THE BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 November 1916, Page 5

THE BALKANS.

POSITION IN ROUMANIA. RUSSIA TO HELP. Petrograd. Nov. 27. ATircless reports state that the flcrnians are conducting a campaign of horror in western allachia, pillaging and prominent Roumanians lor sending a memorandum of graiilude to HusM-,1 tor her loval and invaluable aid in the terrible crisis.

M. 'rtke .lonescii, in an interview, said:--"\\e Roumanians are unreservedly liiati tnl, Wo have heurd the suggesting that Russia did not come to our help sudii-ient'y quickly. that Russia was blamewrrthy for the Dobrudja retreat, and left Roiunania during the first assaults to bear the brunt of the enemy's hatred. All these suggestions originate fiom German sources. Russia has loyally fulfilled every obligation without delay, and has generously done more than her duty. The Russians' help exceeds what Roumanin contemplated when .she entered ilm war "

A RUSSIAN VIEW.

MATN GERMAN" PLAN FOILED.

Received Nov. 28. 11 p.m.

London, Nov. 28. The Daily Chronicle's correspondent at the Russian headquarters on the southern front authoritatively reviews the Roumanian situation.

When Roumania joined the Allies, he states, the Russian armies were attacking westward in the direction of Lemberg. It seemed reasonable to believe the movement of the Roumanians in Transylvania would secure the left Russian wing, and allow the Russian offensive to be undertaken with more speed and determination. The Germaos, however, quickly concentrated, and assumed a powerful offensive.

It thus became Russia's duty to throw important forces toward Rouniania, which it did not hesitate to do. Russia transformed radically her own arrangement of troops.

The correspondent does not explain why the Allies were unable to hold the Oeniavoda-Constaiiza railway. Perhaps the mines were not well sprung, and l'ailed to properly destroy the bridge. Tile situation in the Northern Dobrudja now, however, is perfectly secure. The Cernavoda bridge is undci fire of -the Russo-Roumanian batteries. A Bulgarian force tried to cross, but were inime■liately expelled to the left bank. The Roumanians hold a great dam, which is the continuation of the bridge through the marshes.

While putting the situation right in the Dobnw'ja, Russia considerably extended her front, taking over Moldavia, and rendering impracticable the German plan to cut Ronmania in two by operating 011 the Fogsani plain. The only region where there is some anxiety is Little Wallachia.

The Bulgarians are fortifying the position on the Dobrudja by making many lines of entrenchments parallel with the Cernavoda-Constanza railway, hoping to prevent the Russians from debouching.

ALLIES' GAINS. STRONG SI RATEGICAL POINTS. and N.Z, Cable Association and Reuter Received Nov. 28, 8.33 p.m. London, Nov. 27. A Serbian communique states: The Franco-Serbians carried the assault oil Hill .1030, which is n most important strategical point. The German elite troops defending this position were instructed to hold it at all costs. Several counter-attacks were launched irrespective of losses, but were repulsed. An Italian Macedonian communique states: We broke a stubborn resistance and captured two heights south-east of Nizopole.

BULGARIAN CAMPAIGN ACCORDING TO PLAN Received Nov. 29, 1.30 a.m. Budapest, Nov. 28. General Arz, who is commanding the army group against the Roumanians in the ,)iul vallex, urges the refugees from Transylvania to return to their homes, which were practically uninjured by the Roumanians during their invasion. He declares the campaign in Roumania is proceeding with the utmost smoothness and efl'eetiveness, and in accordance with plan? made before the Roumanians' declaration.

RUSSIAN' FORCES CONCENTRATING. Rome, Nov. 2". The Legation states that the Roumanians continue fighting and are effecting a retirement to a new Wallachian front, where the Russian reinforcements are concentrating. Floods are hindering the passage of Mackensen's troops. The Allies' advance in the Dobrudjn continues.

THE CZAR AND FERDINAND CONFER Copenhagen, Nov. 27. The Czar has arrived at Kiev, en route to Reni, Bessarabia, in order to confer with King Ferdinand of Ronmania. GERMAN* VENGEANCE. Times Service. London, Nov. 27. Mr. Boureliier, from Bucharest, says that the Germans have launched punitive measures against the unarmed Roumanian population and are shelling unfortified towns and villages and massacring defenceless peasants working in the fields. These measures are largely due to German press hostility owing to the so-called Roumanian treachery. Germany ;s now developing the miner, al resources of the conquered territories witli remarkable energy. She is vigorously working the Serbian copper and iron mines. .Asia Minor ; with German machinery, is producing a plentiful supply of copper, which was previously very short. Veritable working armies of deportees are everywhere, including women. KRAJOVA LEFT BARE. Amsterdam, Nov. 27 German correspondents admit that the Roumanians left no war 'material at Krajova, removing all the guns, including *he heaviest.

