NOTES ON THE CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16782, 25 August 1916, Page 5

NOTES ON THE CABLES.

By Shrapnel,

EAST AFRICA. 'J lie noithern half ot Gentian Eafct Africa hat, U,ou cleared of the enemy loro< s by General bomite. General Van iJer Venter, liaving reached the railwaj b> advancing from Kondoa-lrangi, has piudicd hi& way eastward along tho l)ar-es-Kalaam central railway through Mpwapwa to Kidotc, about 20 miles west of tho more important town of Kilo&sa, which is only 135 jiules by iad fioin Dar-esiSalaam. By now hu should bo at Kilo&sa. On the coast, north ot iJar-es-Salaam, Tanga, Pangaru, fckidani, and Bag<unojo have been successively occupied b> a lintish column, acting under General lloekms. Bagamojo was, it will bo remembered, seized by a na\al forco. 'Hut town is now a base from which General lloskins will, in conjunction with tho other columns that aro being directed by General Si; luis, advance upon the labt important stionghold of tho Germans. While General Van Der Venter is working dovi n tho railway to the coast, another British column is approaching- Mrogoro, about 100 miles from Dar-es-Salaam. Another column of South Africans from Rhodesia has reached iringa, in the centre of tho mountainous district between Kilossa and the head of Lake Nyassa. General Van Der Venter lias thrown his column acioss the railway. He will probably effect a junction with Geheral Nortliey's column of youth Africans, in order to prevent any German forces from attempting to roach Lake Nyassa or tho western country. Portuguese " troops are watching along the Rovurna, which is tho boundary between the German and Portuguese colonies. Threequarters of German East Africa is now in tho hands of tho British, and the quarter now being defended by tho Germans is the south east corner of tho territory. , When the Germans are driven from Dar-Ccs-Saldam, if they do not elect to make a stand there, they will retire to tho delta of tho Rufiji River, where exists all that icmains of tho Konigsberg. How many German white troops there are in German East Africa it is difficult to estimate. It is safe to assume, however, that, with the crew of the Konigsbetg and the German settlers who have joined tho regular forces, tho number is betw eon two and three thousand. The natives, forming the main body of the German forces, are Askaris, v. ho, drilled and equipped by German officers. must bo good soldiers, as they aro equal in physique to the Zulus of South Africa Tho number of Askaris fighting for the Germans may range from 10,000 to 15,000, for it is known that Germany, long before tho war, made arrangements for training those natives. Germany's intentions were to seize Belgian Congo, but when Great Biitain entered the war tho Germans, with their Asbari army, invaded British East Afiica, in tho direction of Nairobi, about the" centre of the Mombasa-Victoria Nyanza lailway. Prom there they were' driven by a British forco consisting of British tioops, - (South Africans, Indians, and native trained troops. The British troops, at first too few to undertake the offensive, had been strengthened by brigades from Egypt, India, and South Africa, and since tho Germans were driven out of British East Africa General Smuts has continued successfully the offensive, and is now about to corral the enemy in tho last quarter of the German territory which has not been yet overrun by the British, and, as he has ample well-armed forces to deal with tho Germans, the campaign should soon end. When Dar-es-Salaam is taken tho end v ill be near, and General Botha has stated, as soon as the conquest is completed, a largo body of troops will bo available for servico m Europe. Just now a large portion of theso troops would bo very useful in Mesopotamia.

