The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-11-17
The WAR LAST week
REVIEWER DISCUSSES GERMAN
DRIVE IN THE BALKANS
ALLIES MUST Send Army

ALLIES MUST Send Army
New York Times Expert Says Ser
bian Army Faces Capture if Bull
garians and Teutons Can Unite
Sees no Prospect of Action in
Egypt.
The fall OF Nish on Sunday last
was followed by move OF the Bull
garians southwark from the noun
tain country north of the Nish-Sofia
railroad, in which the Bulgarian
troops crossed this road and took
secure possession. Thus the rail
communication with Constantinople
was secured. Thus, what was con-
sidered the main objective of the
Teuton allies in the Serbian cam
paign was achieved.
The Turks in Gallipoi can be re-
lieved, supplied with ammunition In
any quantity commensurate with
their needs, and the Gallipoui CAM
paign of the British turned into a
complete failure. And so it is uni
versally conceded to be. By no proc
ess of reasoning, not even by a
stretch of the Imagination, can it be
thought how this we'll conceived but
most thoroughly bungled movement
can row be success.
With Turkey cut off from the cen
tral empires by neutral states, and
therefore absolutely dependent for
steel on the output of her own am
munition plants, the allied troops
were held by the Turkish defense ao-
solutely in position. For months the
Allies had striven with every means
! in their power to break the line and
advance up the peninsula. But de-
spite every effort they were held in
place. What chance is there, then,
| for the movement to be successful
| now that, in addition to their former
strength, help has been added
| through direct communication with
the Teuton empires?
Before the line of the Danube was
opened by the occupation of north
| eastern Serbia, London was arguing
the advisability of abandoning the
entire GalIipoH operation. Now, with
both the Danube and the railroad
open, will the British, for the sake
Of a temporary sop to their pride,
continue an operation which is cost.
ing them heavily in men and money
and which must inevitably result in
failure, if not in disaster?
It does not seem possible. Serbia
at present is an extremely fertile
field for the work that the Allies
must do, and offers to the British an
excellent opportunity to regain IN
short order whatever prestige would
be lost in acknowledging defeat al
the hands Of Turkey.
AS pointing out last week, in
discussing this same phase in the
eastern situation, from Salonikl to
Gallipoli is but twenty hours, and
one hundred thousand British IN
Serbia are worth two hundred and
fifty thousand on the Gallipoh
peinsula. There are great and Sc
rious dangers in attempting a total
withdrawal of these forces. Sn fact,
it is extremely doubtful if the Brit
ish can let go altogether without
terrible losses.
Embarking large forces under at
tack must always be attended with
great difficulty. But the war vessels
of all the Allies-of Great Britain
of France, of Italy-are present II
great numbers and, if concentrated
could by their shell fire do much tc
simplify the problem of holding the
Turkish forces in check, while the
British made good their retreat tc
the coast and their embarkation.
It is not necessary, however, thai
the entire British army now on Gal
lipoli, numbering, we are told, in the
neighborhood of two hundred ano
fifty thousand men, should be with
drawn. A hundred and fifty thou
sand fighting purely defensive fight
uould probably be sufficient to hole
the present lines, or, in other words
to act as a covering force. The 9TH
ers could be sent to Serbia.
Very naturally, we have no advices
| in regard to what is being done OF
what is contemplated. Although the
British have of late been prone tc
air their troubles in ratl:cr public
atmosphere, they can still be close,
mouthed when it is necessary, and
is entirely probable that even as these
lines are being written a part OF the
Gallipoli troops arc being landed at
Saloniki.
Having opened the road to Con
stantinople, which, as has been stat
ed, we may presume was Germany
ostensible object in inaugu:1 ting the
Serbian campaign, the next problem
is to defend this line and keep II
open. This means that the Serbian
army, still numbering at least two
hundred thousand men, must be
headed off and either captured, Or.
by forcing a decisive battle, defeated
and rendered incapable Of threaten
ing the Berlin -Constantinopie route.
The present battle line resembles a
big question mark, the loop Of which
the Teutonic allies S:e trying to close
around the Serbian army. Practical
ly all of the railroad lines have been
taken, so that the Serbian movements
must be slow, while their lines OF
supply are poor.
The Teutons, however. have every
facility the country affcrds-llncs
parallel to their front, fair lateral
lines all running to bases which arc
near at hand. The advance during
| the week, however, has been insight
fcant. The only serio2s loss which
the Serbians have sustained has been
the fortified town of kraljcvo.
The Austrians have been able to
make no headwau against Monte
negro; the Bulgarians have made no
progress worry of ncte since Nish
fell. This may, of-course, be because
the Teutons, having taken possession
fthe Constantinople road, are con-
tent to hold it without endeavorlng