A SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8462, 30 May 1916, Page 5

A SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

BULGARIANS INVADE GREECE

SALONICA, May 28. Iwenty-five thousand BuJgariane crossed the frontior and occupied the Kupel Pass. They demanded the surrender of the Greek fort and earthworks at the entrance to. the Struma Gorge, near Domirhissar, giving the garrison two hours'to retire. The Greek outposts offered a lively resistance, but finally withdrew upon receipt of instructions from Athens. The Bulgarians then occupied the station and the bridge at Demirhissar. There is considerable enemy activity on the banks of the Niosta, near Xanthia, where pontoons are being collected. Everything points to an important movement in Greek Macedonia. ATHENS, May 29. Tho Bulgarians crossed the frontir"at 3 in tho morning. The German and Bulgarian superior officers informed the Greek commander that they were obliged to seize Fort Rupel in order to assure the Bftigarian left wing against an attack by the Allies. They added that they would occupy all the forts which the Greeks recently constructed in the vicinity of Demirhissar to protect tho sector against a Bulgarian invasion.

Other forces of Bulgarians occupied tho Dcrvendu defile, invaded the plain west of the Struma, . and arc now marching on Kavala. ■ The Vonizelist newspapers are publishing the most strongly-worded articlos denouncing the.invasion. Later reports state that the 7>uigarians have occupied four more forts, including Port Cragotine, and have also reached Spatovo. There are considerable movements of Bulgarian troops in the Oxilar sector, where engineers are "bridging the Nestos.

The Sti'uma," or ■Kara-su, rises on the south slopes of Mount yitosa, south of Sofia, and flows west and then sonf-h.

crossing the Greek frontier at Kula. Ie than turns south-east, and afroicrossing tho Seres Plain flows into the Gulf of Orfani.

Rupel is a.bout five miles south of Kula, on the' Struma, its fortress-■•; commanding- the approaches through the narrow valley.

, Demirhissar, in tho province of Se.res, is on the Struma, at', tho pom twhere the railway from Salonica crosses the river and turns southward .tp Seres. Some months ago General Sovrail ordered the railway < bridge at Demirhissar t6;bo blown up. Demi'--, hissa-r is. 45 miles north-oast by north of Salonica. • •■ ■; '. ;'..'". .

Seres, on the railway from Snloniea to Dcdeagatch and Constantinople, •'.• is the most important town in Eastern Macedonia. It lies on the edge of the great. plain, and at the base of the mountains bounding the plain on the