IN THE BALKANS

North Otago Times, Volume CII, Issue 13462, 5 January 1916, Page 5

IN THE BALKANS

! OCCUPATION OP KAISER'S VILLA. i NOTIFICATION TO GREECE. ATHENS, • January 11. Tim British military million!ios hafe notified Greece of an intention to oc'•iip.v (lift Kaiser's magnificent villa :it. •/ni'l'u as a hospital for wounded snh tliers. \ [ i AEROPLANE AMBULANCE. REMOVAL OF .SERBIAN WOUNDED. During lliej Serbian relreal a number of wounded were removed to Scutari by means of six aoroplanes. ACTIVITY BY THE ALLIES REPORTED GERMAN REPRISALS, CONSULS GUILTY OP ESPIONAGE. PARIS, January 'I. The Allies are taking action to prevent, air attacks at Salonika. The. utilisation of Hie Serbian army hero is being considered. A report comes from Sofia to llie effect thai, as a. reprisal for the arrest of the Consuls at-Salonika, the Government. linn decided to arrest the officials of (lift British, French, and Serbian Legations who remained at hiolia when their cliiefn left. The Hellenic Government lias promised the arrest of its subjects on suspicion of espionage. SALONIKA, January ,1. The Allies arrested a neutral Consul ; bearing a German name. It is reported that Ihe documents found in the AnsIrian and German Consulates implicate him in espionage. The upshot is live hundred other arrests. -I THE DUTY OF GREECE. ! KING CONSTANTINE'S STATEMENT. 'f GREECE MUST STAND ALOOF." ALLIED DIPLOMACY AND ' STRATIMV CRITICISED. LONDON, January Further particulars are supplied by 'Mr Ma."tin Douohoe, at Alliens, of the interview with King Constantiue, in •which lie was authorised to convey a message fo the King Hint he was actuated by a genuine and sincere friendship for the Sovereign and people of flreat Britain. King Constantino further stated' VTlie Allies' lieroc light that still beats

upon I lie. Iliiiiiii' is ciiiii-i'iilnili'il. I vvi'ii I yj;>M hm HIV ;i| j s a m . n( | |;) | lijjlil I'illirr, |!|i|. my ;| M| | liiivc Mill, I I modified, Invauso ' am a 111:111 nl' lintmur, ;m<l ] waul; to K«'l litis /irmly inlo Iho heads nf Hid Loudon editors, jiikl the miinlK nf tlio unglisli people. 11, is said Hint, OiTem after a /Iu;il victory, which Iho Allies regard as already theirs, will bo sent toCoventry J'or forfeiting Dip j'rio,i(i--"l'ip Of I lie Entente, | cannot | lo lp that. Aly duly Js | 0 |) t , ni>l| .| n|li | ((o not desirii In join eiilir>r belligerent, for I nni convinced Hint il. is in the |>cst interests "of fireece to stand aloof, hpenking dispassionately, J cannot sec Hint the military results neliioved up to to-day justify the Entente's belief in a final crushing victory, f frankly wiy, us a soldier, tlmt I' would vieiy Willi positive alarm the prospect of at ; lacking Germany; not because of my relationship wifli tlm Kaiser, but simply because fiermaiiy has ]iroved a powerful military nation, But I would view with still greater apprehension the prosI'M of attacking England, knowing she could blow my coast towns about my oars, and put a speedy end to (3rook commerce." . King Constantino expressed the opinion that the Bulgars would not cross Hie frontier, but if they did would depart peacefully after llio operations will the Allies, He did not see any reason for the Allies remaining at Salonika, lie conld . understand it while there was a possibility of ai<lin>» Serbia, but that had failed, and lie did not expect an .offensive on either side in the Balkans, He paid a tribute to the heroism and tenacity of the troops at the Dardanelles, bill,' added that if the Allies had listened to the counsels nf those who understood the difficulties better, they should never have son? there,

BALKAN fITOfIM CENTRE'MOVING, TROOPS RUSHING TO ALBANIA. | HACK FOR THE COAST LINE, Received January I, at 0.30 p.m. LONDON, .I,ninary 4. A correspondent writing from Milan says Bulgarian I mops arc rushing forward l'rnm Oelirida, towards the centre and south of Albania whilst an AiistroGorman column is seeking to penetrate frnm the north, bill, owing 1o (he impossibilily of conveying heavy artillery Hip Austrians arc sending mountain guns. Bulgaria 'a objective is Valona and that- of the Austrians Dnram Only a few Bulgarian troops have been left to' guard against nir Anglo-French attack. Meanwhile the Austrian army is held in cheek by the Montenegrins at Sanjak and have been repulsed at Vimino and Bnlcova. The Italians have' not. yet been in contact with the Austrians in Albania.

MENACING RUMANIA. BIG FORCE OF GERMANS ON THE FRONTIER. ROME, January 4. The Corricre d'ltalia's Petrograd correspondent says half a million AustroGermans aro near the Rumanian frontier. . AEROPLANE ACTIVITY. FRENCH MOM BARD AUSTRIAN CAMPS. Received .Innnnry 4, at !M5 p.m. ATHENS,,I miliary 4, French aeroplanes successfully bombarded'ilio Austrian wimps at. (llinyjjlieli. CHASING SUBMARINES. LOSS OF TWO IN BLACK SEA, Received January 4, at O.HO p.m, AMSTERDAM,, January 4. The crew of a German submarine, recently sunk at Varna, were buried with the utmost, secrecy. II is reported that during the Russian bombardment of A T arna a Russian destroyer pursued another,submarine. The latter struck a mine anil sank. MASTERY OF THE ADRIATIC. DESPERATE STRUGGLE IN PROGRESS. IMPORTANCE OF CATTARO. ROME, January 4. A desperale struggle for the mastery of the Adriatic has been raging for a week, Since Hie commencement, of the war, Hie Austrians have maintained f'aflain as a naval' base for operations in the Adriatic, the /Egean and tin; Mediterranean. Cattaro is only vulnerable from the Montenegrin position of Mont l.ngen which the Austrians are attacking. If the Montenegrins, with (lie Allies hold Mont Logon, thoy can eventually force the Austrians to aW don Cattarn.

WAR AQAINBT AUSTRIA. ESSAD PASHA'S DECLARATION. ALBANIA TN THE MAELSTROM, Received January J, 11.3 ft p.m. ATHENS, January I It is officially announced that Essad Pasha, nominal ruler of Albania has declared war with Austria. ARREST OF CONSULS. NORWEGIAN REPRESENTATIVE ARRESTED. Received January -Itli, 11.30 p.m. ATHENS, January 4. The Norwegian Consul was the neutral arrested al 'Salonika.