Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-23
SERBIAN ARMIES
BEING CRUSHED
BY THEIR FOES
Soldiers Of Little Nation
Are in Desperate Fix
Is Latest Report
ARE OVERWHELMED
BY FLANK ATTACK

Allies Must Rush Aid Soon
or Teutons Will Open
a Road to Turkey
London, Oct. PA dispatch
reaching London from NIsh today
says OFFICIAL announcement has
been made at the Serbian capital
that the losses Of the Austro-Ger-
man army Of invasion have reach
ed 10000 dead, wounded and pris-
oners. The Serbians are said to
have repuIsed the invaders.
Petroorad, Oct l2.-Further
Russian successes on the south,
ern part Of the front were an
nounced today by the. war office.
It is stated that several Austro-
German positions and more than
$500 men have been captured.
London, Oct ~. - Serbia's military
position is critical. Hammered by
superior forces on two sides, her
armies are threatened with being
crushed as no army has been crushed
during the war.
Not only are these facts admitted in
England, France and Russia, but they
are reflected in official Serbian state
ments. Thosiey to- escape from this
situation 10 Sth63 speed with which
France and England can throw forces
north from Salonik, in the hope OF re-;
lieving pressure from the Austrians
and Germans in the north and the Bull
garians In the east.
The Bulgarians are now battling un-
der the eyes Of King Ferdinand. Not
withstanding the presumably superior
artillery of the Austrians and Ger
mans 1t is the flank attack by the Bull
garians which seems most menacing to
the Serslans. At few places are the
Teuts as as much as twenty miles south
o. ~the Danube. In fact, the ground
.6ained averages a depth Of only ten
miles The Bulgarians, for their part,
are displaying tremendous energy, in.
ticative of carefully laid plans pre-
ceding the declaration of war With
twenty miles of the Nish- -Saloniki rail
way in their hands, they have a
strategic advantage which it will be
difficult to overcome.
The movements Of entente troops
from Saloniki are still unknown to tho
public, but If any considerable force
has been detailed for the task of do
Ing for Serbia what England attempted
to do for Belgium, 1t must be heard
from soon.
Strumltsa Still Free.
From Sofia and Saloniki come
denials that the Bulgarians have lost
Strumitsa. This means that Bulgarian
soil is still free from invasion. It Is
reported that Turkish cavalry is CO.
operating with the Bulgarians, and
that great battle is raging at the
Macedonian town of Veleze, where the
Serbs won victory over the Turks in
the Balkan war Of 1912. According to
IAN unofficial report, the Bulgarians
have taken the town.
Greece still hesitates. England's Of
fer Of Cyprus and, according to re-
port, considerable extension of Greek
ISIIltOIy dlOuS Iuc Aegean sea ana OF
colonies In Asia have brought on out. |
ward change in the situation.
Germans Threaten Riga.
On most of the long eastern front
the Russians seem to be in the ascend. |
ancy, but both Petrograd and Berlin
emphasize the increasing danger Of
Rige's position. From the southwest |
the Germans are nearing the village !
of Olaf, which is only twelve miles
from Riga. They are also increasing
their hold along the Dvina river, south.
east of the city, being in that quarter
within eight miles Of their goal. The
Russians assert that German attacks
N the region of OLAF were repulsed.
but the Germans are bombarding the
Riga. Dvinsk railway beyond the
Dvtua interfering with the forward
ing of Russian reinforcements.
According to dispatches from Christ
iania the Russian port of Archangel
already has been closed by ice If the
be true, Russia will be deprived Of this
means of bringing in supplies unless
Ice breakers are able to work success
.f,1ly.
1