Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-19
Gen. Serial Has Intrusted
Chief Burden of Taking
Monastir to Them.
CITYS FALL IMMINENT
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.

The wheels of fate again have set TO
whirring with vengeance in the Bal
kans. There events are coming to pass
which portend great possibilities for
the separate groups of belliSerent
European nations Realizing the great
import of victory or defeat of aspira-
lions in these regions. which have been
the fountain heads of turmoil in re-
cent years. Germany, Bulgaria and
Turkey, on the one side. and forces
representing the entente powers, on the
other, are madiy striving to gain the
upper hand. FierCest struggles are
raging from the Carpathian mountains.
on the northern Transylvanian front, to
Orsova. on the Rumanian line, to the
southeast in the Dobrudja region bat
ties Of intense character have been pro-
ceeding for the past two weeks, and
the allies have set in motion their high
" organized and powerful military ma
chine stretching across the northern
borders of Grecian Macedonia, where
their present operations, though i'm
portant in the extreme. seem to but
foreshadow an effort of more stupen-
dous character. And the cruN of the
whole Balkan situation is this:
the possibility of the retaining OF
Serbia, for this will be to the disln-
terest of her most valuable ally. Bui-
garia, for Sofia already has set on foot
plans looking toward the dismember-
ment and the gobbling of large amount
of Serbian territory as a reward for her
efforts on behalf of the Teutons IN the
present struggle. The belief that Der
lin has agreed that Serbia shall be
pruned to the maximum in Bulgaria
behalf is but logical, inasmuch as Ser
bia long has been stumbling block 10
the extension of Teutonic lnHuence ana
domination of the regions of the east
along lines planned by Vienna and
Berlin.
But the Serbian issue is not the only
one in the present Balkan struggle
Should the allies
Many Issues to Be mareh norm norm
Decided in Balkans. serbia . and sul =
garia and gain positions on the DANUBE
an invasion of Hungary would be an I'M
mediate likelihood. Should the Russians
and Rumanians continue to progress the
Moldavian front menace will be brought
to the Teutonic armies operating to the
southwark in the lower Transyivanian
countries Should the Russians and Ru-
manians succeed in continuing to drive
Won Mackensen back in the Dobrudja the
possibility of a combined Russian and
Rumanan drive on Constantnople is
great. for after passing the Dobrudja but
few natural obstacles are to be encoun-
tered by an invading force. On the other
hand. should the Germans succeed in cap
turing Bucharest and oyerrunning Ru-
mania. this country's aid in the present
struggle would at once become negligible
Germany, If she wins the present war.
then could dominate conclusively the
whole Balkan arena and run affairs to
suit her ideas. Should the Teutons sue
cesstuily overrun the Dobrudja and the
northern sections Of Rumania they would
bring grave menace to the Russian posi-
tions operating in Bukowina and to the
north. the armies of Gen. Brussilon being
in position subject to thanking movements.
The entene is determined that neither of
its smaller allies shall suffer the loss of
one foot of territory Furthermore, are de-
termined TO carry the fight on enemy soil
all along the line, and as consequence
must exert every degree Of pressure if the
entente forcs ar to succeed.
These are but some of the issues that
are being fought for in the Balkans and
that they are issues which both sides be-
HeVe vital to their future, even many
years after the cannon have ceased to
helch their missiles of death ard peace
once more is restored. is indicated by the
extreme pressure which now is being ex-
erteo by Doth the central powers and
the entente
Germany is fighting to prevent the
eventual overrunning of Austria and
Hungary by enemy hosts and the per-
petuation. beyond all hazard of their as
pirations toward the east. The allies are
battling as hard to prevent the rea-
lization of these Teutonic dreams
The Germans in a fair way to
accomplish their effort to snuff out
Rumania's light. notwithstanding the
tremendous resistance offered by the
forces of King Ferdina nd and the car
all along the mountain regions separat-
ing this little Kingdom from enemy
lands. as well as in the Dobrudja
Germany has moved forces from sew