ROUMANIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1916, Page 5

ROUMANIA.

THE ROUMANIAN ADVANCE. SECRET AND WELL-PREPARED MOVE. HUNGARIANS REPULSED, MACKENSEN BUSY, London August 31. Only meagre accounts have been received of the early Roumanian successes. London has not even received the Roumanian account of the capture of Brasso, which an Austrian communique admits. Severe fighting extended from the Tolgye Pass to Mount Vulcan, where the Roumanians forced the mountain passes in order to attack (Petroseny, which is eight miles from the north frontier. Kezdi Vasarhely, north-east of Hrasso, was also evacuated. It is 18 miles from the frontier. The fighting is chiefly in hills 1500 to 3000 metres high. Hungarian 'battalions fiercely attacked in the Turnu Severin region, -with the evident intention of crossing the mountains and cutting the Roumanian communications, >but they were repulsed with heavy losses. It is reported that several German divisions under General Maekensen have iirrived at Hcrinannstadt, which is apparently the first result of Hindenburg's determination to rush reinforcements nastward to counter the Russo-Roumani-sin danger.

Maekensen is hurriedly organising the defence of Hermannstadt, where the fl'.ins are plainly audible. Many buildings have been converted into hospital*. The Roumanian advance was assisted l.y a wonderfully complete preparation "f the military machine. The bulk of lie troops were not only mobilised, but in position. The railways- were under military control, and the rolling-stock was iistributcd. All was done without alarming German and Austrian spies, who were, unaware of the crisis until (lie declaration. The Casino at Sinaja,-a popular report in the Carpathians, was crowded, on Sunday evening. The gambling rooms and theatre were crowded with Roumanians, Germans, and Hungarians. 3iud'lonly the thundei of big guns and the nound of rifles stopped the gay laughter. There was a moment of consternation and incredibility, and then the Roumanians instinctively drew away from the Germans and Hungarians and the Casino was emptied, except for nurses, who were transforming the halls into hospital wards. Meanwhile guards were hurried to tie oil fields ami other danger points, enemy spies anested, and aliens -hurried into internment camps.

AUSTRIA'S EVACUATION POLICY. 10,000 SQUARE MILKS INVOLVED. BULGARIA WANTS AID. Vienna, August 31. The newspapers announce that the General Stall' is considering the evacuation of all south-eastern Transylvania, for the purpose of shortening the'line. New York, August 31. Military circles estimate that if the Austrian line is shortened it must {mean the abandonment of at least 10)0010. square miles to the Roumanians. London, August 31. A Rome wireless mesage says that Bulgaria asks the assistance of 200,000 Turkish troops as a condition of declaring war upon Rouuiania. 1 t. A ROUMANIAN AVALANCHE HUNGARIANS POT TO FLIGHT. 'A CRISIS WITH AUSTRIA. Received Sept. 1, 9.50 p.m. Bucharest, Sept 1. A message states that the Hungarians arc fleeing before the Roumanian avalanche. The Hungarians are clamoring 'or concentrations of Hungarian troops to defend Hungary. Relations with Austria are approaching a crisis.

ROUMANIANS FORCE ALU PASSES. HUNGARIANS DRIVEN BACK Received Sept. 1, 6.10 p.m. Rome, August 31, The Messagero's Petrograd correspondent states that the initial RoumanianHungarian lighting on the southern Transylvania frontier, raged for fifty hours over a wide front. The right wing easily occupied Brasse (Kronstadt). The centre and left wing stubbornly resisted, especially at Vaillcmento. The Roumanians have forced all the passes and advanced on Venistovo. The Hungaiians violently attacked the *lron ii'die" region, but were driven back with many, losses. ENEMY RESISTANCE SHATTERED. THEIR BLUFF EXPOSEDI Received Sept. 1, 9.5 p.m. Rome, Sept. 1. The Roumanian Legation states that the resistance of the enemy everywhere has been shattered. The army has penetrated deeply into Hungarian territory. Reports regarding the concentration of large enemy armies in Transylvania is Imer« bluff,'