Mexico Missouri message., 1918-10-10
Reorganized Serbian Army Starts
an important Offensive on
the SaIoniki Front.
BULGARIANS ARE IN FLIGHT
Eraneo-5ritish Forces Closing Down
on st. Quentin Despite Strong Re-
sistance-Americans sheIIing
Metz-Austria's Peace sug-
gestion Promptly Re-
jected.
BY EDWARD w. PlckARo.


With regenerated and reOrganlzed
army, Serbia took the lead last week
IN smashing the Hun and his allies.
Aided by French and Greek contin-
gents, the hard-tighting Serbians struck
Mt the Saloniki front held by the Bull
garians and certain German units.
They struck hard, too. and within three
days had advanced u miles on 20
mile front, taking 30 towns, including
the strongest of the enemy positions.
AT first the resistance was stubborn,
out by Thursday the Bulgarians were
reported in full retreat and the Ser.
bians pursuing them day and night.
The enemy threw In fresh divisions,
but In vain, for they too were COM
pietely defeated. SO swift were the
flight and the pursuit that the SerbIans
had not had time to count the great
number Of prisoners taken or to estl-
mate the quantities of material that
fell into their hands.
This Serbian advance by the end of
the week was seriously menacing the
city Of Prilip, one of the chief bases
of the central powers In Macedonia. 1t
Is not beyond the bounds of posslbil-
ity that 1t may later be connected up
With the operations of the allies In AL
baDia, of which little has been heard
lately. A good many authorities long
have held the opinion that the war can
be brought to a successful end soonest
by a great offensive in the Balkan re-
gioD, cutting off Turkey and Bulgaria
Fl ON their allies and threatening Aus
tria from the south.
-Ha--
With the FrancO-British pincers
slowly but surely closing down on st.
Quentin, the French and Americans
in possession of the western end Of
the Chemin- des-D Danes and steadily
pushing toward Laon and the Yankees
firmly established on their new lines
In Lorraine, shelling Metz and threat
ening the great iron and coal fields of
the BrIey basin, the German high COM
mGnd last week was still clinging to
the Hindenburg line through most of
its length. The Huns had massed vast
numbers OF lOng-range guns and were
desperately, but their increas-
ine dearth of man bower was becOm-
ing more evident daily, and the pris-
Oners taken, though we'll fed and
clothed were Respondent and tired.
Afrer several days of preparatory
operations Field Marshal Haig on We'd
nesday attacked on 16-mile front
northwest of st. Quentin, from Gou-
zeaucOurt south of HClnon Wood. Be
fore nightfall the British had smashed
ahead to depth OF three miles. taking
Peiziere, La Verguiere. Epehy, ROns-
SOY, Villeret and other towns and bag
ging more than 5000 prisoners. The
primary object Of the drive, which was
ma6s IN hard rainstorm. was to gain
possession of the old British trench
system OF last March, running along
an Important ridge. Many of the best
fighting units In the German army were
opposed TO Haig's men. but the latter at
tnined 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
'Ocity guns massed behind the st.
Quentin canal, was more severe than
for a 'oRg tune before.
-M-
SImu ltaneously with Haigs attack,
he French hit the RochpS on n Ton.