The Washington times., 1916-01-12

here in hundreds; in all the phantas-
maGoria of wagons, horses, steers. mo-
tor buses, and limousines which fll
the foggy waterfront streets of Sa-
loniki today. He lends a new and
sombre color to the brown of the
Greek. the grey of the French. the
khaki of the British, and the green Of
the Serbian soldiers.
He has done little talking. His very
presence here with his detected fam
lily and his pitiful little possessions
say. He is a refugee from Serbia. Not
from northern Serbia where the Ger
mans and Austrians have been sweep
ing Serbia clean, but from the Serbian
~ miles from here. The Germans and
Austrians have not driven him out
from his home; it is the work of the
Bulgarians.
The patter of his oxen's feet and the
creak of the rough wheels of his wag-
on say louder than any communicate
or any nice words of generals that
the Bulgarians are driving the allies
back toward Salonikf.
You can always believe him. this
man with his family travelling out in
the cold and the mud. with the wor-
lied face and the perrleXed soul: he
doesn't leave his home and his farm
until he must; until the guns are
booming and the shells are plowing
his farm for him. When he goes you
may be sure the enemy Is coming on
behind him. and that the army of his
country is in retreat. I've seen him
in Galicia. France, italy, Serbia,
Greece. He has never lied. His pres
ence always means retreat"
Tents for Refugees.
Being a Serbian. his Christmas will
come on January 7. Small chance
Santa Claus will have to get down the
chimney of this mans home this year.
On the outskirts of Saloniki this aft
ernoon men are erecting tents, in a
muddy field: for the Serbian refugees
and their families. Within the last
six weeks nearly half 8 million dol
lars Of American and British money
have been sent mere for such an emer-
gency. and today. for The first time
the money is being put to Use.
The harbor of saloniki is almost
empty Of boats, though usually 1t is
fun. For several days forty-six
transports loaded with troops who
had newly come to Saloniki and who
had not disemRarked, lay in the har-
Dor. Now they have gone. troops and
all. No one in Saloniki knows where.
People are speculating about the posi-
bility that the allies msy be driven
forced to leave Greece. 1t will take at
least three weeks to get away from
Saloniki on ships. There are hundreds
or tons. of wagons. cannon. amTuni-
portable houses and camp-fttirgs- to Re
loaded on the boats. as If 10000 circuscs
rolled into one were moving. And there
arc tens of thousands of men-perha ps
, twenty Of them must be en-
harked. II the allies should decide to
withdraw.
Would Mean Fighting.
II this thing should happen. there
VIII be three weeks full of fighting, the
BulSarlans pressing against the allies
lines. trying to interfere with the en-
ally trenches; and allied soldiers must
he lighting to hold back the Bulgars
while other allied soldiers work like
bees at loading the ships
All this. If the Bulgars continue to
press on toward Saloniki Just at
present the allied retreat is in fun tide.
The Bulgars are nearing the borders of
Greece. not much more than twenty-five
mile 5 from Saloniki.
To have view of this sixty-mil.
strip OF retreat; to hear the Bulgarian
guns booming and to stand beside the
French and British guns as they answer
to sit beside the temporary campfire o
retreating French soldiers and talk t
them of home and of what the futur.
holds for them and their country; t
sleep in a tent beside a railroad wher,
trains carrying supplies and wounded
soldiers back to the safety of Saloniki
shook the ground; to cross bridges
which were 'loa ded' with dynamite anC
were to be blown up within twenty
four hours to chat with group afte
group of steel-casqued French zouaVe
who came on foot, trudging slowly bu
surely toward Greece, with grim face
but affable greetings; to chat with Brit
ish soldiers who knew that the mex
day would see them moving in tha
direction which a British soldier hate
the direction away from the enemy
nine days of all this association will
the ally withdrawal leaves on my mint
the impression that ! have had SOM
monstrous dream, all on the SAM
theme, but full IF weird mixture o
small detail.
There is play and fun mixed up il
this story, as well as tragedy and sor
row. When the communicates use tn
simple word retreat" or retirement,
they are covering a vast field of humal
activity and human emotions. and L
see this activity 3nd behold the humal
emotions at work under such circum
stances is an opportunity which, | be
lieve. few war reporters have had II
this war.
~ experience began on the afternoon