Second offensive

Big guns roaring again

Warships participating

Allies and the Balkans

On the eve of great events

THE statement ventured here yesterday morning as to the landing of a Franco-British force at Salonika appears to have been well based, for telegrams received later in the day and this morning were of a confirmatory character.

It is likely, too, although no definite information is vouchsafed, that the preliminary steps in this possible new and arduous campaign are on a scale befitting the occasion and that the Allies at the Serbian quays of the Greek port are in considerable strength.

Probably troops to the number of 150,000 are on shore (with more to follow) and that, despite a purely formal protest by the Hellenic Government (if there has really been one) the arrangements have all been made for a rapid advance northward to protect the all-important railway to Serbia against any attack by the Bulgars.

In the event of Ferdinand’s troops developing aggressive action against Serbia it is also now assured that the Greek army will at once act in conjunction with the Allies and there is, of course, the possibility of Romania participating in the joint operations.

It is stated that practically all Romania’s guns are of Krupp manufacture and that, as another example of the enemy’s long sight, adequate supplies of the necessary ammunition have been withheld but this difficulty must have been recognised for a long time and every possible effort made to overcome it.

So far as available information goes the Rukharest Government has continued to ignore the Austro-German demand that munitions should be permitted to go through Romania territory for the benefit of the Turks.

Romania’s war strength is reckoned at 700,000 and it is believed that at least 300,000 are mobilised and ready.

The Serbian Army, completely reconstituted and reorganised, has a strength of over 300,000 men and it is now supplied with an abundant artillery and plenty of ammunition, the guns, for the most part, being of the admirable French type.

British artillery men are also believed to be in Serbia and it may be added that the Serbian infantry showed themselves in the Balkan Wars and in the struggle with Austria when they thrice severely defeated the Austrians, to be among the finest infantry in Europe.

The Greek Army is organised in five army corps or 14 divisions, and has a field strength of 300,000 men. In addition there are over 200,000 territorial troops. The artillery of the latest French pattern proved its excellence in the Balkan wars when the Greek army inflicted a series of defeats on the Turks first and then on the Bulgarians.

At the best the Bulgarian Army is not likely to exceed 320,000 and, therefore, it expectations are realised and the whole of the Balkans become ablaze, the weight of men and material is largely on the side of the Allies.

In addition to the foregoing facts there is the statement that a Russian squadron is before the Bulgarian port of Varna in the Black Sea.