THE FALL OF MONASTIR.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15128, 24 January 1917, Page 5

THE FALL OF MONASTIR.

ITALIANS’ GREAT MARCHATTACK IN A BLIZZARD. The war correspondent of the Secolo with the Italian forces at Monastir, telegraphs a despatch describing the part played by the Italian troops in the .fall of _ the Macedonian capital and the conditions they found prevailing thereStarting out on the morning of No vember 11 from the base at Eksliisu, the Italian column accofnplished a brilliant march of 65 miles across übleak mountain wastes in a tempest of blinding sleet, and on the evening of November 13 took up the positions assigned to them, stretching from Cradesnica, on the margin of the Monastir Plains, across Kisovo Hill and 8182metre Mountain, as far as the sector occupied by the French v est of Lake Prespa. « General Sarrail warmly congratulated them later on having performed this feat twenty-four hours in advance of the period of grace allowed them. Though terribly fatigued, and altogether without shelter ■■ or any sort of food until the evening of the following day, they attacked and dislodged the Bulgarians from the formidable “Red Trenches” at daybreak. They then proceeded to, clear the enemy from the famous Dente Peak south of Ostrec, amidst a raging blizzard', with the thermometer 18 degrees below freezing point. They found all ihc roads leading into Monastir marked with bi-ligual signposts in the and German tongues, <wo of the main arteries being named Mackeiistrasse and Prinz risstrasseAlthough the retreating enemy had time to loot but few shops’ stores, the utmost misery prevailed in Monastir. Bread, which was very scarce and of bad quality, was selling at 61b for ss. Sugar and coffee were three times as dear, while petroleum cost 16s a litre — Id pints—and candles lOd each. The Bulgarians paid the tradespeople in nothing hilt pieces of paper, which they said would be negotiable at the end of the war. The value of_ gold has so risen that a 20-franc piece—l6s Bd—fetched 45 Bulgarian franc or 35 German marks (355). -