In the Balkans

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 75, 26 October 1916, Page 5

In the Balkans

ROUMANIAN DANGER. SUPERIOR ENEMY FORCES. Press Association—Copyright, Austin liau and X.Z Cable Association. London, .October 2i>. Tile Daily Telegraph's correspondent at Home states that information via Switzerland shows that the Roumanians found the positions most difficult to hold being in the marshy region leading to Constan/.a, in the face of General \jaekensen's overwhelming forces. The infantry and artillery of the Bulgar-Germans renewed the offensive. After receiving large reinforcements of troops, guns, and ammunition, General von Mackensen commenced a furious action against the Roumanians along Trajan's wall, and forced the line at various points, owing to the impossibility of constructing trenches and shelters in the marshy ground, as the trenches quickly filled with water, above the men's waists and sometimes over their heads. Consequently an open battle ensued, wherein M'ackensen's superiority in men and guns became apparent. The. Daily Chronicle's Petrograd correspondent says that the growing interdependence on the Russian and Roumanian fronts corresponds with the energy of General - von Falkenhayn's advance. It is now recognised that Roumania is a strategical factor of the utmost importance, and the Germans are straining their resources to the utmost, not only to avert the menace to their Balkan communications, but to secure the advantages which the subjection of Roumania would give, namely, to hold the mouth of the Danube, the outflanking of the Russian left, and obtaining a _ fresh supply of grain. The battles in Galicia and Volhynia are now subsuhaij until the issue in Roumania is decided definitely in our favour. The German plan seems'to be a combined advance in the Brasso region and Pobrudja, to cut across .Roumania thereby seizing the greater part ol Wallachia, including Bucharest.

ENEMY ATTACKS! REPULSED. London, October 24. A Roumanian communique says;:Wo repulsed the enemy on the let hank of the Alma River and aso an attack on the whole front of Oituz. THE ROUMANIAN OPERATIONSSWINGING b"aCkTrOM CON- ■ ■ "STANZA*. IK UMi»lJj6 •""'•■'"■.'. » RUSSIAN HELP ARRIVING. Press Austra lian and N r Z. Cable Association, v (Received 11.10 a.m.) ! London, October 25. The Roumanians, in order to protect the bridge-head, swuwg their hue back to a semi-circle around Cernavoda' their right resting, on. the Danube 'and-the left- .gradually retiring. The manoeuvre involved the evacuation of'Medjidie. The captures oi war material wei« inconsiderable, suggesting that the. Allies in falling back on the river skilfully extracted themselves from the Constanza position, which was untenable after the seizure of Tuzlft, and the capture of the heights west of Tuzla lagoon. / It is common knowledge that Russia is pouring men into Roumania, knowing that the seizure of the Roumanian' stores of' wheat, meat, and oil, would seriously prolong the wa". MACEDONIA. THE ALLIED OPERATIONS. Press Association—Copyright, Aus/-<*-lian and N.Z. Cable Association. London, October 2-1. The German-Bulgar attacks on the Cerna salient faded. Serbian counterattacks took the trenches for eight hundred metres in depth. The weather is hindering operations, and tlioheight of the river prevents activity at the Struma. The War Office reports that on the Doiran front we raided the trenches north-east of Moyukoo, counter-at-tacks being repulsed.