The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-25

tack along the whole front or In the
Doiran region, where the Bulgars
and Germans had evidently expected
1t, but they forced the enemy's line
ut the centre Of the Macedonian front.
They thus gained the all important
Vardar valley with it's railway into
the heart Of Serbia and opened the
way to the rear Of the Bulgar-Aus-
TRAN defences on the two tanks.
The Balkan success was a military
achievement under great difficulties
for the Bulgars and Austrians had
occupied this position from their in
vaslon of Serbia, and had strongly
fortified 1t. The bare, rugged hills
and narrow valleys were easy Of de-
fence; one of the points in this same
region was held In the Balkan war
by single company Of Serbs against
Turkish regiment Prilep, the
town around which centred so much
Of ancient Serb tradition and history,
Is dominated by a rocky mountain
that formed the stronghold Of legen-
dairy Serb heroes, and In modern
warfare 1t has been considered i'm
pregnable against attack. The sue
cess of the movement has apparently
proved a surprise at the Allied capi-
tails, for one Of the London papers
says that "the Serbians have per-
formed one Of the most wonderful
feats in military history, deed COM
parable to the breaking of the Wotan
line" In their fight the Serbians
are struggling for the recovery of
their homes and nation, and are prov
Ing what they can accomplish with
guns and munitions equal In power
to those Of their foe.
The Allies have as an immediate
objective the control Of the Vardar
valley to the Greek border on the
south and to Uskub, or Skople, on
the north. The possession Of Uskub
would open the way to Nlsh and the
Morava valley, while the control of
the Vardar would effectually divide
the armies of the Central Powers in
the Balkans. 1t would force their re-
tirement on the east northward into
Bulgaria toward Sofia, and in the
west to the protection of the Aus
TRAN positions in Albania.
This Is the first serious setback
that the Bulgarians have received in
the war; 1t represents not only a de-
feat of their armies and the loss of
territory Of which they had planned
to despoil Serbia, but at the same
time the advance threatens the occu-
patton Of Bulgaria itself, which has so
far been free from invasion. All this
is a severe test of the morale Of a
nation that long ago saw no reason
for a continuation Of the war and
was anxious to withdraw. Turkey
cannot but see in the success Of the
Allies on Ottoman territory the
growth Of spirit of revolt among
the bitterly oppressed and misgov-
erned races that will constitute
serious internal condition and that
will make her powerless to continue
as a factor of any strength in the
war. In Germany the results of
these defeats Of her allies cannot be
measured alone by the effect that
it will have upon an already anxious
and disheartened people. Each of
these allies Is no longer an asset.
source of supplies and men, but
liability which she must protect If
she is again, even in peace, to make
tools Of her aims and ambitions. She
can expect no aid from them in fight
ing her battles. Even Austria must
now turn to the protection of her
western and southern frontiers.