New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-19
Monastir


Serbian army entered Monastir on the
heels Of the routed and fleeing Turks, com
manded by david Pacha. A month be-
fore the same army had defeated the
Turks at Kumanovo and avenged the age
long disgrace Of Kossovo. After five
centuries a Serbian Gar had entered
Skoplie, the capital Of the great Dushan,
and a few weeks later the regions which
had seen the rise of the Bulgar power IN
the Balkans fell, likewise, to a Serb.
In all the history Of war there has been
no more rapid, brilliant and surprising
campaign than this Serb operation of the
Turkish War. Kumanovo had been VIC
tory more complete than Lule Burgas; at
Prilep the Serbs had succeeded in over
coming the Turkish rally and had crowded
the Osmanli down the western slopes of
Babuna Pass and into the Plain of Mon
astir. As for the battle Of Monastir, 1t
was fought under conditions of rain and
snow. recalled now by the reports that
come from the same battlefield.
The invasion of the Monastir district
has interest now because the Serbs are adj
vancing up the roads along which they
pursued the fleeing Turk. If they get
Nonastir. then it is by the two roads TO
Skoplie-the Us1ub of most maps-that
they will press onward. OF these roads
one passes from the Monastir Plain to the
valley of the Vardar by Babuna Pass, the
other to the upper Vardar Along the slopes
Of the great Shar Mountain range, with
its peaks above 10000 feet high.
A year ago the failure of the Allies to
get north along the Vardar in time 10
ioin hands with the Serbs still holding
Babuna resulted in the loss of Monastir
and the extinction of Serbia. The French,
il will be recalled, did get almost TO Veles,
iust north of the point where the Cerna
enters the Vardar, but they came day
TOO late and in too small numbers. Fail
ing. there was nothing left but fight for
the Serbs and retreat for the French and
British to the hills above Salonica, where
they repeated the exploit Of Wellington
at Torres Vedras.
Ii is interesting to recall, too, that the
line Of Allied advance toward Monastir
is the road followed by the Greeks in
heir unlucky offensive Of 1912. The race
for Salonica, in which Serb, Bulgar and
Greek participated, obscured the only less
interesting race for Monastir.
At the moment that they were striking
with their main army for the great city
Of Salonica, coveted by the Bulgars, the
Greeks detached small force and sent
IL north TO take Monastir before the
Serbs could reach it. Unluckily for the
Greeks. the main Turkish army, retreating
before the Serbs chose to come to Mon
astir instead of to Salonica, and as result
david Pacha was able 10 send an over
whelming force against the small Greek
contingent. defeat it at Florina, take a
large number of Greek guns, and might
have compromised the whole Greek cam
paign had he not been overwhelmed by
the Serbs, who restored the situation and
retook the Greek guns. After this de-
feat there was nothing for the Turks but
flight into Albania, where, in due course,
they were compelled to surrender.
If Monastir falls to the Allies then
they will have taken from the Bulgars
the main prize that the Bulgars have so
far won in the war. II was TO get Mon
astir and Salonca that the Bulgars risked
the Second Balkan War. The Serbs,
having signed treaty with the Bulgars
before the Turkish War TO divide Mace
donia and give Monastir to Bulgaria, de-
manded new arrangement when the
Austrians prevented them from acquiring
title TO Northern Albania, which they had
occupied Bulgaria insisted upon the orig
inal bargain, attacked Serbia and was ter
ribly beaten.
Before the Second Balkan War the
Greeks were prepared TO cede Kavala and
Drama 70 the Bulgars; the Serbs were
prepared to recognize Bulgar rights east
Of the Nardar and south of the Bregal-
nitza. Before Bulgaria entered the pres
ent war she was offered the territory east
Of the Vardar. again, as the price Of
neutrality. But it was Monastir and the
Serbian territories between the Vardar
and Lake Ochrida that the Bulgars de-
sired and meant to have. Now, if they
are driven out of Monastir. if they are
forced into the mountains above the Mon
astir Plain and west Of the Vardar, they
will lose the real prize for which they
fought
On the military side the Allied &C.
cupaton Of Monastir will have interest
ing consequences. II will compel the Bull
garians and their German allies TO retire
north and east many miles in order 70
make a new line of trenches These will
doubtless rest upon the Shar Mountains
southeaei Of Prsrend and, circling Skoplics