The Alaska daily empire., 1915-10-25
of Balkans


ANANAN Aa AtFNtAtn tAA aANaNA N- NA AilstlA- ic Invasion in tho north, while the Bulgarian army Is mobnized near the Eastern frontier The Allied powers are landing troops at salonica, a port of Greece on the Aegean Sea. and hur- rying them northward The strategy of the theatened campaign may be found by a study of the map. The railroads are Che determining factor, with Nish, in central Serbia at the junction of the Oriental and Masedon- Ian lines as the probable storm cen. ter
 On the map modern serbia looks like the State of new Jersey. trending northwest and southeast On the south Greece separates it from the Aegan; on the west, Albania and Mon. tenegro lie between it and the Adriat- ic. On the northwest the Drina riv. CT and on the north the Save and Danube separate ltirom AusiriaHun. gary On the cost is Bulgaria.
 This latter country extends east ward from Serbia to the Black Sea on tho north is Roumania with the Danube as Bulgaria's entire northern boundry except for the small Dobrud- ja territory In the extreme northeast. which belongs to Roumania Turkey is on the southeastern corner Of Bull garia. Greece and a short coait line Of the Aegaen complete its southern boundary
 Near Serbia's northeastern corner is the "Iron Gate" where the Danube breaks through the mountains which here range north and south. From the Danube these mountains extend south through Serbia to the Greek border. where. after curving Co the southeast. they reach tho Aegan and form a barrier between Bulgaria and Greece
 Midway between the Danube and the mountain system forks sec ond chain trending east through Gen. tral Bulgaria to the Black Sea Thus a mountain barrier is raised between central Europe and the Turkish capi- tai. notorlously difficult of passage. Nature. however. has laid out high ways to which all military movements must conform.
 The Morave river rises in southern Serbia. flows north and empues into the Danube near Belgrade. serbia's capital The Varna rises near the headwaters of the Morava, but flows southeostorly and empties into the Aegaen near saionica. The valleys of these two rivers form the highway between Salonica and Belgrade.
 At Nish. on the Moraya in central Serbia. the tortuous mountains open Into another valley running nearly at right angles to the Morava through central Bulkaria It takes sofia, Bull garia's capital. and follows the Mar. litza valley east by way of Phillipop. olis to Adrianople Here the river turns south. heading for the Aesaeni but the way east is open Co Constan' tinoDle.
 A railroad which connects Constan- tinople with central Europe follows this Maritza valley At Nish line from salonica connects it, from which point it follows the Morava xalley northward to Belgrade. These rail- roads follow the overland routes by which Europe has always reachei the Aegaen and the Bosphorus, ani by which Europe has also been invldod It is on this line from Belgrade the Germans must drive to reach Conston tinoDie The Allies would try to in tercept they before they reach Nish Buiaria would naturally attempt to cul the line from salonica. by which sup plies and assistance would reach Ser bia. and at the same time keep the enemy from the main line running east from Nish