In the Balkans

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 68, 17 October 1916, Page 5

In the Balkans

LATF-SX OJEMENT. SHIFTING OF THE WAR CENTRE. ROUMANEA'S POSITION. ALLIES TO THE RESCUE. Pnss Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. !!! {'ml ."-!< London, October 16. : Dr. Dillon, writing to the Daily Telegraph, says: The Entente Powers are throwing themselves into the Balgan entanglement with praiseworthy zeal and expedition. Their measures have been adopted whole-heart-edly and concernedly. - It is clear to the dullest comprehension that the war centre has shifted to the Near, East. Germaii'jr'considors the maintenance of her communications with the Near East'"so important that she is ready, ,as I know, to make peace on the oasis of the evacuation of Franco and Belgium, on condition that she is given a free hand to deal with Russia in respect to the Balkan States. The Allies' preventative measures appear to bo comprehensive, and certainly th© position demands immediate and adequate correctives.

Hindenburg's objective is undoubtedly Bucharest, and he is employing a very considerable number of troops. Optimistic calculations concerning the enemy's reserves should bo accepted. Bulgaria alone is raising large armies among her Moslem subjects. General Sarrail is doing remarkably well and has shown groat foresight. He will certainly attain his end, but much time must elapse before he reaches Nish. Even Moilastir will not fall soon. The enemy will make every conceivable effort to stave off such a tremendous blow to his prestige.

NORTHERN FRONT SERIOUS. The Daily Telegraph's Bucharest correspondent states that tlic situation on the Dobrudja is now in our favour, but that on the northern front is serious. The enemy's pressure continues formidable. The Allies must recognise it as such.

THE FIGHT FOR THE PASSES. Press Association—Copyright. United Service. London, October 10. Dr. Hamilton Fyfe states that military opinion believes that if the Roumanians can bold the crests oi the Carpathians the situation need not be consid. red serious. Von Falkenhayn has only three genuine German divisions, one Austro-Ger-mari and six Austro-Hungarian divisions. His plan appears to be, alter corking up other passes to send lih main forces through the Cituz Pass, forty-five miles north-west of Brasso, and attempt to capture the railway junction at Focsani.

BACKING TO THE FRONTIER.

A Roumanian communique says: In the Colemon mountains'! lalrda- •>we'retired towards the.' .fi'onthMVjv'Omre have been violent encounters iu the Uzul Valley. We repulsed-the enemy in the Vitus! Valley and in all his frontier attacks. We drove the enemy from the Polistonean Valley ami captured the summit of Zoukaza, in the Jiul A'alley area. There lias also been artillery and infantry activity along the Danube. GLANDERS GERMS. 1 Mr Bourchier, wiring from Bucharest, rcportes that in addition to the explosives found in the German. Legation grounds a case has been discovered containing many packets of glanders germs, each packet containing sufficient to infect 200 horses. The case was addressed to members of the Bulgarian Legation. Mr Washburn, wiring ,from/Bucharest, states that the Roumanians, have been obliged to shorten their front in the face of e'ver-ihc'reasiiiK enemy numbers. The retreat was carried out in an orderly way, there being no panic, and without the slightest demoralisation. The troops west of Brasso commenced to withdraw on the Bth. The nature of the positions which they have taken up are roughly twelve miles from the summit of Erzburg Pass, and arc such that they should be able to hold them. While the situation does not present acute aspects, it emphasises the potential menace of the massing German strength.

THE MACEDONIAN FRONT. ALLIES" ACTIVE OPERATIONS. Paris, October \b. Moderate artillery activity has taken place on the whole of the Macedonian front. The Serbians are progressing |on the left bank of the Ccrna. A French squadron cut the railway south of Seres. ALLIED PATROLS ADVANCE. NAVAL AEROPLANES AT WORK. Press Association—Copyright, Austrauan and N.Z. Cable \ssociation (Received 10.43 a.m.) London, October 10. The War Office reporting on Ibe operations at Salonika states : —Our patrols penetrated BurstiK, driving back the Bulgars. Our naval aeroplanes bombed Huklcridge. RE-SHUPFLINC OF TROOPS. .... _ j TURK AND BULCAR HOME INTERESTS. i Press Association— Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Loudon, October 10. The Morning Post's Petrograd correspondent states that owing to heavy engagements on the Balkan front, the Turks and Bulgarians insisted on the return of their, soldiers to defend their vital home interests. The Germans were compelled to accede to the request, which entailed a considerable' re-shuffling. The Bulgarians had been employed as far north !«K Dvinsk, and the Turks against Brusilofl' in Galicia.

ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED.

ROUMANIAN W ITMDRAWAL

Press Association—Copyright, AuscraHan and N.Z, Cab Us Association. (Received 11.15 a.in.) Loudon, October 16. A Roumanian communique states: We repulsed attacks in the Upper Bicaz, Uzul, and Oituz Valley. We withdrew soutlnvcrds at Tablebutzi. V.'c repulsed attacks at Predial. We occupied positions in the Alt region. THE GERMAN REPORT. FiGHTING CONTINUES. (Received 11.15 a.m.) I Loudon, October 16. A Gorman communique states: Wo drove back the enemy south-west of Dornawatra on the Roumanian frontier. The fighting continues. IMPORTANT TO ALLIED CAUSE. ENEMY'S EFFORTS TO CRUSH. WHAT SUCCESS MEANS. Press Association—Copyright. Published in "The Times." (Received 11.15 a.m.) London, October 16. Mr Washburn, correspondent at the Roumanian headquarters, states: Ronmania's position is extraordinarily important to the Allied cause. German occupation would get them valuable oil fields and wheat fields, nullifying the effects of the blockade and greatly prolonging the war. The German Staff is making extraordinary efforts to strike a decisive blow to crush Roumania and thus restore her waning prestige. The number of her attacking troops is speculative, but the cold permits their withdrawal from the north-east front.