THE NEAR EAST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17426, 21 September 1918, Page 7

THE NEAR EAST

MACEDONIAN OFFENSIVE. BULGARIANS IN FLIGHT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. NEW YORK, September 19. The Allies are advancing rapidly in Macedonia. The Bulgarians are fleeing, burning the villages. Many prisoners and guns have been taken. SERBIANS' RAPID ADVANCE. OVER TWELVES MILES PROGRESS. Australian and N.Z. Cable AssooiatiQn and Router. LONDON, September 19. Serbian communique: Surmounting the formidable difficulties of the high mountains, we are pursuing by day and night the completely beaten enemy. We have taken Topoaeth, Kuchkovkamen, Poltchichte, Bechichte, Melynitsa, Vitolichte, and Ramisliey. Our advance now exceeds 12 miles. New Bulgarian reinforcements have been beaten and forced to retreat. The fleeing enemy are burning villages and stores. Our prisoners and booty have not been coujttfd owing to the rapidity of our advance. COUNTER-ATTACKS REPULSED. GERMAN TROOPS PUT TO FLIGHT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. NEW YORK, September 19. (Received Sept. 21, at 1.50 a.m.) A Serbian official statement received at the Serbian Legation from the Macedonian front says; We have repulsed a number of violent counter-attacks in the Koziak region, and German troops sent to aid the Bulgarians were put to flight We continue to advance along the whole front. Our prisoners exceed 4000, and more than 50 guns were captured. PRISONERS TOTAL TWENTY THOUSAND. BULGARIAN DEFENCE BROKEN. LONDON, September 19. The Serbians are now on the edge of the Cejpa River plains. They have broken tile Bulgarian defeiic©. The S-srl> cavalry has reached Plodike. Other Serbian cavalry is advancing on Prilep (over 20 miles north of Mon astir). It is estimated that the prisoners total over 20,C00. BRITISH ABANDON BAKU. OWING TO ARMENIAN TREACHERY. NEW YORK, September 19. The Turks claim to have captured Baku (on the Caspian Sea, centre of a great mineral oil industry). The British evacuated Baku owing to the Armenians' failure to 00-operate with them. LONDON, September 19. The British evacuated Baku in the middle of September after severe fighting. The Armenians acted treacherously. It is feared that the lost heavily. HIS PROPER PLACE. ENVER PASHA'S STAR WANING. LONDON, September 19. / (Received Sept. 20, at 7.30 p.m.) Turkish advices state that Enver Pasha is not in the new Sultan's favour; consequently he is seeking an appointment in the German army. SURPRISE ATTACK IN PALESTINE. A BRILLIANT OPERATION. STRONG TURKISH POSITIONS CARRIED. THREE THOUSAND PRISONERS CAPTURED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter. \ LONDON, September 20. (Received Sept. 20. at 11.55 p.m.) A report from the Palestine Headquarters states: On ■ Thursday General AH-enby's army brilliantly carried a whole series of Turkish fortified positions from across the Plain of Sharon. It was a supprise attack on the enemy's strongest entrenchments. The infantry attacked after 10 minutes' bombardment, and swiftly carried the elaborate systems. This enabled the Yeomanry Australian Lip-hfc Horse, and Indian cavalry to pass through. The horsemen are now in the enemy's rear. Fully TfoOQ prisoners were taken. To-day the position is most promising. Australian and British airmen incessantly bombed and machine-gunned enemy troops and transport.