OFFENSIVE IN THE BALKANS.

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13655, 24 August 1916, Page 3

OFFENSIVE IN THE BALKANS.

TRADITIONAL TOE. BULGAR. INVASION RESENTED. / FIERCE FIGHTING IN EASTERN • : " 'MACEDONIA. . J GREEK. SOLDIERS REFUSE • GOVERNMENT ORDERS. . ■ ' ■■ i (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association). Received August 23, at 9.45 p.m. . ATHENS, August 23. . ] The Greeks in Salonika made a demon- . station in which they protested against. : the Bulgarian invasion, They decided to defend Macedonia themselves if the ■ Government policy of neutrality re- ( mained unchanged, ("The Times" Service.) Received August 23, at 0.-15 p.m. ; , ATHENS, August 22, ' , The- Bourse is severely depressed. . • The'. Government regard as garrison. At. fort TJiiepetra.. The com- j mander was killed resisting the Bulgarians. .•<"<■' ' Anti-Gounarist feeling is rising, ! I (Australian and N.Z, Cable Association,) Received August 23, at 9.45 p.m. ATHENS, August 23. Despite contrary, orders the Greek troops in the region of Seres have been fighting the Bulgarians since yesterday. , The Greek commander has called up all ' the reservists in that region. 1 Received August .23,. at 9.45 p.m. ' • , ;.;. LONDON, August 23. ; The Athens correspondent of the ' Morning Post says: With the. wholesale invasion .of Greek- Macedonia, all thought, of holding the Greek elections iias been abandoned, This is doubt; less,-one ofithe effects.intended by the ■ , Germans with the object of preventing the return of M. Venezelos. The repo/Jt; ; is confirmed that the Greek garrison'at fort Theipetra refused to surrender and fired on the Bulgarians. It is also reported that the entire Sixth Greek Division at Seres bloodily resisted. The Government sent urgent orders directing the. cessation of the fighting and , ordering a retirement. OFFENSIVE DEVELOPS .VIOLENTLY. £ ' BULGARS OCCUPY SEVERAL I POINTS. (Australian and N.Z, Cable Association.) Received August 23, at 9.45 p.m. . ROME, August 23, The Salonika correspondent of "Ag'ehzia Nazionale" says: The enemy is thrusting with great violence against the Allied left wing. Fighting is especially fierce south of Fiorina and towards Doiran. The enemy occupied Lisa and the Greek fort dominating Seres, MOST SIGNIFICANT ADVANCE. GERMANY'S BROKEN PROMISES. ' ~ (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received August. 23, at j0.20 p.m. ' LONDON, August 23. Mr W. L. Meries writing front Athens, says: The Bulgarian advance on Kpzini is: most significant, because the Germans are'anxious to re-open communications with Greece by this route. The position of the Germans in Athers is.-■difficult, .They are actually without money. Recently the German Minister officially, informed the Greek Government that:the German-Bulgarian troops would not occupy Seres, Drainn or Kavalln. ~ ANGLO-FRENCH REPORT. (I BULGARIANS HANDLED I VIGOROUSLY. [Australian and N.Z. Cable Association), ceived August 23, at 9.45 p.m, LONDON, August 22, The War Office reports: The situation on.the Doiran front is unchanged. We destroyed the railway bridges at Angisfa and the siatiou on the Struma front on the 2flth. Our mounted troops, eo % operating with the French, successfully located the enemy on the Seres »Sara,jek front, Onr artillery stopped the advance of the, enemy's skirmishers towards Kopriva bridge. We also dispersed working parties entrenching opposite Kamanjnn and Kavdarmas, THE MACEDONIAN LANDING. "' DEMONSTRATES ALLIED . STRATEGICAL UNITY. (''The Times" Service.) Received August. 23, at 10,2:1 p.m. LONDON, August 23. The Times in a-leader on the Macedonian landing says: The landing must create the deepest impression on the Balkan peoples, governments and rulers. The new campaign strikingly demonstrates that allied strategical unity has ■been fully"' achieved and is beginning to

be felt on the whole vast theatre of war, resulting iii a ilwblc-front war so dreaded by German strategists. We have the initiative everywhere, including Salonika, Ultimate victory is assured,'" ] RUMANIA ON THE VERGE, s CRITICAL SITUATION. '■ . t RAILWAYS REQUISITIONED AND SOLDIERS RECALLED. GERMANY BLUFFING, (Australian and N.Z, Cable Association,) , ROME', August 22/ The Frankfurter Zeitung says that j the Rumanian Ministry of Foreign Af- 1 fairs has directed couriers to traverse Russia -and Sweden instead of through' 1 Austria and Germany, . The situation in Bucharest is j critical, < Athens reports that the Rumanian ] railways have been requisitioned and ( soldiers have been recalled from leave, • Wolffs' Agency circulates a report ithat Austria and Germany are preparing jnn'ultimatum to Rumania, ~ SERBIAN WITHDRAWAL, ' GERMAN VERSION OF OPERATIONS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, August 23: 1 A German conimuniqne says: All the : Serbian positions from Malka to Nidze- J planum have been taken. We drove 1 the French across the Struma between j Butkovo and Tahinos, and captured the 1 Sinlinica-Englanina ridge. ALLIES FURTHER REINFORCED. 1 ARRIVAL OF RUSSIANS AND " .:, • ITALIANS. CONSTERNATION IN BULGARIA. ; (Australian and N.Z, Cable Association,) SALONIKA, August 22, The' streets were thronged in welcome of the Italian troops. The occasion presented not only a military ■spectacle, but a unique gathering of almost all the Allies, a score of races being represented. The Italians are commanded by General Derarets, Shouts of "Vive' Italia" greeted the men. General Sarrail presented the Legion of Honour to Italian officers. The news of the fall of Gorizia, arriving the same day added flavour to the martial l scene, 1 Equal enthusiasm was evinced on ; the occasion of the landing of the Russian force. . The Russian Consul and a group of Greek priests blessed the land- : ing, The martial (bearing of the newcomers impressed the population, Now there arc Russians upon every front from the Caucasus to the Champagne, except one. ROME, August 22, A wireless message states that the' arrival of the Italian and Russian troops has caused consternation among the Bulgars, Many desertions from their ranks are reported, ADVANCE IN THE EAST. GREEKS EVACUATE KAVALLA, (Australian am) N.z, Cable Association,) ROME, August 22, A wireless states that the Bulgars continue to advance in Eastern Macedonia. Three Greek divisions have embarked at Kaynlla, where the Greek forts have been handed over to the invaders, There was no time to remove the guns ami ammunition. REPARATION FOR SERBIA'S MURDER, CO-ORDINATION OF ALLTES, (Australian and N,JS. Cable Association.) ROME, August 22, The newspapers nre optimistic regarding the Salonika enterprise. They declare that all the Powers of the Entente are participating and there will be reparation exacted for Serbia's martyrdom. Never has the conception of such a unique front assumed a more ! exact concrete, reality, The expedition must be an obsessing menace to the enemy,