'WILL CRUSH YOU’

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1935, Page 5

'WILL CRUSH YOU’

REBELS THREATENED ULTIMATUM NOT HEEDED MACEDONIAN FIGHTING END EXPECTED SHORTLY ANXIETY ON FRONTIERS By Telegraph—Press Assn,—Copyright Rec. 8 p.m. Athens, March 5. . “Surrender within 24 hours, or my troops will crush you,” was General Condylis’ ultimatum dropped from aeroplanes to the Macedonian rebels. Upon the expiry of the ultimatum 21 aeroplanes left the Seres aerodrome and bombed the rebel forces, whose numbers do not exceed 3000, already hemmed in by a bombardment from Government troops. The heavy artillery will launch the second stage of the Government offensive. The rebels are believed to have only a few mountain guns. Tire rebel commander wirelessed the cruiser Averoff to dispatch a cruiser to rescue him. Meanwhile his forces have retreated over the Strymon River. The Government anticipates their decisive defeat to-morrow.

Turkey, in view of the Greek revolt, is reported to have concentrated five divisions on the frontier, while Bulgaria is defensively reinforcing her border forces.

The Athens correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says Vice-Admiral Demestichas replied to the Macedonian rebels’ appeal, saying that they must not be impatient as owing to the damage from bombing planes the insurgent warships could steam at only seven miles an hour. The Daily Telegraph’s Brindisi correspondent says General Plastiras reached there from Cannes but was afraid to proceed overland, fearing the Greek Government would arrest him, so he is awaiting an aeroplane to fly to Crete. The Daily Telegraph’s Sofia correspondent says the extension of the Greek civil war has alarmed the Bulgarian Government, particularly as Turkey has also sent troops to the frontier. The Bulgarian Foreign Minister, M. Bataloff, today announced that the situation made it necessary to send considerable reinforcements of infantry and artillery to the frontiers, but the measures were purely defensive and designed to prevent fighting extending to Bulgarian soil.