PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2939, 27 November 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

German news-agencies are making the most of the invasion of Rumania and no doubt are indulging in 'a certain amount of exaggeration, but in its total effect current news from that theatre can only bo summed up as bad. This is still true if only Rumanian and Russian reports are taken into account. 1 Tho invasion has developed dangerously at several points, notably by a crossing of the Danube south-west of Bucharest, and it is clear that tho Rumanian and Russian troops in Wallachia are for; tho time outweighted, and stand urgently in need of substantial reinforcements if they are to niako head against the enemy. Even apart from Mac&ensen's crossing of the Danube it is impossible, as reports now stand, to accept the opinion expressed in one message that tho enemy advance to Crajova, in Western Wallachia, may be regarded as merely a raid, intended to create alarin. On the contrary, it is evident that a great part of Western Wallachia is now in enemy occupation.

From some of their own reports it •would appear that the Allies are still fighting (except in the north) on the line of the River Alt (which crosses Rumania from north to south about 90 miles west of Bucharest, and-approximately midway between that city and the western frontier) or west of tho Alt. But a. number of factors now militate against a sound defence on the line of the Alt. Already the Rumanians were threatened with attack in rear of the Alt line by enemy forces which passed the frontier by way of the Rotherthurm and Torzburg passes. The passage of the Danube at Zimnitza by Mackensen's troops threatens a similar turning movement from the south. Zimnitza is thirty miles east of tho point at which the Alt joins the Danube and about sixty miles south-west of Bucharest. The successful passage of the Danube in itself implies that tho enemy has a considerably superior force at command, and not much weight can be'attached meantime to the Rumanian report that Mackensen's troops have been brought to a halt on the north bank. The Danube is a formidable obstacle, .and it would scarcely have been passed except by the use of a much heavier force of artillery than the defenders were able to assemble in opposing the passage. Now that the obstacle has been passed it is likely to prove a difficult matter to bring the enemy definitely to a halt at this -point or drive him back across the river. Mackensen has made his crossing at a place where the Danube is approached by a Bulgarian railway, and Zimnitza is the terminus of a Rumanian line. Other crossings of the Danube are mentioned, but as reports stand these have apparently been made into Western Wallachia, where the enemy is now in position on both banks of the Danube or is opposed only by Rumanian rearguards or isolated bodies of troops.

While matters appear to he going badly with them in Wallachia, the Russo-Rumanians are still making some headway in the • Dobrudja, where they have now occupied positions 18 mijes north of Constanza. There is no immediate promise, however, of the powerful counterstroke in this region which was recently predicted, and now that Mackensen uas forced tho Danube south-west of Bucharest another reason than lack of force appears for his gradual retreat in the_ Dobrudja. With the Ccrnavoda bridge and the railway to Constanza still intact .and in tho bands of the Allies such an attack : as he is now making on the Danube ;-would have exposed him dangerously to attack in rear. As matters stand he runs a- much smaller risk. The destruction of the Ccrnavoda bridge ii! 15 < ln? ver y S re atly hampered the Allies ill any attack upon bis communications, apart from the fact that he still holds the eastern bridgehead. aud the railway to the coast by a considerable margin. Unpkojiising as the immediate outlook is, the hope has not disap-

peared that the Russo-Rumanians may succeed in stemming the invasion on a defensive line west of Bucharest. Even if the whole ol Wallackia is overrun, though a terrible calamity will be involved to the civil population of Rumania, the military position will be by no means lost. Moldavia is traversed by railways, in touch with the Russian system, affording lines of supply and retreat. So long as the Moldavian frontier defences hold firm, and the enemy has hitherto assaulted them in vain, the position in this respect will not bo altered. Another redeeming feature of the situation is that the enemy is using up forces, in his efforts to bring off a spectacular coup in Rumania, which are likely to be desperately needed Cre long in the main theatres. The Germans failed disastrously in th&ir Verdun offensive, and the same fate overtook the Austrians in their offensive from the Trentino. By joint efforts and making what use is possible of their minor allies, they are now_ achieving more pronounced immediate success. But they are doing it in a campaign which, though necessarily costly, offers them less prospect of ultimate advantage than did the least of their two earlier enterprises. * * * Apart from' the Rumanian campaign, which tends for the time to monopolise attention, there is little news of the land war at time of writing. In Macedonia, however, the Allies retain the upper hand, and continue to force their way northward against a stubborn enemy resistanco and in spite of violent counter-attacks. Prospects in this campaign' are the better since the Allies seem now to be taking a firm stand in their dealings with Grcece. Admiral du P oueket is said to have delivered an ultimatum to t/ie Athens Government before resorting to measures enforcing the surrender of war material, and it is stated also that General Barrail has warned the Government that unless the Royalist troops immediately evacuate Ekaterina (the town at the eastern end of the neutral zone which was lately in dispute between Royalists and Veni- i zehsts), he will use force. If the Allied military and naval authorities have been given as free a hand as these reports would indicate, it should not be long before the German faction in Greece is effectually muzzled. * * * * | Ano i fie r. Channel raid by German destroyers is reported. Starting presumably from a Belgian base, the enemy flotilla approached the North Downs, just south of the Thames estuary. _ Apparently on this occasion no serious attempt was made to cut tie Dover communications. At all events as reports stand the raiders were driven off without inflicting or suffering loss. That such a raid was made with impunity may seem surprising, but the efficiency of the Dover patrol is attested in the fact that the enemy succeeded in doing no damage. Further and very striking evidence to the same cffcct is lurmshed in the fact that such raids D&vo hitherto been so rare. The torpedoing of the Braemar Oastle, an hospital ship loaded with wounded, is a crime which, like the sinking of the Britannic, ranks with the worst of which the enemy submarines have been guilty. It 'is now perfectly plain that Germany intends to make attacks on such hospital ships as come within range of her submarines a matter of routine procedure. There is the more reason to regret that the British Government still refrains from taking tho one step, apart, of course, from the vigorous prosecution of anti-submariTO operations, which seems calculated to set limits to the enemy's piratical activities. Mr. Asquith has made no nearer approach as yet to what is than to announce that Britain is m consultation with the Allies as to the desirability of exacting from Germany the replacement of sunken ships, ton for ton.