The Cordova daily times., 1916-06-15
ALLIED ADVANCE FROM SALONIK|
 NOT LIKELY

tary quarters at the Macedouian r~ort and in political circles here the opin- ion is expressed to the Associated Press correspondent that while an o'- fonsiye move on the part of the en- tcnte forces at Salonik is not out of the question. such a manoeuyre would be devoid of all prospects of success if undertaken with fewer than fifty army corps, or about 2,00o,0 men. Thus far the entente allies have brought to saloniEi about @500o0 e. fectiyes. With the addition of 1eo.- 900 Serbians the entente contingent would still be below a half million men, a force considered here as being entirely inadequate to undertake the rehabilitation of Serbia.
 The terrain difficulties which the entente troops would be obliged to overcome are regarded as enormous. IIn all cases the entente troops would have to fight uphill. One or two ad- mittedly weak points in the Bulgaro- Austro-German line are amply covered by stronger positions immediately in the rear, it is stated to the correspon- dent, so that a falling back would be an entirely strategical affair.
 The Macedonian defence line runs in the main as follows: In the east 1t has the Cengel Dagh as it's extreme point of support These mountains are from 45O0 to 4,800 feet high, rug ged and precipitous towards the south, the direction of attack. Then comes the narrow valley of Struma, the de- fense of which can be carried out from the foothills Of Belashitza Planina. West of this valley lies the mountain chain named, a single high crest some forty kilometers long, running due west South of the range in question lies the valley and lake of Doiran, and slightly to the northwest of the Doi- ran and Vardar valleys the Blagusha Planina, in which the Anglo-French troops were defeated in the battle of Kosturino in November, 1915.
 The remainder of the line consists of the Padjah, Marianska, Blatec, Mid she, Dobropolje Planinas and their connecting crests. Then comes the valley of the Karasu river, southeast of Monastir, a terrain which so far has not interested the entente troops very much. The Suhagora mountains and Malo and Prespa lakes adjoin the very difficult mountain country of southeastern Albania.
 Feasible lines of advance of the CT tente troops are the Vardar valley and the country about Doiran; the valley of the Karasu river. upon Monastir; and lastly the valley of the Struma. Only the first named comes into con sideration, however. To reach the Struma, the Greek government would have to place at the disposal of the entente troops the railroad line to Demir Hissar; and to advance towards Monastir the railroad to that point would have to be used.
 The present entente line is purely defensive. It's center is at Kukush, in Greece. thirty-five kilometers from Lake Doiran. From there it sweeps in an arc towards the Vardar valley, where at the closest point of contact the lines of the two opposing forces are still 5000 yards from one another. This peculiar line of the entente troops was established to prevent a surprise by the Bulgaro-Germans. In some quarters the view is held that
 it was dictated by a concentration rearward, due to the transfer to France of considerable French forces.
 Since the country between Kukush lend the BuIgaro-G erman front is open
 the entente troops would have little difficulty advancing to the opponents lines The situation has permitted the
 establishment of line of entrench- ments by the Bulgaro-Germans that may be said to have it's equal only in the western theatre of war.
 In reviewing the chances of the en-
 tente troops to drive the Bulgaro- Austro- Germans out of Macedonia and
 Serbia, Bulgarian and German off
 cers argue that what 100000 Serbian