The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-10
Teutonlc Plan Is to Cut Way
Through to Dardanelles and
Destroy Allied Forces There
BULGARS REPORTED
TO HAVE CROSSED LINE
From Military Standpoint CAPS
ture of Serb Capital City Is
Declared to Have Compare
lively Little Significance

London, Oct. 9.--Belgrade, the
ancient capital of Serbia and the
most important city In the coun~
Try, was storIned and for the most
part occupied by Austrian and
German forces last night and this
morning. /
There Is no expectation that the
small portion of the city still held
by the Serbian troops when to-
days official German statement
was issued will be able to hold
out against the invaders. 1T ID
even probable that the Germans
and Austrians are tonight in fun
posse--4s.ff-of the city. and are
consequently ready TO begin their
march along the Orient railway
to Nish and Bulgaria. the chief
object of their expedition.
Other Austro- German rorces epen-
a;ing east have crossed the Danubs
at four points below SEINE ndria. ac-
cording 10 the assertion of the Ger
man war office. and are now driving
the Serbians southwark IT is from
semendria that branch Of the raii-
way runs south to meet the main
line. some fifty miles below Belgrade.
An uncnufrmed dispatch from
Bucharest says that a Bulgarian force
has iFlFAatd S6Tplaa anu pitS-tti- lBs~
ward with great rapidity has reac hed
Denir Kapu and blown up the rail-
way bridge OF the Salonica- Uska rail-
way at that point. There is no official
news TO ionfirm this report. whlrh. II
true. Is one of the greatest importance.
as IL Ia over the Salonica Tsku rail-
way that the French and British re-
Inducements TO Serbia must pass.
Official Statement
The official German statement to-
day says;
main SECTIONS of the two new
armies under Field Marsha Won Mack
ensen crossed the Save and Danube
rivers. ~
After the army OF General Won
koeves had captured Zisuner Island
and the hill TO the southwest of Bel
grade. it succeeded in capturing the
greater part of Belgrade Itself The
Austrians stormed the citadel. Tbs
Germans stormed konak These
forces are now penetrating the south
ern portions of the town
The army under General won Cali
WITT forced crossings of the Danube
at four points below semendria, driv-
Ing the enenly southwark
The operations against Belgrade
were directed from the southwest
After the main body Of the forces ha1
made good their crossing of the Save
they stormed and occupied q hill lying
west and south Of the capital from thf
heights Of which their guns readi,
dominated the citadel. II would ap~
pear from the meager Information a
hand that the Serbs were not able tr
make A very determined resistance
and fell hack quickly before the on
rush of German and Austrian forces
The citadel is an ancient fortres!
overlooking the Danube and Saes
rivers Its walls were pretty thor,
aughly reduced during the Austrian
invasion last December and the en-,
tire city was iH fact laid waste by Z
bombardment which lasted for sev
eraI weeks Since that time the Serb
have been unable to make good III
destruction of the Austrians heav,
guns so that the city as taken las
night and this morning by the Teutnn
is very wasted and disapltatat
OF Little Stgnificance.
From 4 military viewpoint the ia
OF Belgrade is Of little Importance
In fact the city was not strongly de.
Tended and offered a moro or leg
barren victory 70 The Germans
With a wel-esta biished crossing Q
the Save esta blished southwest Of the
cir the Germans and Austrtans vii
he supplied in the possession of Bel
grade with an advantageous has
from which 10 push forward tsietl
operations and will, above all. be II
possession Of firm foothold III Ser
bian territory.
The German war office fails TO men
tlon today any progress of *he forcef
which Yesterday were reported IN have
crossed the Save at Mirtovitza and ths