THE BALKANS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3244, 17 May 1916, Page 59

THE BALKANS.

TRANSPORTING THE SERBIANS. LONDON, May 8. The Admiralty describes as an absolute fabrication the wireless message to the German Embassy at Washington stating that Athens reports that the British and French are violating the Geneva flag by transporting Serbs from Corfu to Salonika on hospital ships. M. VENIZELOS IN PARLIAMENT. ATHENS, May 9. M. Venizelos has been elected for Mitylene. [M. Vcnizelosi was Premier of _ Greece when the Allies first vent to Salonika, but was "jockeyed" out of the position by pro German intrigue. He took no part in the recent elections.] ACTIVITY IN THE BALKANS. SALONIKA, May 10. There is intense artillery activity on the entire Macedonian front. SOCIALIST DEMONSTRATIONS IN SOFIA. ATHENS, May 10. Thousands of Socialists held an antidynastic and anti-war demonstration at Sofia. The police fired into the crowd, killing 13 and wounding 75. Deputy Clankoff and numerous demonstrators were arrested. BULGARIANS FOR SALONIKA. ODESSA, May 13. Thirty-six thousand Bulgarians on the Dobrudja frontier (of Rumania) have been transferred to Salonika.

GREECE'S DILEMMA.

NEW YORK, May 13. Advices from Athens declare that Greece is bankrupt. The army has not been paid for two months, and the soldiers' families are destitute. The Government must have £40,000,000 to set the finances in order, and the only way to get it is to enter the war on the side of the Allies. The Ministry must fall if it persists in its policy of neutrality. GREEK VILLAGE BOMBARDED. SALONIKA, May 14. The Germans bombarded the Greek village of Mayadala, across the frontier from Ghevgeli, killing 24 and wounding five of the inhabitants. French aeroplanes bombarded the Bulgarian positions at Ghevgeli, wounding many soldiers and causing fires in the infantry barracks. Skirmishes have occurred during the past fortnight between our yeomanry and the Uhlans, the enemy losing 24 killed, besides prisoners and wounded. Our losses were nil. PRISONERS AT DAMASCUS. LONDON, May 14. Colonel Coventry, with 20 officers and 230 men, are prisoners at Damascus. [On April 24 a force of Worcester Yeomanry was captured in a rearguard action at Quatia, east of the Suez Canal.] RUMANIA IMPRESSED. LONDON, May 14. The Rumanian press pays a tribute to Britain's military effort, and admires her new system of compulsion. La Roumanie says : "More significant "still is the action of the dominions, which appeared before the war to be only nominally attached to England. These men voluntarily quitted an existence as comfortable as any in the world. They belonged to all classes, enjoyed the greatest liberties, and were not imbued with militarism." TRANSPORT OF SERBIAN TROOPS. ATHENS, May 14. The Greek Government lias informed the Entente Powers that Greece will not insist on her objections to transporting the Serbian troops across Greece. LEAVING ATHENS. LONDON, May 14. Le Temps (Paris) says that the Bulgarian and Austria-Hungarian Consuls have cleared out from Athens with their staffs and archives.