New-York tribune., 1918-09-26
The Balkan Car11paig1
By F rank Fl. SImonds
Copyright, 1918, New York Tribune Inc

| I is a natural but not less obvious
mistake to assign to the present cam
paign in the Balkans remote objec-
tives and grandiose purposes. The expla
nation Of the sudden renewal of opera
tions on considerable scale after nearly
two years of relative calm is to be found
in the announcement that Bulgar troops
have arrived behind the Western front
AS result, and as an evidence of the
admirable results of unity Of command,
Foch directs F'ranchet d'Esperey to at
tack in Macedonia. If they are strong
in France the Bulgars will be weak
about Monastr
In Macedonia the purposes of the AL
lied offensives are plain. These are :
First to exert upon the Bulgar army,
weakened by transfer of divisions to the
West front, such pressure as will re-
call the divisions sent away, produce de-
feat before the divisions can be recalled
and add to the discomfort and apprehen-
sion already existing in Bulgaria; sec
ond, by thrusting up the Cerna Valley,
to cut the Bulgar communications in
the lower Vardar Valley, compelling a
withdrawal from all the strong positions
near the Greek frontier which have
been occupied for more than two years;
finally, by breaking the communications
between the Vardar Valley and Monastir
by way Of Prilip, to compel the Bulgars
to retire out Of all of Macedonia, west
of the Vardar, thus disengaging Monas-
tir and thrusting wedge between the
Bulgars in Macedonia and the Austrians
in Albania
SO much for the military purpose. In
addition, the Allies are now striving to
get north and into communication with
the Serbs of the conquered regions of
Serbia and with the restless and disloyal
Jugo-Slavs of the Austrian and Hun
garian Adratic provinces to enable
these to make successful rising against
the AustroHungarian government Not
even the occupation of all of Serbia
would interfere with Austro- German
communication with Turkey and Bull
garia, because there would remain the
Rumanian and Russian railways, reach
ing the Danube opposite the terminus Of
Bulgarian railways or touching the
Black Sea at Constanza and Odessa; but
an Allied advance through Serbia might
rouse Rumania, brutally oppressed bv
the German invaders and already show
ing unmistakable signs Of resentment,
The gallant Serbs have attacked the
Bulgars along the crests, of the very
mountains which saw the high water
mark of the Allied offensive of 1916
This was the thrust which retook Mon
astir. They have captured the famous
heights of Dobropolyie, Vetretnik and
Sokol, which were the keystone of Bull
gar defences between the Vardar and
the heights west and northwest of Mon
astlr. AS consequence, they have
broken clear through the Bulgar front
and are now pushing up the Cerna Val
ley toward the Vardar.
If the Serbian advance continues il
will presently reach the Vardar Valley.
near kriviolek, the highwater mark of
French advance in 1916, when the Allies
endeavored to open a road for the Serb
retreat to Salonica. If the Serbs reach
the Vardar at Kriviolek, not only will
the Bulgars have to retire out of the
Nardar Valley south of this point, but
they will also have to retire out of the
Monastir Plain upon Prilip, and we may