Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-09-18

Washington, Sept. 1S.-It has
been limited in military circles for
some months that this autumn
would see a major operation on the
Macedonian front and from the
news of the past few days it ap-
pears that that operation has be-
gun. While it is not possible for
military reasons to give the num-
| ber of men intended to participate
! in this movement, its object is
I clear; to cut off Turkey from the
/ other central powers, to crush Bull
garia and to free Serbia, Rumania
and the Jugo-Slavs of southern
/ Austria.
Serbs Fight for Homes.
J It is no surprise to the allies to
know that the Serbs are fighting
gaIlantly. for they are at least near
/ their homes and are fighting for
! the restoration of their native land.
/ The BuIgarians already are having
! trouble among themselves and with
: Germany, Turkey and Austria. In
/ some quarters it is believed that
when they see the fortunes of war
moving against them they may de-
sert their allies and sue for separ-
ate peace, trying to save as much
/ of their acquired territory as they
can.
SIayS Only Want Chance.
| The Bulgarians have killed many
! thousands of Serbs and Rumanians
/ but the forces of the entente are as
( sured of the ardent support of the
people who have survived the
massacres Moreover the Jugo-
/ Slavs in southern Austria are only
waiting an opportunity TO join the
allies and free their homes from the
/ yoke of Austria.
1t Was No Mans Land.
With the British Army in Mace
I COMA. Aug. 81, Correspondence of
the Associated Press The right
( Cf the British line in Macedonia is
/ formed by the Struma valley. Brit
/ ish troops arrived here in June,
/ 1916. when the temperature was
) tlO5 in the shade and they have been
here ever since. 1t is an area of
varied fighting. A few miles of
/ trench warfare, then vast patrol
/ ing area of No Mans land, 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 jungle of mon
strOue wild plants which tower high
over a mans head so that the whole
area is a sitting, bewildering, de-
I serted wilderness. The inhabitants
have long since disappeared with
the unconscious resignation OF
/ those who for years have known no
/ visitors but armies, no history but
! that of death from the impartial
/ bullets and shells of rival invaders,
. whose quarrels the local inhabi-
tants neither understood nor cared
about
Mosquito Is King.
The anophetes mosquito IS now
the uncrOwned monarch Of this
whole country. 1t is a far more
deadly enemy than bullets or shells
and armies cannot live in the jun
gle, so that this vast area IS now
only district for patrols. The
British have their position on one
range Of hills. the Bulgarians on
the other and their patrols of 10
meet in that vast, florid No. Man S
( land.
RulgarH NervOuS.
/ But since the Bulgarians are al
wavs nervous about Seres and the
railway. they have to occupy a
! northern strip Of the valley and
that is where the British continual
! ly annoy and harass them. In this
area the British are always on the
offensive, raiding, feinting and do
F ing their utmost 10 keep the Bulga-