Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-18
Serbs and French Progress
Nearly Five Miles on a Front
of More Than Fifteen.
GREAT GENERAL DRIVE
APPEARS IN PROSPECT
Serbia Might Be Reclaimed and
Bulgaria Crushed by Such a
Forward Movement.


In Macedonia the allied drive
is progressing. Serbian and
French troops, after taking the
important Sokol ridge. have
pressed on nearly five miles on a
front of more than fifteen miles.
The prisoners taken have
reached 1000 and thirty guns
also have been captured. The
carly success of the allied troops
may lead to a general offensive
in this area, with the purpose of
cutting off Turkey.
A movement of this character
carried to completion would
crush Bulgaria and free Serbia
and a large part of the oppressed
nationalities of the Balkans.
Front Almost Shut Of.
The front where the fighting is go
ing on is almost shut or from the
world, and, except for official reports,
there are few details known as to the
progress Of the entente forces.
Sofia admits that the allies have
been successful at some points. and
says that the Bulgarian troops have
been Withdrawn to positions further
north. This may be taken as con-
firmation Of the reports from allied
Sources telling Of the success of the
drive over the high ridges which the
Teutonic powers have held for the
past eighteen months or more.
Last reports from the Macedonian
front would seem to indicate that the
rather restricted front over which
the first assault wAa launched - now
being heightened. especially to the
east. Maps Of the region where tae
battle 10 being fought show that the
allies have CARED valuable positions
on high ground. and that it is possi-
BILE that they have passed through
the zone where the hardest resistance
might be expected.
Scope Of Allied Advance.
PARIS. Tuesday, September 17.-A-
lied forces on the Macedonian front have
penetrated to a depth Of nearly four and
a half miles on front Of fifteen and
one-half miles and have captured 1000
prisoners, according to an official state
ment issued tonight by the war Office.
The text of the statement reads:
Operations on the Macedonian front
continued very successfully. The front
IL Vafrhnik
has been widened to twenty-five kilo-
meters and the allies forces have
penetrated to a depth of seven kilo-
meters.
"Prisoners to the number Of 1000, in
cluding staff colonel, have been cap
tbrowers and machine guns and con-
siderable booty have been taken.
saThe Serbian forces are vieing with
the French in courage and spirit"
Where British Are Engaged.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN
MACEDONIA, August 27 correspond
ence Of the Associated Press).-The
right of the British line in Macedonia
is formed by the Struma valley. Brit
fsh troops arrived there in June, 1916
when the temperature was los in the
shade. and they have been there ever
since.
It is an area Of varied fighting. A few
miles of trench warfare, then a vast
pa trolling area Of no mans land and
no mans sea, the latter being the
lake, with its fotilla Of tiny patrol
boats. Most Of the fighting has taken
place in the Seres plain. once the most
fertile tobacco and grain area in the
world, but now a jungle Of monstrous
wild plants which tower high over a
mans head, SO that the whole area is
sitting, bewildering, deserted wilder
ness.
The inhabitants have long since dis
appeared with the unconscious resig-
nation of those who for years have
known no visitors but armies, no his
tory but that of death from the i'm.
partial bullets and shells Of rival
invaders, whose quarrelS the local in
habitants neither understood MOI
cared about.
Mosquito Uncrowned Monarch.
The anopheles mosquito is now the
uncrowned monarch Of this whole
country. It is a. far moro deadly en-
envy than bullets or shells, and armies
cannot live in the jungle. SO that this
vast area is now only a district for
patrols. The British have their posi-
tions on one range Of hills. the Bull
garians on the other. and their pa
trolls often meet in that vast forid