The evening herald., 1917-07-11
CONDITION OF SERB
ARMY AF TER THREE
YEARS OF WARFARE
Herbert Corey Describes These
Heroic Fighters; Armed With
Old Rifles, Have Discarded Ar.
tillery, Borrowed Surgeons.

Special Csrresponaence 10 The Herald
\ Washington, ~. G.. July 1.-THE
condition Of the serbian army. after
nearly three wears Of the bi,tcrosi ex.
! peSiencc undergone by any of the en-
/ terte allied forces. Is described ny
4 Herhert Corey the war correspond
1 ent. IN q araphic communication to
the National Geographic society u
! part of which Is issued as the follow.
ing war geography bulletin from the
society's Washington headquarters:
The Serbs are the poor rc,ations
of the allies. They are armed with
the old ST. Esienne rine which the
French discarded. Tho artillery inI
support has been cast from other
fronts Their surgeons are borrowed
surgeons. for the most part They
are uniformed and fed by the French,
and Great Britain loans them money
They never have enough ears even
for stan use Sometimes they have
not enough food But they always
have enough ammunition and they
find enough lighting for themselves.
The serbian army began the great
retreat of l9ls, 25o.00o strong. Not
more than i50 eco reached asylum ON
the island of Corfu after the winters
iigh; through tho snow -filled passes
of Albania and Montenegro. In the
confusion Of those days some one had
forgotten. There was moi sufficient
food or clothing or medicines or nurs
ing waiting them Men who had
Struggled through the winter died ON
the open beaches OF the island OF
Nido
Diving men aug their own graves
and then dug the gra rs Of the men
already dead. Not more than half
were III To serve again when the fail
campaign OF 1915 hogan.
1T was a sad army bitter army
hut not a despairing army that ac-
cempanied last winter Many OF
these men were cheechas. In tae
Serb phrase When man reaches
the age OF forty he becomes uncle to
his ne.ghbors some OF these men
We're In the fourth line before the |
war
Serbia 20 The serb peasant means
the little white coaatge the plum or
chard the ten acres Of ground. Few
OF them had been nifty miles away |
from home when war began i've years |
ago in the Balkans. Fewer have seen !
their homes since They have receiv- /
ed no news from their wives and fam
HES, for the Austro-B Bulgarian cen-
sorship had been extremely severe |
They have seen their comrades die |
MoSt 'of thpfrf-Ltiflee' men cut pf ave I
In some units--have been wounded al
some time during the war
''There were no songs upon the |
march except during those vivid days |
when the Bulgarians were being fore !
ed out OF Monastir There was no
lighi-hearted talk about the camp |
fires There was no music except this,
now ana then one heard the weird |
and complaining tones of one
stringed fddle which some patient
soldier had made out OF the material ,
al hand. They kept To themselves or
In little groups OF twos and threcs.
At night scores OF tiny fires would
sparkle IN the open land ON either
side 81 the Mouastir road, where the
paired comrades We're cooking their
evening meal They marched badly
slowly siouehing their old shoulders
bowed under their packs. their 2rlg-
kied faces deeply lined. Yet these
men were the cutting edge of the
weapon that bent hnck the Bulgarian
lines
"One division--the Morafa--rc- !
mained aggressive FOR ninety-ilye ia IS
without rest During tha; period they !
had Dut one t'ench--the front trench. |
rhey haI no cec"Ed line. no reser' e,
no rest camp.
"nne regiment e the choumadia !
division lost .g00 out OF 1900 men
in taking Vetternik mouutnin ana !
then held that mountain under IRE
from the Rock OF Blood which dom !
mated the eummit. for twenty days |
until rehef came. Even then the
men Of the regimen, which had been
SO nearly wiped out did not go % rest
They stayed at Norreynik.
In the taking of kayma"2hn AN i
half ~ some OF tho organizations
were Killed outright
THE Serbs we're enabled Co DO /
thes, thins. partly because ot the eN-
perlenee gaind in as Terrs Of almost |
continuous nrhtlug. Another factor |
Was the spirit Ut The men. They mo-
longer hoped for anything for thcm- !
SELVES They expected 20 dc Thos" /
who sin remain expect goo bee Killed !
h.