THE BALKANS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144860, 11 December 1915, Page 3

THE BALKANS.

ALLIES FALL BACK

FEOAI ADVANCED POSITIONS f LONDON. Dec. S*. A War Office communique states::— On the fjlh, alter a heavy bombardment, the Bulgarians attacked us west of Lake Doiran. Small parties entered our trenches, but were immediately driven out with the bayonet. On the morning of the 7th the Bulgarians again attacked, and by weight ui superior numbers drove out our troops from their positions. We withdrew under cover of darkness to a new line. Kcports as to our looses have not been received.

The British successfully repulsed all attacks on the Slh. and \vundrew in the evening to a new position conforming to a general alignment, The Daily Telegraph’s Salonika correspondent/ reports that the tailing back of tile Trench army occupied ten days, and was executed in two stages. It successfully terminated on ’Tuesday, with very slight losses. This voluntary retirement resulted in the reports that the Allies wore in full retreat, and when gunfire was heard'at Ghevgeli and surrounding villages on Tue.s* day the inhabitants became panicstricken and rushed lor the train at Ghevgeli. Those unable to thus escape tied on foot. The fugitives’ stories intensified the alarm and spread the belief in tiie Allies’ disasters. General Sarrail is optimistic, anU is satisfied with tiie manner of the retirement. The position ou the British front was more serious. The enemy developed a decided offensive, and the battle raged on Tuesday with increasing intensity, it was especially severe in the neighbourhood of the village of Ortanli. The British were in well concealed positions, and an important Bulgarian force attacked, losing heavily in frequent charges, with the objective apparently of the occupation ol ilabrovo, which is the junction of the roads leading westward to btrumniiza and southward to Doiran.. There is an unconfirmed report that the Bulgars have occupied Kabrovo. The noise of the battle caused a panic at Doiran. but this was quickly subdued. U is believed that General von Uallwitz’s 50,000 Germans are lighting with the Bulgarians. The otTcusive .which was commenced on Tuesday aims at throwing the Allies into Greek territory. The Bulgarian attack continued on Wednesday. When the fog lifted, disclosing the Bulgurs within easy ran/te, | the British Maxims inflicted extremely j heavy losses. The British loss was under two hundred. Infantry attacks continued all day I long, and the Bulgarians seemed deter- | mined to break through, but the British positions are excellent and give the troops a great advantage. The latest Salonika cablegram stales that the Bulgarian attacks on the British have euded, having lasted nearly throe days. Our casualties wore under eight hundred, while tiie enemy's hisses wcie enormous.

A DEFENSIBLE POSITION. PARIS, Dec. 0. The Journal's Salonika correspondent states that there is no longer liny possible hope of an assurance from any of the Balkan States, but if we wish to fall back on Salonika we arc sufficiently strong to withstand all attacks. All wo can do now is hold on here. If we open abandon hero we will never got it buck. CUTTING OFF EXPORTS. LONDON, Doe. 9. The Echo do Paris slates that precautions will he taken this week to suppress exportations from Franco to Greece. ■SERBIANS IN ALBANIA. SALONIKA, Dec. 10. M. Passitch and forty Serbian deputies are en route to Athens. ROME, Dec, 10. Official.—There are 200,000 Serbian troops in Albania. DURAZZO BOMBARDED, BY AUSTRIAN FLEET. AMSTERDAM, Dee. 9. A Gorman communique stales that the Bulgarians have occupied Djakova, Dibrasln, and Oehridn, and the fighting at Vardar is proceeding favoiiraljlv. NISH, Dee. 9.' A communique states : Nine Austrian warships from Cattaro bombarded Durazzo, .sinking several steamers. HIGHLY-COLOURED PICTURE. OF GERMAN INFLUENCE IX GREECE. TIMES AND SYDNEY SCN SERVICES. (Received Dee. 11, 8.0 a.m.) LONDON. Dec. 10. Uneensored dispatches from Greece emphasise that Greece is preparing military resistance to the armed allied compulsion if necessary, also resistance to tho blockade. Reports agree that preparations against a commercial blockade have been carried with the utmost rapidity and on tho largest scale. German agents state that tho chief Greek commercial sea routes are thoroughly protected by submarines. The seizure of Captain Wilson and Colonel Napier was probably intended as a dramatic coup which would revive the' wavering Greek confidence in tho campaign by German submarines, which "Greek treachery and espionage are rendering possible. ' The pro-Gorman press in Athens is teeming with Austro-Genmin interviews with General von Ilindenherg and other military men, promising that England’s turn to feel the weight of German anger has now arrived. These factors have combined to render Greece less anxious to agree with the Allies’ requirements. King Constantine and 51. Skouloudis are temporising until tho German preparations make it safe for Greece to come in on the Gorman side, while every possible annoyance is placed in the way of tho Allies at Salonika.

Messina, the Adriatic coast and Sicily are alive with submarines, who are stopping Greek steamej-s between Patras and 51essiiia and arresting British travellers. The first British subjects captured on Saturday aro likely to lead

to diplomatic intervention. German spies in Athens tindonbtedly succeeded in ascertaining the status of the travellers and the rotito of their steamer, 1 communicating tho information to the enemy’s base. A submarine was waiting in the steamer’s track 120 miles from Patras. Tho submarine’s action in the case of the Spol/.ia was utterly illegal, as there is no blockade existing. A big German submarine is flying tho Austrian Hag. THE RETIREMENT CONFIRMED. (Received Dec. 11, U.oo a.ra.) LONDON, Dec. 10. Reuter’s Salonika correspondent says that the Allies’ general retirement from the front has begun. VERY HEAVY FIGHTING. VIGOROUS BULGAK ATTACKS. (Received Deo. 11, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 10. Mr. Donoboo writes from Athens: “The Anglo-French on Wednesday fiercely attacked a largo Bulgur force ou the Bhvgucha plateau. The enemy attacked the French flank, but the latter changed front to meet the onslaught. The llulgurians encountered the British al ISalandovo. The llrith-h repulsed four attacks, decimating the Bulgurs. Heavy reinforcements in the evening threatened the British right.” THE TIMES HARRY. IX PREDICTING THE WORST. (Received Dec. 11, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. HI Tho Times states that if the Bulgarians hit vo really annihilated a French battalion at Retrovo they will ho behind the French, and there is a risk that they may cm the railway on which the main body of the French is depending. It cannot he denied that limit the British and French are likely to have great diliiculty in extricating themselves. BULGARIANS’ VICTORY EXPLAINED. OCCUPATION OF ABANDONED TERRITORY. EVIDENCE OF GREEK NEUTRALITY. (Rigeifu) Dee. 11, i ;i.m.) LONDON, I),.;. 10. j Reuter’s eurre..pendent with 1 the French hcathj carters m Macedonia re- ; ports all ipdet on the morning of tho | Rth. The Bulgarians are claiming it I great victory because they occupied i abandoned territory. The Bulgarians \ are numerically superior and are follow- I ing 'he Allies. , ( oniunups penttiatrd I Greek territory with a view nf cutting I the railway, hut the Greek authorities j frustrated the ulan. I