In the Balkans
ROUMANIAN POSITION. RUMORS OF GERMAN ULTIMATUM. TROOPS FACE EACH OTHER ON TRANSYLVANIAN FRONTIER. ENGLAND’S CRAIN DEAL. tIJNITBn Pre«s AmoOIATIon. 1 London, February G. The outlook in Roumania has taken sudden importance. Milan reports that II Secolo’s correspondent says that the Roumania representative telegraphed on Wednesday that AustroGormany had formally notified Roumania (1) that they regard the eventual election of two Translyvanian Irridehtist parliamentary candidates at Galatz and Carael, and (2) the sale to England of over eighty thousand wagon loads of grain, as acts of hostility to the Central- Powers, which will take measures accordingly. Roumania immediately replied that her Constitution did not permit the Government to thwart the election of Irridentists, which it was only possible for Parliament to nullify by declaring the elections illegal; secondly, that the grain was purely an economic question, and the Government would necessarily safeguard its economic interests, as the country cannot be deprived of its sources of grain. The latest message from Rome states that the Bulgars and Turks are moving towards the Roumanian frontier.
A message from a German source alleges that Roumania lias offered a compromise by supplying Austro-Ger-many with an extra consignment of one hundred thousand truckloads of cereals. ,
Confirmation of the presentation of an ultimatum is lacking, hut the correspondent of the Chicago Daily News on the Roumanian frontier, declares that Germany’s latest demands to Roumania include the most complete written guarantees of neutrality, that shall be favorable to the Central Pow - ers, and the demobilisation of the army, which is entrenched on the Transylvanian frontier, scarcely fifty yards distant from the Austrian Landstnrm.
The fact that the new Russian guns are churning the Austro-German trenches has fortified M. Bratiano in rejecting the demands. 1 he German Minister is besieging M. Bratiano with propositions and menaces regarding the sale of grain to England, whose cheque for ten million pounds has profoundly impressed the Roumanians. The Russian successes are also a source of gratification. The pro-German clique in Roumania seems permanently discredited. The German election intrigues aroused the most violent resentment, and the mighty destinies of civilisation revolving round the fighting at Czernovitz, which, for a moment, was the capital of Europe, may shortly he decided by the right to dominate the Balkans. The Russians are steadily advancing, and their shells are daily coming nearer Czernovitz. The enemy are receiving reinforcements from every available source, including two Bavarian army corps from the West front, and also General Mackousen’s army from Serbia. The correspondent continues: The Kaiser presided at a council at Nish, Generals Mackcnsen and Jekoff attending it. It was decided that the Bulgars should forthwith advance towards Salonika, hut Bulgaria was newly embarrassed regarding the concession of territory by Turkey. Bulgaria also requires explicit guarantees of Roumanian neutrality before embarking on the Salonika adventure. A REPORT FROM SALONIKA. AT A MILITARY RACE MEETING. London, February 0. Mr Ward Price, reporting from Sal-
onika, says he spent the night of the German air raid waiting with apprehension. The Greeks are calmer and indignant in the daylight. Even (lie pro-German press protested that the
tish were holding a snccesslul lilth race meeting to break the monotony while waiting for the enemy. A serge;;’ t acted as “bookie,” hanging out
th. :gn of “the old firm,” and th course was crowded with khaki, sever
I raid appearing in correct stall eos--1 tunic to the knees, with pyjama trousers and slippers. Several French officers rode in the hurdles and steeples, and one remarked how the Bosches would denounce the British fright!illness for being heartlessly at sport while Salonika was burning. A Calvert bomb struck a mosque full of Thracian refugees, killing a man, two women and a child, and wounding ten. Warships in the harbor were bombed unsuccessfully.
ROUMANIAN FRONTIER CLOSED
RUSSIA MOVING TROOPS. United Press Association. Paris, February 6. Russia has closed the Russo-Rou-manian frontier, owing to a concentration movement of troops. SHARP FIGHTING IN ALBANIA. ITALIANS AND SERBS FALL BACK. Athens, February 6. Sharp fighting with superior Aus-tro-Bulgnrian forces in the vicinity of Alessio compelled the Italians and Serbians to fall hack.
It is reported that the Bulgarians have occupied El Bassan.
It is also stated that a French detachment has commenced fighting the Bulgarians, but it is not known whether this prefaces an offensive or is merely a roconnoisanoe.
SKIRMISH ON THE DORIAN FRONT.
FEW CASUALTIES. Salonika, February 7. . The first encounter; .since thp Allies! retirement occured on the 1 Dorian front *on Sunday, when French patrols encountered some Biilgarians. There were few casualties. FRICTION AMONG THE ENEMY. BULGARS RESENT GERMAN DOMINATION. ; <-<£ ■ ... ■ London, February 6. Renter’s Salonika correspondent states that there is friction betwees the Bulgars and Germans, in consequence of the latter’s' attempts to dominate the Bulgars, as they* have, similarly dominated the Austro-Tnrlcs. The most acute discord prevails concerning the proposed attack on Salonika, wherein the Bulgars would be compelled to bear the lion’s share of the heavy losses. Even if successful, they would seriously compromise the Bulgarians’ military strength as compared with their neighbors. The immediate terrible French reprisal in practially laying waste petrich is calculated to discourage a repetition of Zeppelin atteacks on Salonika.
THE SERBIAN RETREAT.
Mr. Crawford Price says that despite a week’s incessant warfare, and fatigue, famine, and exposure in the retreat through snow-clad Albania, the Serb army succeeded in bringing half its effectives to the Adriatic. The Seroian story indicates that incoherent Allied direction divided the iresponsidlity. The Serbs battled aganst overvhelming odds, buoyed up by hopes rom the Allied army. Their eyes were ever turned southward, and when they realised tlfc awful truth that they ,vere abandoned they lost their morale md retreated to the Adriatic, insufficiently clad and only half fed. There ,vas repeated disappointment on the journey, hoping for Allied stores, the eleventh hour activity somewhat ameliorating the situation. There was ilenty of food at Brindisi, tut not enough hospital ships at Durazzo. Vhen I felt Corfu there were 131,000 ierbs at Durazzo awaiting transport, ,nt the Adriatic was still open to Austrian warships. The whole mudllc was due to the fact that there -,-as no directing head and no unity ,f control. We were wasting veteran .oldiers while plastering English ities with appeals for recruits, h oiunately there is reason to believe ,hat the task is now properly taken m land and an effort will he made to emove the Serbs from Albania before he Austro-Bulgar hordes descend.
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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 53, 8 February 1916, Page 5
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1,073In the Balkans Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 53, 8 February 1916, Page 5
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