ENEMY PLANS ALTERED. j

IHRIUP.ITY TO PRISONERS. London. Nov, 27. An Italian scmo-ollicia] nu>>sage ,i e dares that the Austro-German newspapers are wrongly proclaiming that Houmania's fato i.® pnalwl. The present enemy plan was adopted after the failure of the 01 ifrinal, by whicli it was hoped to force a passage through the Transylvanian Alps, descending th<; Praheva and Luzon Valleys and joining ii|) with Machensen. who expected to cross ilie Danube from Ilie Dobrmlja, thus separating Ronmania from the remainder of Moldavia. The Herman effort, arrested in the east and centre, was next directed against the most westerly point, which the Roumanians wkel'v abandoned.

The communique adds: There are fresh particulars daily of the Austrian barbarity towards prisoners. Affidavits i,( a Mussalman state that the Bosnians habitually cut off the ears of the Italian wounded and string- them round their necks. The officers encourage the atrocities.

ROUMANIAN' DKPKNBIVK TACTICS London, Nov, 27. A Russian communique says that the retiring Roumanian detachments are utilising the natural features of the country in resisting their enemies' advance in West Wallachia. After crossing the jDanube at Zimnitza the enemy occupied a position on the river Vit'e, between Valens and Russewade. THE EARLIER FIGHTING - BREACHING THE WAV.

A very interesting glimpse of the .flailting that led up to the advance 01: Monastir is given by. Mr Ward I'ri.-:. 'T'i" battle of Ostrovo is over, aiui the hstile for Monastir liaa begun." he wrote on September 19. "The long Allied front, with the Serbians on the right, and the French and Russians 011 the left, has completed its wing northwards, and the inil's are now straight again, facing up jhe bread valley, at the end of which f. l e palo walls and minarets of Monastir loom through the haze. Yesterday the French took Fiorina after desperate fighting and a violent attack, at which I was present. To-day there is a general onslaught against the first Bulgarian lines of entrenchments which bar the way to Monastir. We are beginning this forward movement from a front stretching up to the sheer brown peak of Kaymaktchalan, rising like a Uibraltar above the ridge Starkov Grob, where the Bulgarians still hold out, though now threatened on Doth flanks. The highest peak of Kaymaktchalan was taken by infantry assault last night, after a bombardment which set all the mountains rumbling, but the Bulgarians still cling to one shoulder, where, dominated as they are by the crest, they can hardly hold out long. "Climbing through (lie passes of the Malka Nidie Range, scarred and littered with traces of last week's victorious fighting, your first sight of the battle for Monastir is from Banitza, on the shoulder of a hill thilt, forms one side of the broad valley in which both Monastir and Fiorina lie. This is a gentler country than most of the regions where we are fighting in the Balkans—rolling grass slopes, brown fields of withered Indian corn, belts of trees that shelter villages, Red-roofed Fiorina spreads herself prosperously on the lowest slopes of the black Stara Xerecka Mountains on the other side. But yesterday, to-day, and probably for several days to come, the most violent buttle and one on the biggest scale the Balkans lias ever seen is being fought in this pleasant plain. It is a different kind of battle from others in this war. For our side at least it is all open fighting. Being 011 an advance, the Serbian infantry only halt long enough to throw up the little 'scraps' of earth you see dotted about the fields."

"It is pleasant to be able to say that the splendid work of the English transport unit attached to the Serbians contributed to the success of the battle of Ostrovo," lie adds. "The general commanding this army has issued an order informing the Serbian troops that they owe a great part of their success to this invaluable help. The men of the motor transport companies worked forty-eight-hours on end without sleep, bringing up ammunition. Many of tlicm could eat only by munching a discuit as tliey drove. And the country is of a most difficult and dangerous nature. They must take convoys up hills of one in five, over appalling surfaces, along narrow tracks blocked by horse transport, with a precipitous drop of 200 ft within six inches of their outside wheels. They have done excellently."

"Rapid though the first port of the Serbian advance has been," Mr. Price wrote on September 2(1, ''it must not bs thought disappointing if it now goes more slowly for a time. The Serbians aro fighting within sight of Monastir, it is true, but across that broad valley up which tliey look stretch three lines of strong enemy entrenchments, prepared at leisure throughout the whole of this year. The first is the one we are attacking now. The next is the strongest of all, and runs on the other side of the former Greek frontier. From Kladoshnitza to Krcmian and then up to Starkov Grok is about the course. There is yet another series of trenches outside Monastir, which crosses the elbow made by the Tclierna River. Then north of the town again comes one more line before that natural stronghold of Central Macedonia, the Babuna Pass, is reached."