SERBIANS' ADVANCE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 830, 7 October 1916, Page 8

SERBIANS' ADVANCE.

I THE ARMY OF VENGEANCE

The hour so earnestly defired by I every Serbian has begu 1. The Buli£an:n posts on the ridge running iuailel with the Grevk frontier ' north of Yodcna have been attacked hy the Serbians and carried. First biood has been drawn, an 1 :he Serbs ; are still holding the ridge, even 'against the guns brought up to drive •them out, wrote Claude Askew in the "Express," under date August 3. It is almost impossible to give in mere words a description of the spirit that animates the Serbian ; Army to-day. 'their burning desire to undertake the reconquest of their •martyred country will practically make them invincible. They hate i the Bulgars with a mortal hatred, and they yearn to go to the assist-

since of Ihe women and children who await their coining in a devastated land. They can hardly restrain themselves when discussing the present plight of their country. I have seen strong men burst into tears, and have listened to many low breathed vows of vengeance.

It was a great step forward when the Serbian Army exchanged the comparative comforts of Corfu for Ihe more martial conditions of Salo-

jiiicn, for the troops rejoiced to set j foot on Macedonian soil. There nvci e many who, on being landed | from the transport that had brought ! them to their destination, threw j 'horoselves down and kissed the I earth,' for Macedonian ground is j Serbian ground as well. It is a fact that the Bulgarians are I disturbed in spirit by the knowledge that the Serbs are once more buckj ling on their war harness. The I whole tone of their Press indicates | this. Latterly they have taken to saying that there is no Serbian Army

| at all—a lie they will soon have to j cat. The Serbian soldiers look very | lit and capable to-day. It is imposj sible to believe that they are the I same men who staggered, frozen j and famished, across the Albanian mountains. Many of the troops are difficult to recognise as Serbs since.

with their general new outfit, they have adopted the metal helmets which have been presented to them by the French, and it is strange to see a Serb without his characteristic "kopi."

The commissariat is in line working order to-day. The Serb, who cannot live without his bread, has now all he needs and more. There have been days when, owing to the political situation, the townspeople at Salonica have found it difficult to obtain bread, but the army has not been allowed to suffer. The new field kitchens are excellent; in fact, the French have most scrupulously carried out their undertaking to Serbia. The horses that have recently arrived are well selected, and the cavalry are delighted with their new mounts.

What really rejoices the heart of the army, however, are the "crauouillots," or "little toads," the new kind of small but particularly effective cannon which have now been introduced by the French—the original system being German. I was shown these guns the other day by a most obliging French officer who was in command of the division of mounted artillery attached to the Serbian Army, and not only were the weapons thoroughly explained to me, but the whole process was gone through of preparing one of them for action, and now the next time I see these guns working it will not be in mimic warfare—it will be the real thing—it will be Serb against Bulgar!