BALKAN MOVEMENTS.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XX, Issue 5259, 19 October 1915, Page 5

BALKAN MOVEMENTS.

CUTTING OFF BULGARIAN SUPPLIES FROM AUSTRIA. STRUMNITZA OCCUPIED AND RAILROAD SEIZED. ITALY SENDING WARSHIPS TO HELP COASTAL BLOCKADETRANSFORMATION OF DARDANELLES FLEET.

Press Association. —Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.

FAVOURABLE JO RUSSIANSBEATING GERMAN EFFORTS.

RESOURCES MOBILISED

Petrograd, Last Night.

General PoLivanoff (Wax Minister) announces that the results of the intense labour of the whole nation are felt on every front. The German offensive has been completely stopped. The Russian position can only now be improved by its resources of m,en and labour. The Allies are lending efficacious aid in the matter of military supplies. Official messages show that widespread fighting has been generally favourable to the Russians. The Germans made tentative attacks south-east- of Riga In order to distract attention from Dvinsk, where they are preparing for a last effort to capture the town before the winter. In anticipation of failure the Germans are constructing elaborate underground quarters provided with a field railway, making three lines of defence of their present position.

At Riga, the enemy captured Garrozen, but were immediately thrown back. At Grossekan the Germans made several attacks south-east of Riga. The Russian aeroplanes t lire tv a number of bombs at trains at the rear service at Dvinsk. The enemy are persistent in the region of Shishkovo. During flank and rear movements the Russians partly exterminated and captured the Germans. The trenches were piled with German dead. Large forces of Kirghiz (Trans-Cas-pian) tribesmen, if not one whole army, are likely to appear in the field after the necessary training. The Kirghiz population numbers 12 millions. and the authorities are anxious to utilise sneli hardy material. The Czar and the Czarevitch have gone to headquarters. The Czar had many hours conference with Alexieff. resulting in the high efficency of the army. He meets the foreign generals attached to the staff and later reviews tin 1 regiments going to the front. The , Russian refugees now number two millions. BEATING THE BULGARIANS. SUCCESS OF ALLIED FORCES. M ACKENSEN DEPP ESSED. Athens, Last Night. Official: The Allies have occupied Stnunnitza and fixe protection of the railway from Salonika is assured. The Bulgarians are striking for Kumanovo which the Allies are seeking to leach and fortify before the Bulgarians are able to separate the Serbians from the Allies. The French troops in Macedonia, had their baptism of tiro near the railway bridge at Yalandova. where 40.000 Bulgarians are attacking. Fighting is proceeding. .Messages state that 40.000 are attacking Yalandovo and Houdovo bridge, and fighting continued till midday on Sunday without the Bulgarians securing a decisive result. Reuter s Athens correspondent says it is unofficially stated that the Serbians and the Allies at Yalandovo repulsed the Bulgarians. who are retreating to Strnmnitza. The Bulgarians are disappointed at the smallness of the German forces.

Diplomatic circles state that general Afackensen demantled reinforcements to continue the offensive on the whole front. He , r iduiits that the advance will he slow and will cost a great effort. Ixmdon. Last Night. Latest news shows there is little prospect of Italy sending an army to the Balkans. though there are hints that she w ill assist m other directions. I he German newspapers pay tribute to the heroic braver*- of tin* Serbians. The Crown Prince directed the deli rices of Belgrade to the last and did not think of flight until the enemy were within the town, when In* escap'd with the captain of the general -taff. The rest of the staff were either raptured or killed fighting. GRFKCK’S ATTITi:DF. Home, Last Night. Dr. Dillon affirms that Greece’s attitude is conditioned by a formal arrangement between the Kaiser and King Constantino which can be modified in our favour only by the irresistibb* pressure of ei renin stances which may vet. la* created. King Constantine's object Is to redeem the pledge given to his brother-in-law without incurring the anger of the Allies, whose command of the seas, puts Greece at their mercy. Hence M. \ ene/.elos is kept re,my tor emergency. GALLIPOLI FIGHTING. SLA I'GHTF.R NOT IN VAIN. Loudon. Last N igli t. The Sunday Times publishes an inl ten iew w ith .Mr Ashmead Bartlett, who said: The results of the fighting, on Gallipoli were liighlv unfavourable to oim'kclvos, Apart trom the conception and doubtful paternity of the expedition we committed every conceivab’e blunder in our methods of carrying it out. Few jadmlx engaged in the enterprise knew the Turks’ lighting rpialitics or the geography of the eoimtrv. The appalling slaughter on Gallipoli was not altogether In tain. The blood of the Australians, New Zealanders. Britishers and Indians proved that, we .ire still a great light in«/ people and «ur prestige is highi r than it. was before the war. denote the reverse, which wits set ions. Wo cannot fulfil at will the promises mtti'lc txi Servin. As usual we were

scrupulously fair to our enemies, and we warned them in time to be prepared. The Allies ought to have occupied Serbia n-Maeedonia two months ago. Instead Bulgaria waited until the failure of the Dardanelles was manifest and then it joined Germany. It is out of the question for the Allies to win victory in the Balkans this w inter. It will require half a million even to win victory in the spring. If defeated the Germans will merely retire to their frontiers leaving us to keep Bulgaria and Turkey in subjection. The few: divisions sent to Salonika can do little. The time has come to seriously re-consider our position without self-deception and no longer exhaust our resources on enterprises of secondary importance.

