Evening journal., 1916-01-13
By William G. SHEPHERD


SALONIKA. Dec. 1.-Two huge
baskets. filled with wicker-covered
bottles Of Chianti wine. from among
which peeped the white necks OF
Champagne bottles. made up our sup
ply of travelling provisions when our
party OF correspondents set out Tor
the Anglo French front in Serbia.
True, indeed. there was small pack
age for each man-boiled eggs. cold
beef with tiny paper packets OF salt
and pepper but these were so small
we we're able to carry them in our
pockets
But this was an Italian scheme OF
provisions. We had left to two Ital-
ian Journalists newspaperman in
Italy is always a journalist the task
of purchasing our food supply
1--WE didn't know. As we pulled out
of the station on a rattly military
train. that we were going forward to
witness the beginning OF an Ally re-
treat Before us was Krivolak. where
the French had fought so long and so
hard with their seventy-fves,' and
General Sarrai had told MS that we
should see KrivOlak and the fighting
there
Before us was the British front.
made up of veterans who had gone
through the hell fire Of the Darda-
nelles. Before us were all the thrill
ing things TO see that the war af-
fords.
We got ont of the train at little
railroad station on the shore OF LAKE
II. .Nr IN La
midst of British troops. I've used the
name Of the lake. though before w'
started out we were told that We musi
not mention names Of places in oul
stories But nine days have changed al
that The Bulgarians have all thes'
places now. IT'S no secret.
An English captain met us Have yol
automobiles for these correspondents 2
asked our French Lieutenant guide.
"Not one" said the British officer
sunless they want TO ride IN this Loaf
of hay" lie pointed TO big aut'
truck laden with bales of English hay
Into the truck we piled with half
dozen English tommics giving us lifts
Just as we started off they cried, imi
tating London bus conductor;
"Marblc Arch. llolburn Circus. Bank
Elephant and castle"
II was cockncy's way of saying
"IIouston street only or "West Farm
Express"
We hadn't seen sign OF retreat. tn
British captain got on to a line hors
and rode along beside MS. The roa
sllirted the lake. a circle of water thre
miles across-and scores of oddly dresse
Greek and Serbian peasants got ont q
our way as we rolled along through ia
mud. hugging our oblong seats of ha,
Everywhere were British tommies, ploo
ding through the mud. riding heav
draught horses. sitting by roadside fire
"Great fish in this lake." said tn
q British captain. riding up behind th
motor truck. Perch. Country 'rOun
here famous for them. Having som
for dinner tonight in my mess"
These ducks ought TO be good,
said one OF the party. pointing to tn
reeds where thousands OF bird
fioated
mot ducks he said, some sort q
blackbird. Don't know whether they'r
good or not Going 10 try some q
them in our mess tonight. too
Good horse you've got there"
IOlb pony 0pltHNiu. Olu NtttuN
by Been az Ranelagh many time.
Ranelagh and this wild Greek lakI
II would be like taking a Piping Roc
horse to Vera Cruz.
Still not a sign OF the retreat tina
we knew nothing about.
where is this hay going tor some
one asked a soldier.
I'VE were loading il on train, ht
We stopped when we saw that yo
needed the car"
We might have known then-we di
learn later-that the hav was bein
moved back toward the Greek frontis
10 keep il away from the on-comiu
Bulgars.
The signs Of retreat are so sure an
so unfailing that we might have rea
the whole story of what we were abol
TO see just in this one lot of baled ha
Fifteen miles brught us to staC
Of goods piled mp along the rOa
There we're pyramids Of filed sack
rolls OF barbed wire and heaps OF Il
countless things that help to NAL
war. In the centre of this three-aci
hOdge-podge was a tent and our fir
glimpse of it showed that il was de
GRATED most elaborately with holi
the Christmas kind. with shiny leay,
and bright red berries.
The nfor the first time we notice
that all the rough, hilly COUNT
through which we had passed WI
covered with short, scrub-like hol
bushes All through southern Serb
Macedonia and eastward clear TO Il
Dardsnelles and Gallipoli this hol
grows as common as the sagebrush
Texas. From the decorated tent ste
ped a tall young British officer wi
came out TO greet us.
Cold" he said shortly. "Thr
days ago there was six inches of snc
here. Terrific. Worse than northe
France. We slept under six blar
cts and couldn't keep warm A lot
nice. fresh eggs. brought up all {
way from Salonika They frOze, a
BURST
There were patches of snow ov
the bleak landscape.
About 200 yards from here