have sent supplies, but this
promise could not be carried out. They had done the best they could
with the materials on hand, but without ammunition they could not be
expected to fight.

The Montenegrins, said the premier, had been given the task of
protecting the rear of the Serbian army and they had defended the
Sandjak frontier so successfully that on this side the Serbians had
had time to retire. But when the Serbians were obliged to fall back on
Montenegrin territory, their arrival precipitated events. The
Montenegrins had still some supplies, but with 120,000 to 130,000
additional mouths to feed, these were soon exhausted. On many
occasions the Montenegrin soldiers did not receive rations for a whole
week and when they did, each ration only amounted to half a pound of
corn flour a day.

After escaping, King Nicholas sent the following letter to General
Vukovitch:

"I order you anew to resist the enemy in the most energetic way
possible. In the event of a retreat, follow the direction of the
Serbian army toward Durazzo. The Serbian commanders have been informed
of this. You will receive food supplies at Medua and farther on.

"Prince Mirko and all the other ministers who have remained cannot in
any case open negotiations with anyone whatever. The French Government
has promised our retreating army all possible facilities, such as it
gave to the Serbian army. Prince Mirko and the other ministers must in
no case remain, but make every possible effort to escape."

Having completed their invasion of Montenegro, the Austrians now began
to continue their advance over into Albania. On January 26, 1916, they
reached San Giovanni di Medua, a seaport in northern Albania. At the
same time Essad Pasha at Durazzo reported that he was being threatened
by an Austrian and Bulgarian column marching northwest from Berat,
while still another column was heading toward the Italian forces in
Avlona.

Meanwhile all haste was being made in getting the Serbians safely out
of Albania and transporting them to Corfu, the Greek island lying
south of Avlona, in the Adriatic, which the Allies had occupied under
the protest of the Greek Government. This undertaking was much
facilitated by an improvement in the weather, which until then had
been very severe, and by the construction of bridges across the rivers
by a force of British engineers. Depots of provisions were also
established along all the roads by which the refugees were straggling