Licking Valley courier., 1918-09-26
Reorganized Serbian Army Starts
an Important 0ffensjye on
the SaIoniki FroiH
BULGARIANs ARE IN FLIGHT
Franco-British Forces Closing Down
on St. Quentin Despite Strong Re-
sistance-Americans Smelling a
Metz-Austria's PEACE sue-
sestion Promptly Re- Y
Jected.
BY EDWARD W. PlcKARp. ~,

With a regenerated and ifeOrgaDlzed
army, Serbia took the Lead last week.
-s1nushrng tnef Hun and 6fs -ailissa'
Aided by French and Greek contin-
gents, the hard-fghting Serbians struck
at the Salonlki front held by the Bull
garians and certain German units.
They struck hard, too, and within three
days had advanced II miles on a %
mile 'front.' taking 50 towns, including
the strongest of the enemy positions.
Al first the resistance was stubborn.
but 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
pletely 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 esti-
nIate the quantities of material that
fell into their hands.
This Serbian advance by the end of
the week was seriously menaclng the
city of Prilip one of the chief bases
of the central powers in Macedonia. II
is not beyond the bounds of possibil-
ity that 1t may later be connected up
with the operations OF the allies in Al
banla, of which little has been heard
lately. A good many authorities long
have held the opinion that the war can
be brought to u successful end soonest
by u great offensive In the Balkan re-
giOn, cutting Off Turkey and Bulgaria
fiOm their allies and threatening Aus
tria from the south,
~
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-Dames 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 cllnglng t.
the Hindenburg line through most o
its length. The Huns had maSsed vas
numbers of lOng-range guns and wer'
resisting desperately, hut their increas
Ing dearth of man power was becon
ing more evident daily, and the pris
-oners taken, though well fed an'
clothed, Were despondent and tired
After several days Of preparation,
operations Field Marshal Haig on We'd
nesday attacked on 16-mile from
northwest Of st. Quentin, from Gou
zeaucourt south Of Holnon Wood. Be
fore nlghtfall the British had smnshe,
ahead to depth of three miles, takln
: Peiziere, La vergulere, Epehy Ron,
soy, Villeret and other towns and has
ging more than 6,0Q0 prisoners. TIL
= primary object of the drive, which wa
made in n hard ruinStorm. was to gal
: possession of the old British irene
U system Of last March, running alon
J. an important ridge. Many Of the hes
fighting units in the German army wer
q opposed to Uaig's pen, hut the latter II
L. tained their object In the main and ,
L some nonts went further than hn
II been expected, The artillery work ,
u the Germans, especially with high v
loclty guns mussed behind the $
Quentin canal, was more severe tina
8 for long time before.
10
e simultaneously with H0lg's attac
the French hit the Boches on n te
mile front south Of 81. Quentin, advun
Ing more than mile and taking fol
m ylllnges md hunlrods OF nrIsnneI