The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-10-20
THE BALKAN SITUATION.
PLANS OF BRITISH AND FRENCH
STILL UNKNOWN.
Allies Attacking on German Fronts
Apparently Concerted Offensive I'm
Eastern and Western ZOnes-Hard
Fighting in Scrvia.


the British foreign secretary, made a
long statement in the house of COM
mons today on the situation in the
| Balkans, but as he dealt with the
diplomatic side of the question, he
added little to the knowledge of the
public and failed to satisfy curiosity
as to the progress of the Anglo
French expedition landed at Saloniki.
He did say, however, that Russian
troops would cooperate las soon as
| they were available"
The French premier, M. Viviani,
had more cheering news for the al
lied cause when in the French senate
he expressed the belief that "the al
lies can count on Italian cooperation
in the Balkans"
| There Is much speculation as to
how Russian assistance will be af-
forded. Italy has a large number Of
troops available and the means Of
moving them to the desired spot, but
Russia Is handicapped, and there is
an inclination here to believe a re-
port from Rome that Petrograd has
asked Roumania to allow Russian
troops to pass through her territoy.
To grant such a request would be
construed by Germany as tantamount
to Roumania's definite alliance with
the entente, and doubtless would re-
suit in Austro- G erman troops attack
Ing Roumania. This, it is thought,
might happen any way, as Germany
already has shown her displeasure at
Roumania's refusal to allow munitions
to pass through to Turkey, and now
ut Is reported that Germany has sus-
tpended the postal service and Is hold
ing up all foodstuffs consigned to
IRoumania over German railways un-
It'll Bucharest more clearly defines it's
attitude toward the central powers.
! These diplomatic questions are not
delaying military operations. Bull
lgaria formally declared war on Servia
land the aAustrorGerman and. Bull
garian attacks on Servia are pro-
ceeding. They are, however, meet
ing stern resistance; and the Ser
Vians are giving ground foot by foot.
The extent of the Bulgarian invasion,
according to a Nish dispatch, con-
sists Of an advance over the frontier
at one point of mile. With this
exception, says the report, the fight
ing line remains intact. and the rail-
ways have not been reached.
1t is reported also that the allies
have begun new offensive in the
Dardanelles. The Russians are con-
tinuing their attacks in Galicia in an
effort to clear the Austrians from the
Roumanian frontier and prevent them
from sending further reinforcements
against Servia.
In fact, there appears to be a gen.
eral attack on all the German fronts.
The British and French, Berlin re-
lates, have attacked in Flanders and
Champagne, while the German official
report Of the campaign in Russia is
record Of counterattacks against
the Russians endeavoring to regain
the initiative.
Even the Belgian coast is not ex-
cepted, British monitors having again
bombarded German positions there.
British submarines in the Baltic
have sunk ten German ore CARRYING
steamers and have completely paral-
yzed the ore trade between Sweden
and Germany. This has caused some
dissatisfaction i'll Sweden and it is
charged that two steamers were sunk
within Swedish territorial waters.
The British assert, however, that they
have been observing studously in
ternatiOnal law and have been sinking
only German steamers.
|