ROUMANIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1915, Page 5

ROUMANIA.

RENEWAL OF NEGOTIATIONS. A GERMAN BRIBE. Received Oct. 31, 4.15 p.m. Rome, Oat. 30. The Entente Ministers have commenced fresh negotiations with lloumania, and the position is hopeful. The Cabinet is alarmed at the growing strength of the interventionist movement. Berne states that Germany is making a strong bid for Roumania's assistance, offering the grant of a loan, provided Roumani'a marches against Bessarabia, which Rounmnia may retain if she conquers.

RETREAT OF THE SERBIANS. A BULGARIAN' REPORT. Received Nov. 1, 12.15 a.m. ■ Amsterdam, Oct. A Bulgar communique says: ,'V'ier four days' obstinate fighting we defeated the Serbians in Tirnok valley and Pirot, and they are retreating westward on the entire front. We are energetically pursuing. BOMBARDMENT OF THE COAST. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. . Received Nov. 1,. 12.20 a.m. London, Oct. 31. Paris reports that the Russians bombarded Varna and .Lula Burgas all day on Friday, doing considerable damage. ' . . LARGE RUSSIAN FORCES. i LEFT FOR THE BULGARIAN FRONT. Received Nov. 1, 12.20 a.m. Copenhagen, Oct. 31. The Tageblatt'a Bucharest correspondent reports that great contingents of Russian troops have left Odessa and Sebastopol, convoyed by cruisers and destroyers, for \Bulgaria. The recent bombardment at/varna was the preparation for this landmg,

A CONSTITUTIONAL KING. AT THE WISH OF HIS PEOPLE. Received Nov. 1, 12.20 a.m. London, Oct. 31. Bucharest reports that in view of Sunday's demonstration M. Makejonescu and M. Filipescu interview the King, who replied that he was not opposed to the people's aspirations, and he added that as a Constitutional King he placed himself in the hands of the Parliament and Government,

Roumania would be a decided acquisition to the Allies. - Like other minor Powers. Roumania has been tributary to Krupps in the matter of artillery, the field gun in use being a Krupp Tf> m.in.. and there is some ground for believing that prior to the war there was a heavy expenditure on German munitions. That 13 not in itself a serious matter, but if the Roumanians were slow to organise their own war factories they may have Found the acquisition of raw material difficult, and, in view of the blocking of the Dardanelles the importation of war material, must have been virtually at a standstill for many months. Six months ago it was stated that Britain and France had lent experts to Roumanian arsenals, but considering the demand that has existed in Western Europe for expert labor it may be doubted whether any loan of the sort was made. Roumanian difficulties at present are likely to be a shortage of war material and an inability to expand the artillery service to the extent demanded by modern conditions.

The peace strength of the Roumanian army is about 100,000 men, but probably double that number have been mobilised. The mobilisation of first line troops would bring some 290.000 men to the colors, including nearly '240,000 rifles and 500 field guns, and possibly 20,000 sabres second line. The reserve normally consists of all men between the ages of twenty-eight and forty-three, ami as these men are presumed to have received full training for seven years they should form an excellent support for the tirst line troops. It is said that no difficulty would be experienced in mobilising 300,000 of the second line, but the establishment prior to the war provided for no more than forty battalions, so that the organisation must have been very incomplete. To meet the wastage of war, Rouiiiania has a partially trained supplementary reserve, consisting of the surplus of the annual contingent of recruits and all young men exempted for one cause or another from military service.

In the matter of efficiency and equipment the Roumanian arfny ?s said to equal the best in Europe. It lacks the field experience of tlie Bulgarian army, of course, but would be quite equal to countering the Bulgarian offensive against Serbia, and, incidentally, could undertake raids into Bukowina and Transylvania on its own account. Moreover, the entrance of Roumania into the war would enable Russian units to take part directly in the Balkan campaign, and doubtless this would be the natural course. Roumanift would be anxious to mass her own troops 011 the Hungarian border, and would be at liberty to do so if the Russians undertook the burden of the attack on Bulgaria. Obviously, too, such an arrangement would remove a portion of the Entente's troubles in providing 400,000 men for the Balkan area, seeing that Russian troops could be placed directly in the field while French and British were being landed at Salonika.— Lyttelton Times. INSURE AGAINST SUFFERING For eighteen pence you can insure yourself and family against any bad results from an attack of diarthoea or dysentery. That is the price of a bottle of Chamberlain's Colic and Diarrhoea Remedy—a medicine which never fails to give relief. In severe cases the victims must suffer intense pain before medicine can be obtained or a physician summoned. Can you afford to take the risk for so small an amount ? Why not keep Chamberlain's Colic and Diarrhoea Remedy on hand? Sold by all chemists and storekeeper*.