Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-09-27
Reorganized Serbian Army Starts
an important Offensive on
the SaIoniki Front.
BULGARIANS ARE IN FLIGHT
Franco.British Forces Closing Down
on St. Quentin Despite Strong Re.
Observation-Disclosures Smelling
metz--Austria's Peace sus.
oestion Promptly Re.
ected.
BY EDWARD W. PICkARD.

With n regrncrated and reorganzed
army, Serbia took the lead last week
in smashing the Ilrl and his allies.
Aided by French and Greek contin.
gents, the hard.hghting Serbians struck
at the Salonik front held by the Bu.
garlans and certain German units.
They struck hard too, and within three
days had advanced T. miles on 20
mile front, taking 30 towns. including
he strongest Of the enemy positions.
" first the resistance was stubborn,
hut by Thursday The Bugarlans were
reported in full retreat and the Ser.
hiauN pursuing them day and night.
he enemy threw in fresh divisions.
lut Ia vain, for they too were com
phrly defeated So swift were the
llight and the pursuit that the SerblanS
lui not had time TO count the great
number of prisnLeis taken or to esti.
Unite the quantities of material that
ten INTO their hands.
Thi, Serbian advance by the end Of
the week was seriously menacing the
ely Of I'rilip, one of the chief bases
OF thu central powers in Macedonia. II
j. not beyond the bounds of POSSIBLE
lily that II may later be connected up
with The operations Of the allies in Al
hanin, " which little has been heard
lately. A good many authorities long
have held the opinion that the war can
b" brought 10 successful end soonest
hy great offensive In the Balkan re-
enn, cutting Off Turkey and Bulgaria
ilom their allies and threatening Aus
tria from the south.
m-
Will the Franco British pincers
slowly bat surely closing down on St
Quentin the French and Americans
ia possession Of the western end of
lh' themiu dos Danes and steadily
pushing toward Laon and the Yankees
firmly established on their new lines
in Lorraine Smelling Metz and threat
ouIug the great iron and coal fields of
the lriey basin, the German high com
lhhnd last week was still cllnging To
'h, llindenblrg line through most of
rs length The Huns had massed vast
numbers % lnng-range guns and were
resisting desperately but their increas-
I'M dearih " man power was becom-
Ing more evident daily, and the prls-
ouerS taken, though well fed and
clothed, were Respondent and tired.
After several days Of preparatory
operations Field Marshal Halg on We'd
neNday attacked on lG-mile front
northwest Of 81. Quentin, from Gou-
zcaucunrl south of Holnon Wood Be
fore nighlfall the British had smashed
ahead 10 Il depth Of three miles, taking
Ieiaierr La Nergulere, Epehy, Rons-
soy, Nlllerrt and other towns and bag
glng more lhan COCO prisoners. The
primary object OF the drive, which was
made In a hard rninstorm, was to gain
possession Of the old British trench
system of last March, running along
nm important ridge Many of the best
lighting units in the German army were
opposed to IIag's men, but the latter at
tanned their object in the main and at
some points went further than had
been expected The artillery work OF
the Germans, especially with high We
locity guns massed behind the st.
Quentin canal, was more severe than
for a long time before.
simultaneously with Halg's attack,
the French hit the Boches on ten
nile front south OF st. Quentin, advanc-
Ing more than mile and taking four
villages and hundreds OF prisoners.
Military critics express no doubt of
the ultimate fall OF ST. Quentin, but
the enemy is sure to put up a long,