Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-23
RUSSIANS FIGHT
ON BALKAN FRONT
Roumania Is Modified, and
Greeks Give Battle to
Bulgarians.
NEW WAR PHASE DEVELOPS
Two More Nations About to Be
Dragged Into European
Maelstrom.
NEW WAR PHASE DEVELOPS

| hi
| LONDON. August 22-Events in the
Balkans, following each other with
dazzling rapidity, tonight threaten to
drag two more nations, Roumana and
Greece. into the maelstrom of the Eu-
ropean war. The crisis admittedly has
| been reached in Buk harest while Greek
| troops. by engaging the BulEarians i'm
a bloody battle in Greek Macedonia.
may lead the Athens government TO
enter the arena, even against it's own
desire
! startling new phase of tho situa-
tion reached the public eye for the
| first time to-day with the news that
Roumania has completely nobilized her
army of 100000 men. and that Russia
has landed troops at Saloniki to CO.
operate with the British. French. Ital
| ans and Serhians. Both Of these i'm
portant developments. now weeks old.
! have been rcligiously withheld from
| public knowledge by the entente CEN
| sors. The news was allowed to leak
out to-day without comment by of-
| hcials. IT only serves to indicate tho
| terrific battle of diplomacy which has
been raging in the little Balkan Cant
| tals Tor the last month The first Rus
sian detachment landed at Saloniki on
| july 81 Since that time additional
/ Russian corps have arrived. \ dispotch
froin Saloniki reported the arrival OF
new forces no later than this morning
| Inc majority of the Russians already
nave been sent to the front where tbev
are fighting side by side with the Ser
hians in the Florina district They are
under command of General Friederictsz
and the first group came from France
and Mcsopotamia. where they had
joined the French and British, respec
lively. The later arrivals are said to
have Travelled all the way from Arch
angel.
/ BULGARIANS DISLIKE TO
FIGHT THEIR IIINSMEN
1t is the belief Of the allies that the
presence of the Russians on the Bull
! Garian front will result in that army
| losing part of it's effectiveness
brothers in blood and religion to the
Russians, tho RulEarians are reported
10 have a great distaste to fighting the
battle of the Teutons against their
kinsmcn.
| Berlin views the situation in the
Eravest light. but the unexpected sight
! of Greek troops entering ON their own
initiative and engaging the Bulgarians
in battle makes the position of more
Importance.
According TO to-night's reports, the
military authorities propose to take
mattTs into their own hands unless
the Greek government acts TO halt the
Bulgarian invasion. 1t previously had
been reported that no opposition was
being offered the Bulcarans. 1.-THE
Greeks in Macedonia have determined
to defend the land themselves if the
governments policy is not changed"
says Il Central News dispatch from
Athens.
The Exchange Telegram Company
has received message from it's cor
| respondent at the Greek capital which
states that the entire Sixth Greek
Division was engaged with the Bull
garians and that serious losses were
inflicted on the invaders. The au-
thorities, it is said. then ordered the
Greeks to retire
In the meantime. tho Greek COM
mander at Seres called to arms all the
| reservists in the ncighborhood.
MUCH EXCITEMENT
IL CAUSED IN ATHENS
Much excitement has been caused in
Athens by the developments in Mace
donia, according 10 an Evening News
dispatch from that city. Government
orders have been issued. ii is said that
all further hostilities must be avoided.
but the feeling is general In well-in-
hat
be forced to back up her troops by the
demands of the people.
1t is admitted that this is the last
| resort Of the government TO prevent
revolution So rapid have the recent
developments come, however, that no
surprise would he caused here by a |
complete reversal on the part OF King
Constantine and his Cabinet. The gem
cral elections in Greece probably will
furnish the moment for action. Thrown
INTO another panic by the arrival at
/ Saloniki of Russians and Italians,
which indicates better than words can
describe the complete unity OF thought
and action of the entente. the ma
tionalists Of Greece are now said to
be near n total surrender Grcece's
hour struck when Ncnizelos first tried
to bring the nation into the war as an
entente ally, they feel, and now that
the allies have been forced to take
things into their own hands the Greek
national aspirations will find no sup
port In the allied councils when the
diplomats come to gather around the
green table and draft the peace map |
That Germany views the Roumanian
situation with the greatest alarm Is
indicated by dispatches to-day The
mobilization of the Roumanian army
has brought matters to n crisis, hut
German diplomats see a ray OF hope i'm
the fact that since the mobilization has
been completed the war agitators have
cooled down considerably, and espe-
cially since the Russians have como to
deadlock, oven II only temporarily.
In their Austrian drive. and tho Anglo
French offensive in Western Europe
again RESOLVES itself into trench war
fare and a struggle for lines and posi-
t!ons