New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-31
Nv GORDON GORDON-s SMITH.

quarters left Kruscvatz for Rashka, as
the German advance mcnsced its re
treat from the former town II Longer
delayed. With my colleague Of the
"Pctit psrsicn" ! determined to push
forward 10 join the Second Army. which
was opposing the cuemys advance IN
the valley Of the Morava.
Tho roads were in a frightful condi.
ton. They were. for the most part
mere cart tracks and perfect seas OF
mud The carriage half tho time was
rloughinc through two feet or tcna.
cious clay Twice il Stucs fast up 10 the
aNlcs i'm mud. and was only cNtricated
with the friendly aid OF passing bull
lock team. Good horses arc no longer
20 I've had in Serbia. ;hcy have all been
rcquisitioncd FOR the army.
One Of our horses, q grafe-likC
chestnut. is an cN-csvalry horse Of the
Austrian army and bears the mark OF
wound from shell splinter. Il is
named julius. Its partner (Which
have named CRsar) is a fea-btter
gray. somewhat short in the wind. Both
regard Serbian mud and the effort It
entails on them with profound disap-
proval.
Just az the point whore the road
from KruScya joins the main road
running 10 Staiatz came across half q
dozen British soldiers belonging 10 the
heavy battery which defended Bel
grade. They were seated at the road
side preparing the inevitable pot o,
tea without which Tommy Atkins's hap
piness is not complete.
Marmalade Survives Bombardment.
They told me their battery was or
route for Nish and that the guns had
already been entrsined at Stalatz. They
were covering the intervening sixty
kilometres in couple of bullock carts
They were profoundly ignorant Of what
was happening in Serbia or the outside
world. but we're correspondingly cheer
full
Thev insisted on us sharing their
Tea. and produced pot of the equally
inevitable marmaladc. which they
proudly declared was one Of the few
objects which had survived the bonn
bardment of Belgrade. left them
loading W their wagon and giving or.
ders 10 their drivers in weird but ap
pareutly effective Serbian.
Il was dark when we reached Chichi-
vatz. the first stage on our journey
The problem was 10 find quarters and
food Every village behind the front Is
filed 10 OVERLOOKING with the fug tive
population from the country held ny
Tho Germans. Every public cdifce Is
crammed: people sleep on straw
twenty in a room, in every available
house. Al the village inn the food sup-
plv resolved itself into the inevitable
''Schnitzel.' which in the present IN
stance was a badly burnt piece OF pork
We were. however, fortunate enough &c
find the local stationmaster at the mn
who Hospitality offered us bedroom II
the railway station.
Railway Stores Destroyed.
When we got there we noticed that
ne had already begun to pack up ready
10 leave With him was young oihcial
Of the Ministry Of Commerce, VINO had
been sent TO destroy the stores anc
rolling stock. Chichivatz IS the poln'
al VII ch the Serbian railway stores are
kept.
More than a hundred wagons hat
been loaded with accessories, lncluuihs
scores OF typewriters. paper ana Du
reau materials. uniforms, etc, Dut
was found impossible 70 move them. 81
every siding between Stalatz and Nlsi
was so crowded that there was no
room for a single additional car
A fast as the Germans advance lr
the north and the Bulgarians IN tht
south tho locomotives and rolling stoci
arc accumulated on the only section o
tho line now in Serbian hands; that i
tho go kilometres between Chichivat.
and Nish. 49,. an
when everything is lost on this sec
tim i is the intention Of the Serbian
authorities TO fill the whole track VIII
rolling stock from one end TO the othe'
and blow I'D all the bridges, so as u
render the line unworkable. Inc neV
American engines. which were only de
livered this year, have been placed u
lonr tunnel on a side line. and eaci
end of the tunnel blown up, so as u
entomb them unchanged.
Ragrdan the Nations Bulwark.
The news from the front was no
encouraging. The Germans were au
vancing slowly but surely. The grea
| dfsannointment 10 the Serbian popula
,ion has been the failure TO check tn
advance at Bagrdan.
Raerdan il in the line Of mountain
~ he east Of Kraguevatz, and II
strength as a military position Is leg
endarv in Serbia. For fifty years I'M
| serbian nation has regarded bagrdai
/ as the bulwark that would cneck IN
/ vasion. That IL has failed to check I'M
/ German advance has greatly depressed
army and people. ,e.
The failure OF the Bagrdan defence
70 accomplish this is not surprising
Tho Germans are Just as well aware o
tho strength OF the Bagrdan position
as the Serbians, and they took goo'
care not to make frontal attack ON u
They simply concentrated enougi
force on the position as TO hold 'h'
Serbian army in check while they sen
two columns 70 turn the position: ms
forced the Serbian army TO rail- PACK,
One Of the first results was th'
canture by the enemy of KraguevatZ
Serbia's chief arsenal. Their advance
was so rapid that 1t was not possible
n save ali the stores. Thousands o
shells and hundreds Of thousands o.
rounds of ammunition, ten thousand
tents and millions Of francs worth o.
material of all kinds had TO be de
stroyed. including the arsenal, whicf
was fitted up only few years ago by
the Creusot firm.
Since then the Germans have
steadily advanced on each bank of th'
/ Ncraya. Seven Serbian divisions op
uosing eighteen German divisions wer'
/ Odds that not even the bravery OF kint
! NFNo .,.;,hs,.ud Train