The sun., 1918-09-26
BULGAR ROUT
PUTS ALLIES0N
WAY SOFIA
Great Stronghold of Stru-
mitza Being Flanked to
Clear Road to Capital.
BATTLE LINE 800 MILES
Austrians and Turks Retreat
ing From the Adriatic to
.Egean Sea.
Special cable Despatch 10 THE SITS.
Eonnr1ohf. l9lS. oil riohfs rkIetred.

Special cable Despatch TO THE SrS.
Copyright. 1915; all rights rtserred.
PARIS. Sept. 25.-The Allies in Mace
donla apparently have succe eded in
splitting the Bulgarian armies into two
great groups, and these in turn are
being broken up into smaller units.
The Bulgarlans are face 20 face with
the greatest military disaster in their
history. A great turning movement
seems TO have been begun by the Allies
which will force a general retreat of
the Bulgarians, Austrians and Turks
over the Whole front of more than 800
miles from the Airiatic to the Aegean.
The Allies. advancing beyond Prilep,
are moving on Neles and threatening
Cskuh. only twenty-five miles TO the
northwest The capture OF Uskub will
open the way 10 all northern Serbia
ward also. nanking the powerful
Strumitza position. which is the chief
bulwarll of Bulgaria against invasion
from the west or south. and probably
compelling its evacuation, leaving
Sofia open to attack. The distance
from Cskub to Sofia is only a little
more than 100 miles and the way is
not as difficult as much of the country
already passed over.
No Help From Germany.
Further than this the crushing defeats
OF the BulgarIans and Turks in Serbia
and in Palestine cannot fall to have a
most serious effect upon Germany. The
breakiug Of the military power Of her
allies has greatly increased the dfficul-
ties which Marshal Fochs mastery Of
fersve on the western front already had
imposed on the German high command,
which, apparently, is SO lacking In man
power that II can give no help 10 its
sorciy pressed allies.
II is doubtful II the Turkish army can
he reconstructed as an effective force
taking into account the enormous losses
IN Palestine ard those suffered by the
Turks in the Caucasus, Galllpoli. Meso-
potama and now In Macedonia all en-.
dured by a force that at It's maximum
never exceeded 10000 men. II is clear
that the armies in Palestine embodied
the chef remains OF the Turkish
strength in the field, except for the conn
paratively small force in Macedonia.
There is in addition the very heavy
loss in man power in the failure OF re-
serves. Both Germany and Austria are
suHering from a scarcity Of men, owing
to several months of continuous heavy
losses on the western front, and cannot
70
large and immediate assistance the mill
tary rower o: Turkey stands broken.
Credit Goes 10 Americans.
The Echo dc Paris says that the Bull
garians in their retreat are not likely TO
be able to defend the famous Babuna
pass. and IL this Is lost by them Uskub
soon will follow. The Serbians are push
ing across the Vardar northwest OF
Gradsko and are moving along the Bre-
galnltza. lshtib already has been cut
of.
The Italian troops have joined in the
action and are pressing north. occupying
tho heights north Of TOpolchsui. be-
tween Monastlr and Prilep. Patrols of
the Allies already have crossed the Bull
garian frontier, but not in any force
The enormous elasticity now exhibited
by the Allies armies. as shown in their
attacks at practically the same time
in France. Palestine and Mace
donla, with ltaly to follow. II is
suspected very soon. not to mention
the operations in northern Russia and
Siberia, is attributed by commentators
here to the incoming food OF American
troops. which has enabled the Allies. and
particularly Marshal Foch, to plan
movements which were not possible be-
fore.
America is given full credit for the
victories in Palestine and Macedonia,
although no American troops are partici-
pating In those operations. because with
out the American troops who are coming
into France at the rate OF 200 day
these operations in the east would not
have been possible.