 400 Mile Line.
CONNECTS TWO BIG CITIES.

'oo wives an opportunity
OF Sending Aid to Turkey-Three
Armies Now Guarding Route, bu.
French and British Prepare.
In the campaign just opened in the
Balkans much interest will center
around the Orient railway which the
Ieutonic armies are trying to reach
and hold as part of an unobstructed
route from Vienna to Constantinople.
Nish is the objective Of the Austro.
hungarian army, for from that point
the Orient railway runs 400 miles
down to Constantinople. Teutonic pos
session of that line will not only bring
aid to the Turks, but will also enable
Germany to plant her foot on the
Levant; not only cut off Russia from
the Mediterranean, but imperil Egypt
and the British highway to India.
Three Teutonic armies, comprising
100000 to 100000 men, are invading
Servia from the north, the northwest
and the west. At the same time the
Bulgarians will attempt to open the
way to Nish from their territory.
The nearest approach to Nish for
the Austro-German forces is from the
west, along the Morava, a distance of
12o miles. The way from the north
west is longer and more difficult, and
that from the north is exceedingly diff
ficult. as the Austrians found last au-
tumn. From the Bulgarian side Nish
may be reached from the northeast by
the railway which comes from Rou-
mania via Zaiecas, a distance of fifty
miles, and from the southeast over the
orient railway, a distance of forty
miles. Sofia, on the same line, is about
the same distance from the frontier on
the Bulgarian side.
To Use Heaviest Artillery.
1t is believed that the Tcutonic ar
mics will attempt to blast their way to
Nish with the most formidable artil-
lery in their possession. The Bulgari-
ans, while not possessing such heavy
artillery. have a strategic ADVANTAGE.
which in the middle ages was success
fully employed by the Turks. The
Ieutonlc armies are obliged to mount
stairs, as it were, while all the Bull
garians have to do is to descend.
In 1880 Il Bulgarian army in a short
campaign defeated q superior Servian
force and was only prevented from in
Vadln% Servia by the Intervention of
Austria-Hungary. Then Bulgaria was
ltussIa,s protege and Servia was Aus
trlaS. Now the situation is reversed.
If Bulgaria, acting with the Teutonic
armies. were now free and unhamper-
ed there could be little doubt as to the
outcome-Servia would be crushed as
between two millstones. But Bulgaria
is not free and unhampered. She has
the aid Of the Turks in the southeast,
but she cannot count on the neutrality
or Greece or ROumania. and will have
to face a Franco-British force and pos
sibly Russian and Italian forces. if
ltussia's bombardment of Varna on
the Black sea and the declaration Of
the Rome ministry indicate an initia-
tive.
Aside from a possible attempt to in
wade Servia, Bulgaria is likely to CON
tent herself with a defensive campaign,
with the object of keeping open the
part of the Orient railway running
through her territory in expectation of
an Austro-German victory at Nish. 1t
will therefore be the object of the allies
to smash their line and to divert the
Bulgarian and Turkish troops from pro-
tccting it.
On the Black sea coast Of Bulgaria
there are only two points, attack on
which may force this diversion-Varna
and Burgas. South of the latter port
as far as the Chatalja lines, defending
Constantinople, there are no means of
penetrating the interior from the coast.
The Attack on Aegean Coast.
On he Aegean coast only Dedeag-
hatch is vulnerable. This may be at
tackled by sea or from the coastal rail-
way, which runs to it from Saloniki,
l75 miles west. From Dedeaghatch Il
railway runs northward until it links
up with the Orient railway just south
OF kuleli Burgas. From that point the
oAAShS t1'"dS VI lllOuSu lOWluluS
eastward to Constantinople, at dis
tances ten to fifty miles from the sea
Of Marmora.
The allies already have a military
base at Enos, on the gulf of Enos. op-
posite Dedeaghatch, captured on April
p, but marshes separate this Turkish
port from the Bulgarian city, and no
highway leads through the marshes in
the direction Of the Orient railway,
only fifty-five miles away.
On the $50 miles of the Orient rail-
railway, between Sofia and CONSTANT
nople, there are only three points of
attack-from Burgas on the east, from
Dedeaghatch on the south and from
the Servian frontier in the northwest.
The last presents the same difficulties
as does the route Of the Teutonic ar
mics to Nish. AS these points are
wide apart their number is Of little
advantage to the allies, who can hard
ly have large numbers OF troops at
l thnss ~