IN THE BALKANS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17079, 31 January 1916, Page 7

IN THE BALKANS.

SALONIKA DEFENCES.

EXTRAORDINARILY STRONG

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. MILAN, January 28.

A message from Salonika states that the defences are now extraordinarily strong.

ALLIES OCCUPY GREEK PORT. (Received' January 30, 5.5 p m.) SALONIKA, January 29. The Allied marines occupied the Greek port on the Karaburun Peninsula, it the mouth of the Bay of Salonika. The Greek commander evacuated the port after mating a protest.

A FRENCH AIR RAID.

ENEMY CAMP BOMBED. (Received January 30, 5.5 p.m.) SALONIKA, January 29. French aeroplanes made a raid on the Gerir.au ;.nd Bulgarian camp at Pazarli. north-west of Lake Doiran. The troops were panic-stricken, and the damage don© was considerable.

DISCONTENTED BULGARS.

WEARY OF STRIFE,

MILAN, January 28

A message from Salonika states that the Bulgarian army is pervaded with malcontents, who are wearied of the strife, and always see in the present struggle the spectre of another Balkan war.

A CONFIDENT TURK.

CHUKRV BEY'S EXPECTATIONS. "NEW AND REGENERATE TURKEY." LONDON, January 28. The " Echo de Paris" says that Chukry Bey, president of the Committee of Union and Progress, interviewed, declared that Rumania had neglected two opportunities to enter the war advantageously, and that now it was unlikely that she would enter until the enemy was defenceless and Greece paralysed through fear of the Central Powers. Chukry Bey added: "If .we are conquerors we expect a new and regenerate Turkey." The correspondent says that Turkey is truculently claiming all the German successes and intends to clear out the Germans soon.

SERBIAN RETREAT.

FAVOURED BY WEATHER IN ALBANIA. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, January 29. The Serbian retreat in Albania *s favoured by weather and by the bridges r'oastrvctcd over the principal rivers by a Britisn mission.

A SPY'S STORY.

DINED WITH THE KAISER. GERMAN WORK IN SERBIA. " Timet"' and Sydney " Sun " Servioe*. LONDON, January 28. The spy who dined with tlio Kaiser relates that he was closely watched in Constantinople. The German Secret Service searched his papers at a hotel. He determined to leave as quickly as possible after the Press published the news that the Kaiser was coming to Belgrade. He describes how he managed to secure an invitation to the Nish banquet. He saw Halil Boy and explained that he desired' the great honour of seeing the All-Highest. Halil Bey was in such high spirits oVer the Gallipoli evacuation that ho gave him o. letter to the Prefect of Police at Stamboul. " The prefect told me that the only way to journey to Belgrade was in the German military train. I mentioned my interview with Enver Pasha, and asked him to facilitate my movements. The prefect replied that he would see if it was possible. He asked me to leave my passport and' call again in the morning. With much trepidation. I went again, and was given a passport permitting mo to travel on the military train. As the train aopronohod Nish a German noncom, looked out of the window,, and, seeing the decorations, exclaimed: 'Our Kaiser is here.' I was markedly uncomfortable at the banquet, even more than the Kaiser with his awful cough. If the Secret Service men surrounding the Kaiser had recognised me as having been in the war in the east before, there would have been a shorts and simple ceremony at the Town Hall, I playing the principal part. During the' journey in the militan train. I noticed the wonderful German work of repairing the broken rail bridges in Serbia, enabling the speediest transnnrt to Constantinople. Evidences of the retreat were visible, destroyed and tunnels, completely restored bridges, the remains of dead "horses, the careful German skinning of the carcases for the I heard frequentlv that the Germans intended to disguise the Bulgars in German uniforms in the event of an invasion of Greece. I saw immense quantities of uniforms at Nish, but I am not convinced' that the Germans will attack Salonika. They heartily inspect General finrrail. who c f> wonderful works at Verdun kent them off. _ The Turks de not want the Salonika invasion. Thev are heivilv entrenched south of fearing an attack north-west of Constantinople."