THE GREEK SPIRIT. The spirit of tho Greeks has risen superior to tho traitorous policy of its pro-German Monarch and the pro-German sycophants in his court. Tho defence of Theapeira and Starcista has opened tho sluice-gates of Greek patriotism, -which will in all likelihood sweep away the nest of politicians wipo degrade tho. nation which owes so much to Liitam, Russia, and France for having helped her to throw off the Turkish yoke. Water and oil do not mix. The aspirations and feelings of tho Greeks are as different from tho«e of tho'Bulgars as are the propel ties of oil from those of water. Greek patriots ha\ e still green in their memories the atrocities committed against their blood relations and co-religionists by the Bulgarian comitadjis prior to the Balkan war of 1912. The (intral comxnittec oi thoso Bulgar cut-throats existed m Sofia and tho design in Macedonia was to eliminate all nationalities other than Bulgarian aijd all those who acknowledged an\ religiou? head other than that of ifje E\archato of Bulgaria. It was tho intention of tho Bulgarian plotters and their ambitious and \ain ■sovereign to establish the head of their religion at Constantinople and to annex all tlio possessions of tho " S'ck Man " of Europe from the Black Sea to tho coasts of Albania, It is tho fear of Russia getting possession of Constantinople that led King Ferdinand and tho supporters of the l'an Bulgai ian policy to join tho Germans, who astuteh made uso of the aims and ambitions of tho'King and the Exarch alo The vain ambition's of tho Bulgars and* their King and tho Geiman wifo qf Constantino of Greece h,r\e contributed to tho existence of the presont troubles in tho Balkans. To this cause the martjrdom of Serbia and Montenegro, and in great part tho massacre of the Armenians may be asciibed, and, come nearer home, the treacherous policy of both kings assisted the Turks immensely and was a factor in tho d'>al!i of manj gallant New /colanders ami AiMialians. Wo in this country have an interest in the heroic acts of those gallant Greeks who defended Theupctra and StdlClhtd. It is to be hoped they are th'o beginning of a greater movement on the pait of tho Greeks If tho spirit of Leonidas still lives, Greece will jet bo seen fighting beside the Allies.

THE POSITION AT SALONIKA From Athens the news is (irculatcd that tho Bulgarians have not vet occupied Soros, Kavalki, nor Urania. I his is intended to mollif\ the 'Ctieeks. Crock .soldiers are determined to defend Sores. TJiat is unfortunate. as they -will expect the Allies to assist them, and it was no part of Geneial Sarr.uTs strategy jo fight eastward of the Simula On the other hind, if the Greeks .it Seres are attacked by the Bulbars, it may rous° the >vholo of the Greeic people to a fron/.y of patriotism. General Sarrail holds all tho country west of Lake Tachmos and the struma, and north of the Dorian-Demirhissir railway up to tho slopes of tho Belasliitza Mountains, which run parallel with that part of tho railw av West of tho Vardar River are tho French and Serbians. The Serbians and French hold a hno fiom Floiina and Lake Ostrovo eastward across tho Mot;l( rut/a the Vardar. It is up tho Moglcnitz.i lhafc tho Serbians are adducing At pris-ont they ,uo driving the onomv out of Greek territory and are approaching the ( ern.i Valley. Ilioir objCft to outflink the Bulgarian forces in tho Yardar Valley and tho positions of the enemy at Vallandovo and Demirkapu. m order that the Allies may ,idva.nco up the V-irdir Valley and have the assistance of the Vardar railway. It is an attempt to drive a wedge between the Bulgarians and Monastir It is understood thjit the movement is progressing favourably, and that the efforts of the enemy west, of Lake Ostrovo are not of any groat military significance. The Serbian offensive has begun in earnest

and it may bo taken as a sign that thf forcos of General Sarrail are also about U do the same.

A SIGNIFICANT LULL. Tliero is a lull on General Brusiloff'S front. Ho is simply holding tho enemy J list now either while he reorganises Ilia forcos, or 'n expectation of some dramatic ■step which is about to bo taken by Romania and tho Allies at Salonika. The political atmosphere in tho Balkans promises to bo extremely interesting during' the ncit week or fortnight. German reports deny that General von Mack onsen is on tha west front, and declare that ho has charge of tho A u stro-Turco-Bulgar forces. It does pot matter where ho is, but wherever ho now goes ho will find that it is easier to fight munition!oss Russians and war-worn weak Serbia with huge armies at his back, than it is to fight the well equipped Allies cither on tho west front or at Salonika. With Rumania on the verge of baking tho field and Austria a virtually broken Power, it will take ail his genius to avert disaster if ho is in command north of Salonika- It is just possible that General Brusiloff is staying his hand ■while guns and munitions aro being poured into Romania. There is sorno connection between tho appearance of tho Italians at Salonika and the war feeling that is growing in Rumania. Hm Rumanians claim to be Latins, and there is a bond of sympathy between them and their ancient home, Italy.