New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-17
The Second Phase in Serbia.

crisis. The first was concluded Wheh Iii'
Serbs were driven west and south OF the
Orient Railway from Belgrade to the bui
garian frontier This opened the way
once the railroad was repaired, for Ger
man munitions and supplies to go to Con-
stantinople. Pending the reconstruction
Of the railway the Danube was avaiiaDie
and has been used for transport.
The second phase is supplied by the sue
cess of the Serbian armies, so far, IN es-
Gaping destruction and by the effort OF the
Anglo-French forces to join hands with
them ard enable them to escape south into
Macedonia. The parallel with Belgium is
fairly complete. The Allies were unable
10 reinforce Belgium and the defeated
Belgians fell back upon Antwerp. With
Allied assistance they subsequently sue
ceeded in getting out of Antwerp and
reaching the User. For the Serbs the
problem is the same.
To grasp the military situation a single
figure suffices Serbia is in shape much
like an hour glass, the upper half being
Old Serbia, the lower Macedonia. The
narrow neck is at Uskub. Here Serbia
is less than a hundred miles wide, and be-
cause of the mountains all roads from
north to south converge in the neck OF the
glass. which is the Vardar Valley.
The only possible way in which the Ser
bians can get get south to the Allies is
through this narrow neck, barely dozen
miles wide. To-day the Serbians are In
the upper half of the hour glass, the Allies
in the lower and the Bulgarians have
seized the Uskub neck and have held 1t for
more than two weeks.
Now the Allied armies, starting from
Salonica, were upward Of $50 miles from
Uskub. The first sixty miles they had to
cover were in Greek territory and they
met with no opposition. But once across
the Serb boundary they encountered Bull
garian troops, which had crossed the
mountains from StrumnitZa and were IN
the Vardar Valley, the main corridor OF
Macedonia, which runs north and south
from Salonica to Uskub.
Three things the Allies had to do-they
had to push the Bulgars back off the
Orient Railway in the Vardar Valley; they
had to intrench themselves to protect the
line against further attacks; they had tc
push north to Uskub to open the neck OF
the hour glass. In addition time was Of
utmost value, because they must, to be
successful, get to Uskub before the mair
German army came laundering down from
Nish.
Now, after three weeks the British anC
French have covered something more thar
half Of the distance TO Uskub. They have
passed Krivolak and approached Veles
known also as Kuprili. In throwing thu
Bulgars back from the railroad and tow
ard the east they have been uniforml,
successful.
On the other hand, as they pushed nortl
they have been opposed by larger and larg
|. er Bulgar forces, which have come ives
over the mountains from the Bulgars' rail
road at Kustendil and passed through
Kumanovo and Uskub and passed south o
Veles. At the same time the Bulgars hav
sent two forces over other roads, one lead
ing from Uskub into the plain Of Monasti
and the other by Veles in the same direc
ton.
Both of these forces have been checke
by Serbian troops fighting in the noun
tains north and east Of Monastir. thir
Bulgar force has pushed northwest iron
Uskub, seeking TO work straight acros
Serbia to Albania, cut the country in tw
and join hands with the Albanians abou
Prisrend. Such a movement, if success
full, would close the Serbian line Of retrea
into Albania and back upon the Adriatit
where it could be supplied by Italian ant
British ships at Durazzo and Valona. Thi
drive has also been temporarily checked
at the gorge of Kachanik, thirty mile
northwest Of Uskub.
Roughly speaking. the present situation
10 this: The Germans and Austrians ar,
steadily driving the Serbs south into tn,
neck OF the hour glass The Bugars ar,
holding this neck and at the same tim,
checking an Allied advance north which
aims at clearing the Bulgars out of tn.
neck. The Serb problem is comprehende,
IN the race between the Allies and the Ger
mans, the former TO open retreat for tn
Serbs, the latter TO crush the Serbs Will
the Bulgars hold fast.
Holding Uskub, the Bulgars comman
the only route by which the Allies coul
reinforce or supply the Serbs. They hol
the main line of Serb retreat. Unless tn
hold can be broken the Serb army vii
have TO break up and take refuge in tn
Aontenegrin mountains, which lack road
and constitute a natural stronghold, bu
once there the Serbs could not be supple'
in great numbers and might perish o
hunger.
At no ting In the war has any consid