Evening star., 1917-10-28
EyES0F ALL SERBS
TURNED TO THE j. S.
SIavs in This Country Could Aid
Realization of All Ma
tionaI Aims.
VICTORY WOULD BE SURE

VIZ ORY WOULD BE SURE
By GORDON GORDOr-SMITH.
The present position of the Serbian
army ought to appeal to every nation
in the fighting. line today. No nation
has behind il such a record of herotsm
and military firtues and no nation is
really so little known to the outside
world. People have heard vaguely of
the nlarvelch,s retreat of King Peters
troops across the snow-clad mountains
of Albania. as they have heard of the
Belgian defense of the forts of Liege.
without Deally knowing all the details
OF these acts of heroism. which placed
these tto little peoples in the front
rank of the belligerents IN the present
world conflict.
i Would like. in O dozen lines. to
write. the etats de service OF the Ser
hIan army and place on record what
Furype owes to it. In 1912 Serbia en-
tered into an alliance with Bulgaria,
Greece and Montenegro and thus help
ed TO create the Balkan confederation
which. in that year. practically drove
the Turk out of Europe and freed the
peoples of Macedonia and the Sandjak
of Noyi Bazaar from the yoke of the
ottoman empire Attacked SIX nloHlns
later by Bulgaria. Serbia and Greece
inflicted q well deserved defeat on
their treacherous ally.
Typhus Spreads Death.
Less than a year later came the
present world conflict and Serbia was.
in July, 1874, attacked by the Austro-
feat of the invading force. soo: 900
strong. pnder the command of Field
Marshal Won Potiorek, by 100000 Serbs
is one of the outstanding victories of the
unable to conquer the Serbs by force
of arms they left behind them. on
their retreat a much more insiduous
enemy The outburst of spotted typhus
which. in the spring of 1915. broke out
among the Austrian troops in Valievo,
spread throughout the country and
claimed more victims than Austrian
bullets ever did. The victims in the
Serbian army were numbered by tens
of thousands.
1t was when the country had hardly
recovered from this visitation that the
combined forces of Germany. Austria
and Bulgaria. 100000 men. were hurled
across the Serbian frontier and marched
$50 900 strong. The efforts of the al
lies to come to its assistance came too
late. The Serbs fought with the cour-
age of despair. but were slowly but
surely driven back till they reached
the confines of Serbia. Then came the
legendary retreat through the desola-
tion of Albania and the transportation
Of the wrecks of the army to the Greek
Island of Corfu.
But the Serbs come of an indomitable
race. Six months later the army of
King Peter. 100000 strong. rearmed, re-
organized and re-eQuipped, was ready
to take the field once more. Under the
command of Prince Alexander. IT was
lor IaG Col tn roll 10
army of the orient. the international
force, under the command Of Gen. Ser
rail.
Monastir Is Recaptured.
Since July, 1916, it has been In the
forefront OF the battle. It conquered
the plain of the Moglena and drove the
BuIsarians and Germans from one
mountain position after another. Then
came the famous assault on the Kay
Mog1ena mountain chain, storned by
the second army, under the command
OF Gen. Nasitch. This was followed by
the brilliant campaign of the f3rst army.
under Field Marshal Misitch, which
ended in the capture of Monastir and
the victorious advance of the Serbian
army toward Prilep and Veles.
The objective of the army of the
stantinoNe railway, which would de-
prive Bulgaria and Turkey of the aid
of Germany. Deprived of the munitions
which that power furnishes them they
would collapse in a few weeks time.
This W. ould mean the reopening of the
Dards,nelles, the establishing of direct
comn unication with Russia and the
beginning of the end of the war.
Human Force Has Limit.
But human force has it's limit Even
the veteran armies of King Peter are
I mortal and cannot accomplish the i'm
possible. OF the hundred thousand men
landed in Saloniki. 20 600 have been lost