ASHMEAD BARTLETT STORY

WORK OF THE NAVY

London, Last Night. 51 r A.shmead Bartlett, in an article in the Daily Telegraph on the Navy’s splendid record in the Dardanelles, sa vs:

The arrival of the submarine as an active factor in naval warfare entirely altered the role for which other units were originally designed. The most responsible duty which now devolves on light cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats is not to attack the enemy's capital ships, but the protection of our own battle squadrons against under-water attack. Modern gunnery has already rendered torpedo boats obsolete for their original purpose, namely, an offensive weapon against armoured ships. The only instance in this war of a battleship being torpedoed by above-water craft was the unfortunate Goliath, which was thrice torpedoed in the Dardanelles on May 13 by a Turkish destroyer with a German crew. f The precision of modern gunnery -has also diverted destroyers from the original purposes of defence against torpedo boats. Phis war has shown that the destroyer is the only effective antidote to submarine attack. It is not a perfect ox- ideal defence, but is the best available, and lots performed an immense service. The amount of work accomplished by the destroyer flotilla in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Dardanelles has been stupendous. Its labours are little known to the public, hut are fully recognised l>v the armv and navy. The destroyers worked for twelve months almost without a break. Their first job was to watch tie* Australian fleet patrol the Adriatic a rid Eastern Mediterranean, but their most arduous task commenced when Turkey joined in. They kept up through the winter an incessant patrol of the Dardanelles and Asiatic coast, tossed hv terrible gab's, with the decks never dry for weeks. Emerging from the loe of Tenedos. the destroyers steamed to the entrance of the Straits. the howling storms blotting out their view a hundred yards distant. They encountered at the entrance a four-knot current and an east- wind, compelling them to steam knots ahead in order to maintain their stations. Lying in Die trough of the sea their d**eks were swept- by huge green seas until the most experienced seamen were sick from sheer exhaustion None aboard could keep dry. and tho gal lev fires could not be kept alight. The deck was frequently covered with ice, and th* 1 men a oilskins were frozen but still despite the awful conditions the gallant crews never for a moment relaxed their ijrip in the Dardanelles. Never, even in the old days before Brest and Toulon. have our navymen show it greater determination or suffered greater hardships. The spring brought fine weather and subduing conditions, hut the work of the destroyers was harder when active operations against the Dardanelles commenced in February. Many destroyers were mine-sweeping. After the outer forts were reduced t<> ruins under heavy fire, the remaining forts with concealed batteries were struck, and .suffered heavy casualties. When it was decided to make a great attempt to force the Dardanelles with the fleet alone, without awaiting the army, the preparatory work fell f<> the trawlers. The difficulties were almost insurmountable. On IHtlii March, when the great naval attempt was made, the dent rovers played a secondary part - in the fighting, but they <1 id splendid work In sweeping ahead ot the battleships, and saving the et'ew ot the Irresistible The failure of the March attack led to the Heel being temporarih withdrawn to Tenedo.s anti Minims. The destrovers during the landing on 25th April earned close inshore the second hatch of inlantry supporting the first landing parties. No one will forget Ihe sight ol the long, low craft, parked with khaki figures, creeping closer and closer inshore. The destroyers were ever ready to lend a helping hand. One dav two British transports were lying locked together close to the beach and a shell damaged the steam winch, which was unable to raise the anchor. When a Turkish battery opened fire it destroyer dashed in to tin* assistance of the transports and placed its frail form between them ami tin l enemy emitting great clouds of Idack smoke as a screen against the gunners. By a miracle the destroyer escaped, hut. it remained until | the tratt.s|M>rts were out of range.

