New-York tribune., 1917-04-10
Fighting in Macedonia
By Gordon Gordon-Smith

plete the non-military Inhabitants a, -
camp. u
Nothing but the spiders web Of tel.,,.
and telephone wires running in everv 80
tion reveals the fact that here is n. 's
centre Of the division and that from A. -
phone tent artillery. rife and maebi,.
fire can be regulated with the same 20
as that with which conductor con,,ol, I.
orchestra, while every gun fred and 80 -
movement made by the invisible ensr,
known here two minutes later
OF course. ours is only the section a. -.
ations The staf o. the transport and I'd
services are in a village ten miles as,s
the plain. Though the cold is intense. !.
during the day make my tent which +,
the smallest dimensi ons habitable bx
ing an empty biscuit box pierced with y.
and filled with glowing wood embers -.
on the floor. A. night the tempen,..
drops 20 about zero. Fahrenheit, but ~.
bed with lots Of rugs keeps the cold a, J,
until, az getting up time. Baratch, our d..
ful orderly. appears with the brazis, !.
glowing wood. The supply Of wood is on, !.
our chief problems There is not, as ~,
said. tree 70 be seen on the desoate uo,.
tain slopes r. appears, however. that ,bs,
is a small wood in a ravine about four Nil.
away and fatigue party with eolpl.
pack mules is sent to obtain supplies o.
day.
During the day when the sun shine, IL
temperature is bearabe; il is only a. nh,
that the cold becomes extreme. When I ;.
up the other morning / was unable TO use ;
toothpaste. as it was frozen solid and refss
20 leave the tube. r. can be imagined whats
troops in the trenches must suffer under 81
conditions. When the wind blows with fos
which is frequently the case It carries ~
il a fine hail Of frozen snow from the moa
tain tops which rattles on the sides Of e
tent Ike a kettledrum.
The line Of mountains facing the first an,
and barring the way 20 Prilcp, though
considerable altitude. is much less fcrr
dablc than that carried by Field NAM.
Mishitch as preliminary to the capture
Nonastr The slope is much more gets
and its confguration allows strategy 4,
tactics 10 come to their own. The Serbs a
Of ooinion that If an adequate number
troops are provided. the capture Of Phi,
offers fewer difficulties than did the TAX,
Of Nonastir.
Zouaye and Serb
The road this morning was thronged ".
masses Of French infantry and transports
their way TO replace the Serbian trOOI
which now 20 into reserve for short pen'
"a rest the men who have been in the no
line without being relieved a single day I
over four months.
4 3. Lg.I.tffYrf q Fu
ing the colonel of the regiment OF zouav
which replaced US paid a graceful atteni'
TO the Serbian staff 4 hundred yards fro
the camp. in the lee OF a ruined peasant
hut. we found the French officers drawn
70 salute the colonel commanding the /,
vision and his staff, while the band Of \
regiment. which had been specially broug
Nd for the purpose. played the Serbian 0
tional athem. Il had been showing Ia
all night. and the crimson chechlas a
bright blue uniforms Of the zouaves. W
the little group of Serbian officers. sltii
motionless on their horses. their right hai
raised 10 their kepis in salute, made a or
liant picture against the white backgrou'
As soon as the last strains had died an
Colonel Gruitch shook hands with the Fret
Colonel ana we O'E"H Jul '"N'''' '''''N .
down the mountains.
The word rest" as far as the division
concerned. has only relative significance
the Serbs are to be occupied ln digging Z
ond-liae trenches. which does not consti;.
an ideal form Of repose. But, a. any "a
they are 40 longer under shell and rife
day and night. and have exchanged the nf
of the mountain and cold for the more Gle
ent temperature Of the plain. II is further
Improvement 90 be lodged under a roof II
Macedonian village. instead of in a tent Of
windswept mountain top.