THE BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1916, Page 5

THE BALKANS.

THE ROUMANIAN POSITION, A CHEKRI Nil REVIEW. RUSSIANS READY TO STRIKE. London, Nov. 20. life Ueeklv Dispatch, in a hopeful review of the sanation in Rounmnia, says that while a further Roumanian retreat is possible, \he Allies are not idle, the Roumanian air service is being augmented, and doubtless men and guns are reaching her. Communiques from Bucharest are likely to retain an anxious note until tiie veil is lilted from happenings in the norili. Movements calculated to have a vital influence on the Roumanian campaign are occurring in Russia, but it is not thejliussians' habit to talk until they are ready, as the Austrians and Turks know tii their sorrow. The ljiilitnrv correspondent of the Sunday limes says the situation in Ronmania turns on the basis of the fact that the enemy has not been able to detach more than thirty divisions (000,000 men) against Roumania, and the Roumanians can outnumber their opponents b/ two to one. whilst the Russians in the north are only awaiting the psychological moment to striico the German invaders at the most vulnerable, point. Colonel Felyer, the distinguished Swiss authority, says that with the frost the Russians will move again, while the Allies at the Somine may, if the ground is hard, compel a draft on Falkenhayn's armies. The Roumanians are in nowise crushed, and may hold Falkenhayn indefinitely in front of Bucharest, thus depriving Germany of the swift triumph, the prospect of which alone tempted her into the Roumanian adventure in order to retrieve the defeats oil the other fronts.

ENEMY SHELLING MONASTIR. GERMANY USING TURKS. deceived Nov. 27, S p.m. London, Nov. 27. Mr. Ward Price, wiring from Salonika, states that the Germans are shelling Monastir, and possibly will attempt to recapture it. This is unlikely, in view of the reinforcenunts and the steady progress of the Franco-Serb? beyond Cerna. Germany is drilling peasants in Asia 'Minor and bringing the Turkish troooj to the Euronean fronts.

ENEMY ATTACKS DEFEATED. !A ROUMANIAN REPORT. Received Nov. 27, 10 p.m London, Nov. 27. A Roumanian communique states: The enemy attacks on Oituz, Dragoslavele, and Curtes were repulsed, There is no change in the Buzan valley. There is mutual artillerying at Branocea and Prededus. in the 'Prahova valley. The enemy heavily bombarded the troops occupying the left bank as far sstfith as Slavina. More southward we fought successfully a column marching on Pontori.

The enemy which crossed the Danube at Zimnicea has advanced south of Soimul station. The artillery and infantry are firing all along the Danube, and wc are bombarding the enemy positions in the Dobrudja.

A CUNNING SCHEME. TO CONSCRIPT SERBIANS AND MONTENEGRINS. Received Nov. 2S, 12,55 n.m. London, Nov. 27. It is understood that, in connection with King Charles' Coronation, it is proposed to create a new Stale on the lines of Russian Poland, adding portions of Serbia, and possibly of Montenegro, to Dalmatia and Bosnia, thus allegedly legalising the conscription of Serbians and Montenegrins.

TURKEY THi : i Vt&NERABLE POIN.i. London, Nov. 26. The Observer states that the employment. of an additional quarter of a million British troops in tlie Near East would do more to shorten the war than the employment of thrice their number in any other theatre. A victory in the West would thus be more certainly advanced than bv any other method.

Turkey is the most vulnerable member of the Central league, yet by Imposition and supplies she sustains the cohesion of the whole. Even for th" (lermiin Western armies it is therefore a base equally vital and assailable. Were the Balkans once mastered and the (Straits to the Black Sea opened, Russia could be more rapid in her mobilisation and preparation of munitions. With her man power she could subsequently assu ne the entire Balkan business and, jointly with Italy, the whole war in Eastern Europe. Austria would then be doomed, ami with the BerlinBagdad connecting link broken the Herman staying power would be irretrievably shaken t'j its foundations.

The French and British armies could return to the West, while the relief to merchant shipping would be immense, and the gain in connection with food supplies proportionate. But the prerequisite woitld be tho organisation of our whole resources, including the employment of thick and yellow labor on a large scale.

AS GERMANY WOULD LIKE IV. New York, Nor. 20. Dispatches from the United Prnss Berlin correspondent, who is in the Transy' vanian Alps, state that there is great suffering among Roumanian women and children refugees. Airmen report that the roads are black with wagon loads fleeing from Kleis, Wallachia, towards the Alt river. Even General von Falkenhavn admits that it is terrible that women antl children should, suffer such misery. General von Falkenhayn. interviewed, said he was anxious to take Bucharest, as it would mean that he would be compelled to feed the population. Their task was to destroy the Roumanian army. Ceneral vo;i Falkenhayn is hurrying j operations and endeavoring to prevent | reinforcements from Monastir and from .Su_s3ia.

WEST WALLACHIAN ARMY,

. EXTRICATES ITSELF. Received Nov. 27, 11 p m Rome, Nov. 27. Information from lioumaniu. states that the West Wallaehiau troops escaped, except a few battalions, which continue to fight independently ITALIAN PROGRESS. Paris, Nov. 2(1. A French communique says: There iius been a violent artillery duel north and east of Monastir, but no infantry actions owing to bad weather. The Italians, on our left wing, have made further progress in the direction of Tarnova. British aeroplanes bombarded enemy camps in the region of Neohori, at the mouth of the Struma. ROUMANIAN DECISION. HISTORY OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE ALLIES. Dr. Zaiietti, special representative of the Giornala d'ltalia in Petrograd, telegraphed to Llody's Weekly News the following interesting summary of the negotiations which (Eliminated in RoumaniaVintervention.

A agreement respecting the eventual conditions upon which Bucharest should participate in Hie war was not reached, he says, as affirmed in some quarters, at the outset of General Mackensen's spring campaign in Western Oulicia last year, nor yet at the moment of Italy's declaration of hostilities against Austria, but only after the fall of Warsaw, when the generally unfavorable military situation prevented Roumania from proceeding any further. Last -January the Austro-Germans having secured Bulgarian co-operation for crushing Serbia, determined to compel Roumania either finally to step into their ranks or efi'eet a general demobilisation, accompanied by sure guarantees of a benevolent neutrality. For this purpose strong Eulgar contingent? were sent to the Dobrudja frontierland, and Ans'roGcrman forces into Transylvania. When a formidable concentration of ltvii and .material v.;as '•-.•nipletu Germany do'iv:rul let' ultimatum. K.nRMV'S CHAXGE OF I'I.AW

T1 i• ltd Tionnunia to turn again to Rusva and resume the neglected negotiation?; but, by the time an urginc military commission dispatched by Russia had arrived at Bucharest early, in February, the military, as well as the diplomatic, authorities at Vienna and Berlin had foregone the contemplated expedition against Roumania in favor of a supreme effort against Italy in the Trentino, and, therefore, contented themselves with a commercial treaty wrung from the Roumanian Government in th(' month of April. In the meantime Reumania had resolved to be ready for action as soon as the tide of events should turn to Russia's advantage. The upshot was the signing of an agreement at Bucharest on August 4 in virtue of Which Roumania pledged' herself to join the Alliej within a period of fifteen days after a renewal of operations on the Salonika front. To allay enemy suspicious, King Ferdinand ar.'i the Prime Minister (M. Rratiauol thereupon both quitted the capital for n holiday. The lir-it definite news of Roumania's decision was then divulged to the press by M. Sobrero, the Rome correspondent of l.a Stampa, Milan.