New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-19
LESS THAN 10000
OF Troops ARE LEFT
Retreat from Prizrend Cut on
When Austrians Seized
Passes.
m. r.l.r,nh % rhs Tribune. J

Serbian army, which two months ago 50
c,,.,.,.,u.iy laced overwhelming num-
bers of enemy troops and cannon on
TWO fronts, is practically destroyed.
Mr. Browne arrived in Rome yester-
dav. after having been missing Tor
eeven weeks in the interior OF Serbia,
Nontenerro and Albania. He witnessed
tho stubborn last stand Of the Serbian
armies and their rout. Then ne ac-
companied Prince Alexander OF SERBIA
and Princess Helene on a WIG rae
across Montenegro TO CettinJe. FROM
Cettinje Mr.. Browne, after putting 70
sea in an Albanian hshlng BOAT "hlon
beIng' chased and bombsrded by Aus
TRAN submarines, put back 10 shore,
succeeded in reaching Durazzo on
horseback, He crossed 70 Italy on an
Italian destroyer.
Mr.. Browne brought the first com
plete story of the Serbian campaign,
which he was probably the only news
paper man to witness.
To-day the Serb General Staff In
Scutari realizes" he writes, that the
army Is unable to offer the slightest
effective resistance to the Austro Ger
man and Bulgarian forces, which are
RAPIDLY driving forward along three
converging lines westward through Al
bania, apparently seeking the conquest
of that country's Adriatic ports. Those
ports are of the highest strategic value
10 the Allies cause. The Serbian gov
eminent and General staff contemplate
leaving Scutari and Durazzo immedi-
stely for Italy, saying that because OF
the probability of the capture OF those
cities within two weeks IT Will be dan
gerous to remain.
when the Austro-Germans began
the bombardment OF Belgrade the Ser
bian army consisted OF Z'O,OOO men IN
Serbia. 10000 in Montenegro and 10000
in Albania. To-day fewer than 10000
men remain Of the Serbian home army
and they are scattered through AL
bania.
The Serbs fought desperately, and
on every foot of the fatherland, IN the
blood OF 100000 men, is written the
most glorious page In Serbian history.
Serbs Figh. to Last.
"Tbe Montenegrins say it is barely
possible that they will be able to re-
pel the alien invaders Of the Black
Mountain Kingdom. The Serbs say:
Owe have fought and we have lost.
We have done our duty and the fight
is over. Although we shall never stop
fighting, we are whipped. Our army,
without food or ammunition, can delay
bur cannot prevent the advance OF the
enemy
-Trere is confidence among the Ser
biaus that Italy will be able to defend
Avlona. as Italy has long been wide
awake TO the danger and has been pre-
pairing studiously TO meet It.
1T would be impossible to follow
the Serbian army and government as
81. Ng-N kg
without admiring the intense and
patriotic courage Of the SERBIAN SOL
diers and people, which was the more
admirable because during the last tour
weeks they have known that Serb a
was doomed 10 certain defeat and tenn
porary humiliation.
"The last stand Of the Serbian army
was made at Prizrend, where more
than 100 cannon, mostly of the type OF
the French los, arranged in a huge
semi-circle, pointed at the Bulgar
army.
AFTER FIVE days Of bloody battle the
Serbs. having fred their last she'll
spiked the guns, threw the breeeh
locks into the river, and then broke
and fed in disorder through the mar
row path where the River Drin cuts
into the Albanian mountains.
Last Stand at PrlZrend.
"More than $4,000 Serbs were engaged
ar Prizrend. Of whom about half were
taken prisoners. Three routes of re-
treat were open 20 the army after the
defeat. The main route was through
Lumkulus, at the junction OF the BLACK
and White Drin rivers. Another route
was through Jacovitza and lpek into
Montenegro. and the last was from
N ~ Albania
the old Roman road TO Dibra, Eloassan
and Durazzo. All three are absolutely
impossible for vehicles; each is moth
ing more than a mule path over hlgh
precipitous, snowbound mountains. The
last orders Of the General STAFF read
Fall back on Scutari and Durazzoi
using the three passes.
"But the Austro- Germans, and espe-
cially the Bulgars, advanced so rapidly
that the Serbs were unable 70 cover the
retreat. for by suddenly invading
Montenegro the Austrian troops capt
ured Jacovitza annd closed the ipeSS
passes so quickly that scarcely o'VVU
Serbs retreated that way.
THE invasion Of Dular by Bulgar
bands armed with mountain batteries
closed the Dular route, and only the
Iumkulus Pass was left for the re-
treated snake-like in double file, the
line extending mile after mile, the
troops shuffling along like respondent,
beaten men.
"At the entrance of the pass, twenty
miles from Prizrcnd, were 10000 men
struggling madly 20 enter and escape
the enemy. Lumkulus pass is like a
funnel. the Drin River, draining the
rlain OF Prisrend, dashes through a
narrow gorge. TIE Serbs all tried 70
get through the pass at the same time.
Five days after the defeat al Przrend
$1,000 men had entered the pass. Then
the Bulgar artillery caught the range
q the entrance 20 the pass, and after
that all attempting TO enter were Sc
renely killed.
For FIVE hours the artillery wreaked
terrific slaughter on the non-resistinG
Serbs, who only huddled together like
sheep and turned their backs 70 the
storm Of high explosives and shrapnel
when the men left Prizrend they
had q three days supply Of bread
When that was finished they rad moth.
ing more except what they found by
the roadside. When a horse fell from
exhaustion the soldiers Immediately
skinned il and ate chunks OF raw mea,
torn with bayonets from the carcass
saw many soldiers eating raw horse
flesh, with apparent relish. One Of the
soldiers made soup Of a donkey's les
bones. The Serbian Crown Prince
Alexander, saw a man eating the In
festines Of horse raw. The flower
Of the Serbian army Is now barefooted
nearly naked. starved and sick II il
made Up Of bands Of men who have
lost all hope o. saving their country
and whose only thought n 20 escape
"EathI tRx Nentsregrins anAN,trS