Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-09-28
Kaiser's Grip Slipping Everywhere
rw.An War " News M II,


srywhere. With unity OF command
conferred In Marshal. Foch, telling blows,
are being dealt oerinany and her. vas-
sal nations over the greatest war front
In history. extending as 1t does. with
few breaks, across Europe and far
into Asia. These blows have brought
within the past two days the first sim
cere effort towards peace put forth by
any OF the allies Of the Prussian war
lords. Bulgaria, troublemaker OF the
Balkans for generations and whose
czar has sought to stand as dictator
in the near east as the kaiser has in
greater Europe, is crying for peaces
With her armies badly beaten in the
field and facing complete exterminaion
and revolution threatening at home,
Bulgaria now seeks to escape the GER
tain destruction that defeat of Ger
many will entail. Bulgaria's deiiec-
ton and complete elimination would
not end the war In q moment, yet
would hasten the end materially. The
entente allied nations can listen to
peace overtures with Bulgaria or with
Turkey with nothing to lose and all to
gain. With Bulgaria out of 1t Turkey
would be in more helpless position
than that ip which she finds herself as
the result Of General AlleHby's brilliant
campaign In Palestine. Austria Hun
gnry's collapse would be natural Sc,
quence. The result upon Germany Is
not difficult to foresee.
80
Unity Of command under Marshal
Foch is beginning to have marked ef-
feet The British are retrieving the
bIunders of Gallipolt. and the foolish
effort to force the Dardanelles by sea,
which were directly responsible for the
surrender of General Townshend's army
in Mesopotamia. Serbia is in fair
way to come back into her own follow
ing tire over-running of that country
by the BuIgarians and Austrians early
in the war because now discarded
European statesmen had confidence
that Bulgaria would remain loyal to
the entente nations. General Foch is
moving his armies on~a checkerboard
and blocking successful moves by his
opponents. The Serbian army, reju-
venated under Foch's command, is
fighting valianUy. There has been no
more dramatic success during the four
wears Of war than the recent victories
of the Serbs. assisted by units from her
allies. Competent observers say all
this could have been accomplished
eighteen months ago under co-ordina-
tion Of effort and under one commander
in chief.
Development Of the great Serbian
French blow on the Balkan front has
overcome the greatest obstacles to
campaign for the recovery of alf>of
Serbia or an advance on Sofia, the Bull
gar capital.
The Vardar valley as it nears the
Serbian Greek border narrows to gorges
which furnish little opportunity for
successful attack from the direction of
Saloniki When Serbia was beaten,
French and British troops tried to hold
positions north Of these gorges, but
were too weak to do SO.
BY their great coup Of passing over
the lofty border mountain chain the
allies have now passed behind this bar
rier. as shown by the accompanying
map, ~ at Beshishta they have out
flanked the gorge Of Demirkapu and
their armies are coming into the Var
sIar valley, from the west in a broad
front.
The Bulgar forces around Lake
Dorian are now in grave danger and
have already begun to retreat. Should
they decide to give up the Vardar val
ley they will BE- exposed to thanking
attack. Should they retire eastward
to the Struna valley the way up the
Vardar will be wide open for the allies.
The British on the east of the allied
line should be in action soon because of
the shaking of-the whole front.
The time appears opportune for the
Italians to strike the Austro- Hun
garians in north Italy. and it may be
assumed that an offensive in that war
area will be undertaken before cold
weather makes drive there imprac-
ticable. Except on this front the great
battle line extending from the North
sea across Europe and into Asia to the
Persian gulf is active and intense fight
ing Is in progress at almost every
point. From Ypres in Belgium to the
Swiss border British, French and
American forces are administering
telling blows against the Huns. The
central portion Of the international
battle line, separated, from the western
armies by little Switzerland and from
the armies IN the Balkans by the Adri-
attic sea, is comparatively quiet. but
beyond the Adriatic the eyes Of the
world are focused. The Italians in Al
bania are driving ahead and are maxi
ing some progress in their efforts to
keep their right wing in touch with
the Franco-Serbian armies now adj
miDistering a severe defeat upon tho
Bulgarians. Farther east British and
Greek forces have penetrated Bulgarian