The German submarines' arrived in the middle of May. The most valuable battleships w*ere sent away, and on I v the older craft were kept to pnv tect the army's flank The dost■r»*ye>* llotilhis meanw bile eruiaed rounxl and round and smirch**! even- yard oT water, a. suspicious ripph* indicating a. ncriscope. Whenever the scare of a. subtna rite' wn* reported every dost rover dashed at txip speed endetu<"o ing to rani if w 1 1 iL■ the battleships commenced a scries of evolu-

tion.s at top speed. Even the incessant vigilance of the destroyers- was nor sufficient tef save the Triumph and the Majestic. These disasters necessitated the withdrawal of the battleships, which had long chaperoned the artny, to protected harbours. Thenceforward they only came forth when required to bombard the enemy’s works. For two months the duty of protecting the transports and covering the flanks of the army fell upon the destroyers. They frequently tickled up the Turkish at Anzac most effectively, especially on the right flank. The amount of work the destroyers did during the summer gas amazing. If a ship, was submarined or sunk by a shell, half a dozen craft would come up like greased lightning from, nowhere and pick you up almost before you had time to get wet. They are now facing another five months of the icy blockade of the Dardanelles, where it is washed by enormous seas, and they are tossed to and fro like corks encrusted with ice. Only men of iron can stand the horrible life, but they will never relax the grip of iron obtained on the tottering Turkish Empire.

ADVERSE COMMENT.

London, Last Night

The Times, in a leader describes Sir Edward Grey’s statement on the Balkan situation as singularly jejune and utterly disappointing, and declares that there is universal dissatisfaction with the diplomacy ana strategy in the general conduct of the war. The paper adds that the true story of the Dardanelles is becoming common knowledge, and it does not redound to the credit of those responsible.

The Daily Mail, commenting on the Australian reception of Lord Milner’s suggestion to evacuate the Dardanelles. says that owing to the censorship the Australian and New Zealand public have not been allowed to know all the facts, though they had General Hamilton’s glowing communications. war correspondent's censored despatches, and Mr Churchill’s ;tn<T T,ord Robert Cecil’s amazing prophecies. Despite official optimism rumours are circulating in Australia and New Zealand quarters in Txmdon that facts regarding the Dardanelles are being hidden and these are causing grave perturbation in colonial circlips. Suggestions are made to hold a meeting in London at which leading Australians and Now Zealanders propost* to acquaint Government of their anxiety altout affairs on Gallipoli. JAPANESE HELP. Tokio, Last Night. Baron Kuto, in a striking speech on the proposed despatch of Japanese troops to Europe, declared that this was a plain impossibility. The dfficulties of transport would he insuperable, and the cost of sustaining reinforcements in Europe would amount to thousands of million of yen annually. It would In* impossible for Japan to fight at others charges. Assuming that Japan resorted to loans how would she be able to raise or redeem the loans. The best and only way is to supply the Allies with munitions. Having lived in a comfortable atmosphere of peace for many years Britaiiuseems a. little slow in bringing hot power into full play. The aristocracy are "voluntarily going to the front, but tlie majority ot the people are apparently quite unconcernetTi ITALIAN PROGRESS. Borne Last Night.

I lie Italians stormed the fortified laisitioiis at Pragasina. an important, advanced |kii ll l of the fortified Riva group, in a difficult mountainous region. west ot Garda. A communique say- the action at Pragassina began on Tuesday night. Despite tlie heavy fire from piwerful !mtteri«*s at Riva we reached the entanglements iti a tog and cut openings. We resumed the attack in the morning tinder rifle and artillery fire and asphyxiating tximb*. and advanced lieyoiul Pragassinn to the heights dominating ladro Valley, where we solidly established ourselves.

New York. Last Night

Ttic Italian Government lias arranged to place g 0.000.000 xlollars in one year notes with the I nitxxl States to he used to pay for war material ami supplies. AWFTL (iAS ATTACK. London. Last Night. Mr Gibb' gives a vfvid description ot the gas attack south-west of Htilluneh. He says: It. was a clear day and it was possible to see tin' whole bat-tle-ground. When tiie British bombardment reached its climax and the a'tillerv tire lifted, tile onlookers saw u ui [nuds pun “uisua s[>no|.) w.ur dense ei taiii of fleecy texture. These were from our sinoke-shlks which were to cover the ii/antry at tack, (fthc'.s of thin white vapour followed and curled forward on the enemy'« lines. The onlookers held their breath as though the gas caught their own throats. Directly l iter they saw little I,lack things scurrying forward in scattered groups. Some fell, and others disappeared in the drifting clouds. These were British infantry led by the lioiiilk'l'*. The enemy tried to stop the attackers hv noison shells and all the chemistry ol death was poured out on both sides. Our men, with tin* fiercest valour, swept up to 11 dhelixul lern redoubt, but the German machine guns were too many. The Germans hold the trenches with desperate eon roue, Tito British s|iuwd superb eii<luranee and only the most i esojute valour enabled us to hold some gixuiml ga tied w ith the loss of so many ktus. B B IT ISI I CASI'ALTIKS. Isuidon. Last Night. The ('i.sii"lt\ I'xts for the week end show : -J7 officers anil oPS-l men. The ei.simltii,- thus far issueil were in eon-

ii'K'iion with the British offensive on the goth. There were 374 officers killed. '■l7 wounded and -‘JO missing, and JO!*3 mu killed. 11,01 J wounded a fid 3t*o mi-sing.