In the Balkans

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 26, 29 August 1916, Page 5

In the Balkans

• Sit ROHM AN IA IN. ,vl .-nhuiau ( trips,'.’ . !.;:»• A. I . WAR bN AUSTRIA. IL —• TRIUMPH FOR THE ALLIES. V• f >■: "• *■, ,* ! : 1 (Received 9.20 a.m. fi ,, . London, August '2B. Roumania has declared war on Aus-trla-Hungary. 0,111 ! ' iW: ■ hJi ' ■. . i THE NEWS CONFIRMED.

,The High Commissioner reports: — London, -August 28 (3.15 p.m.) A Berlin bfficial report states that Bouxnania/has<, declared war on Austria. fliw s-'m-L-.-fvhi -—Lit * ■ , ROUMANIAN RESERVES MOBILISED. WAR CREDIT OF £24,000,000. Paris, August 28. It is reported that Roumanian reservists have been mobilised: Cabinet is asking for a credit of £24,000,000. Roumania has the strongest army of any of the Balkan States, which it ' has kept intact, while other Balkan States have been exhausting each other by war. Its field army of five Army Corps and two Cavalry Divisions is set down at 290,000 men. There are 40 infantry regiments of three battalions, nine rifle battalions, 1 20 cavalry regiments, 20 regiments of field artillery, each of six batteries, five howitzer divisions, three horse artillery batteries, 22 companies of fortress artillery, seven engineer batteries, and a railway battalion. Each battery has four guns. Roumania is the wealthiest and most populous ol the Balkan States, with a population of 7,230,418 (census 1912). Military service is universal and compulsory. Young men from 19 to 21 years got a certain amount of preliminary training in their own homes. They enter th© ranks at 21 and serve two years in the i infantry and three in other arms, followed by five or fouryears in the Reserve of the First Line, then ten years in the Second Line or Reserve Force, after which they are transferred to the Territorial Force at 38, and. remain in it 4 years, thus completing 21 years’ service. A Roumania controls the Danube ap proaches to Servia and Austria, it entry into the campaign on the Rus sian side frees that waterway to Russian support for Servia in attack o Austria-Hungary. A recent cable which stated that Russian regiment: were in Servia on barges, suggested that, the jplnube had been so used The Roumanian infantry is armer with the Mannlicher magazine rifle calibre .256, and the cavalry with the gam© make of carbine. The hors© anc field batteries have Krupp Q.F. guns of 75-min (1903).

A CONFERENCE OF LEADERS. Press Association—Copyrigb t. Reuter’s , ,Telegrams Bucharest/, August 27. It is authoritatively announced that King Perdinajidr summoned representative statesmen ,to dismiss the situation. A semi-official statement issued refers to the excitement and uneasiness prevailing, vvherefor the King summoned the conference, which included former Prime Ministers, political leadrs, also M. Filipescu, M.. 1 Jonescu, and M. Marchiloman, present and former presidents. The King and , other speakers deprecated the newspapers interpreting the conference as a pretext for a Ties'll agitation and making unwarranted comments.

POSITION OF GREECE. THE KING’S COMMAND TO RETHE CREEK LOSSES. COMMANDER TO BE CASHIERED. Press Association —Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Rome, August 28. Athens report that the Greeks lost about 100 in the Macedonia fighting. The King has authorised the cashiering of commanders for disobeying orders to retreat. A QUESTION BY THE ALLIES. Athens, August 28. British, French and Russian Ministers visited the Premier and inquired how long Greece would passively countenance the Bulgarian advance. -They added that the Entente had no military interest to defend central Thessaly against the invaders. There was -io risk of cutting off Salonika, which ivas supplied from the sea. FORTS BOMBARDED AT KAVALLA. GOOD WORK BY SERBIANS. FIERCE BULGAR ATTACKS SHATTERED. Paris, August 28. An official message from Salonika dates that two British monitors and me crujser bombarded the Kavalla ortg on the 25th, occupied by the Julgarians. A cannonade was also nade on the Struma and Lake Doiran fronts.

Five fierce Bulgarian attacks, northvest of Kukuniz, were shattered by lie Serbian artillery. Desperate fighting continues in the egion of Lake Osttrovo, where several Bulgarian attacks were repulsed by .■Serbian counter-attacks. BIG BATTLE PROCEEDING. Athens, August 28. The Serbians continue to progress outh of Staubino, on the Kukuyoff lopes, between Moglino and Ostrovo. "hey also importantly beat Bulgarian jatrols on the south-west bank of the Os/trovo. A big battle is proceeding

in the Karadjova .range against three Bulgarian divisions. Magnificent Serbian fighting simile I the Bulgarian chances of reaching t.ii Salonika Gulf. Reports received indicate tint lh • Serbians, after being reinforced, hav ■ taken the offensive and eap.ured ! Sorovit.j. Demonstrations against the Bulgarian invasion are reported from 'Mitylene and Verria. I ' A BULGARIAN REPORT. London, August 27. A Bulgarian communique reports; |We captured a village southward of ! Oehrida and took prisoner an English | detachment, including the commander. In the Vardai 1 valley our left wing is 1 debouching at Parnardogli. We have occupied the Aegean littoral. A Russian seaplane bombarded \ arna. Ours twice successfully attacked a Russian cruising squadron. Press Association—Copyright. Published in • Times.” The Tageblatt asserts that the Bulgarians have occupied Kavalla. ST <o** RUSSIAN AIR RAID ON VARNA.

Press Association—Copyright, Austilian and X.Z. Cable Association. Potrograd, August 27. A communique reports}: Our seaplanes visited Varna on the 25th and bombed the port buildings and harbor, setting a shipping and port works afire. VENIZELOS AND THE PEOPLE. DEMONSTRATION IN ATHENS. Press Association —Copyright, Austra lian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received) noon.) Athens, August 28. Fifty thousand people demonstrated before the house of M. Yeni/.elos, who advised the deputation to tell the King that the elections were necessary, hut they must use his name politically and must give the present Government full political authority and show a benevolent neutrality to the Entente.