Photograph by F. Caloutas, Syra 

 KING CONSTANTINO AND EX-PREMIER VEXIZELOS AT 

 SALOXIKI 



(Axios), the chief river of Macedonia, 

 leaving Greek territory near Gevgeli, 

 some 40 miles to the northwest. At 

 Uskiib, about 150 miles from Saloniki, it 

 divides, one branch going to Mitrovitsa, 

 on the confines of the old Sanjak of Novi 

 Bazar, the other joining at Nish the main 

 line of the Orient Railway. 



This is the highroad between Greece 

 and Europe proper, and was the route 

 followed by the Austro-German armies 

 on their advance into southern Servia. 

 The streams flowing through these val- 

 leys, with their tributaries and the lakes 

 which they feed, make the campania the 



granary of Saloniki. But 

 as they converge toward 

 the city and the gulf 

 they form a region of 

 swamps which is harm- 

 ful or useful, according 

 as one regards it from a 

 hygienic or a strategic 

 point of view. 



A fourth and less 

 practicable valley, that 

 of the Galiko, opens be- 

 hind Saloniki to the 

 north. Last, but not 

 least, especially in the 

 light of current events, 

 is the long valley of 

 Langatha (th hard), 

 w h i c h separates the 

 Chalcidice from the 

 scarps of the Rhodope 

 range. Starting a little 

 to the north of the city, 

 this depression runs due 

 east to the Gulf of Or- 

 fana, or Rendina, lying 

 between Kavala, the 

 island of Thasos, and 

 the outer shore of Athos. 



THE SHORTEST ROUTE 

 BETWEEN MACEDO- 

 NIA AXD THRACE 



Two lakes make up 28 

 of the 40 miles from Sa- 

 loniki to the sea, through 

 the valley of Langatha. 

 It forms the shortest 

 and easiest route be- 

 tween Macedonia and 

 Thrace. Through it of 

 old ran the Roman road 

 that went from Durazzo to Constantino- 

 ple, by way of Elbasan, Ohrida, Monas- 

 tir, and the valley of the Alavroneri. 

 And long before the time of the Ro- 

 mans, Xerxes and his invading Persians 

 streamed through the Langatha Valley 

 on their way to Greece. 



The modern railroad, however, takes 

 a more roundabout route, winding among 

 the foothills of the Rhodope, never very 

 far from the Bulgarian border, through 

 Seres and Drama to the Bulgarian port of 

 Dedeagatch. 160 miles from Saloniki, and 

 meets the main line of the Orient Rail- 

 wav near Demotika, in eastern Thrace. 



204 



