THE BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1916, Page 5

THE BALKANS.

RESOLUTE ROUMANIAN OFFENSIVE, PRESERVATION OP ARMY ESSENTIAL . * Petfograd, Dec. 3. s The Russian success in the wooded'. Carpathians lias eaused fieneral -von Falkenhayn to delay ]jis advance, fear-' ing that his rear would be endangered; moreover the Roumanians, encouraged by the Russian attack, have'assumed' a resolute offensive in the Buzeu Valley and threaten to descend on Brasso. Tin- Rlissia.n advance ou the frontier between Bukovina and Hungary is developing with the utmost energy, and the road to Sziget is now under the lire of the Russian, guns. The Russians overcame the desperate Gcr- ; man resistance at Kirlibaba and also seized Ruriukala, a height near the rear of the enemy's position. A Germano-Bulgar reverse at Comana momentarily arrested the attempt to reach Bucharest in that direction, thcles? a fresh crossing of'thc'Danube at. Tuitukai is threatened. Meanwhile - the Russian and Roumanians regard the preservation of the Roumanian. Army as essential, even if it is necessary temporarily to abandon Bucharest. Rome, Deo. :!.

'■'' lie Corrierc's Petrograd correspond<>nt states that Genera] von Falkonliavn's force" in the mountains between Transylvania and Moldavia have been obliged tij assume the defensive owing to the (tiapatch of several divisions from th»ie to iissist the advance through Walla;:l|ia, Operations on a great scale are no longec. possibk' . .iij „the, Transvlvanian Alps., owing to the winter condfftons,

THE TIDE I I •RUSSO-ROUMAXUNS •GETTING IX SOME BLOWS Received Dee. 4, 3 j>.m • London, Dee. 3. 'A Russian official message states:— In Transylvania we successfully attacked tlio valleys of the Rivers Trotus End Sulty, and occupied Asnul and Suitor. Tn the. Argis valley the fighting is'assuming the character of a great battle. The Roumanians, outflanked by cavalry from the south, are retiring southeastwards. The Roumanians south of Bucharest with the assistance ot the Russians, are successfully developing operations. At least tvv'enty-six guns were captured. A Roumanian official message states:: —During the course^ of various attacks in Moldavia, north of Walljiehia, we took considerable prisoners ,on the western fronj;, and retired . towards Titin, where we defeated and drove baek southward a division of Turks. The main body of the Germans and Bulgars are in the regions of Glavacioc and.Neaglov.

CROSSING THE DANUBE. JiUCKftNSEN'S TECHNICAL SUPERIORITY. RUSSIAN'S BLOCKING THE PATH. ATTACKING WITH GREAT RESOLUTION. DESPERATE FIGHTING. t Received Dec. 4, 5.43 p.m London, Deo. H. Tlie Daily Chronicle's correspondent at the Southern Russian headquarters states that the main danger to Bucharest is from the south.

The astonishing facility wherewith the Germans crossed the. Danube was due to the technical superiority of General von Mackenaen'g: established powerful, long-range 'batteries nt m(iny points. On the rijjSit bank several islands prevented : the Russian-Rouma-nian gunboats from navigating the river, while, simultaneously, other longrange batteries drove back the Rouimtniai batteries on the left bank, which they vainly tried to stop. The German, and then the Austrian, monitors intervened to protect the Gennnii landings. Mackensr-n's rush was really a. victory, being a sprint race to Bucharest, wherein the Allies were outstripped. Meanwhile Russia is not idle, but has extended her front by over a hundred miles, assisted by dense fogs, which fortunately shrouded the risky operations, the risk being all the greatei because it was temporarily necessary to thin some parts of the front while reinforcements were being brought from the rear.

General Brusiloff's southernmost army will now be able to threaten von Falkenliayn's left flauk in the rear. The Russians are attacking with great resolution between the Moldavian town of Okna and the Ciksereda station, and they have reached the River Tatras.

A brave Russian lieutenant, with a small tody of men, rushed a mountain ravine and surprised the Pioneers, who were attempting to blow up the railway bridge. They captured the men, and prevented the explosion n.t the bridge, which is 0110 of the main lines of von Falkenhayn's communications. The storming of Kirlitaba was a desperate business. Many houses were captured and recaptured 'several times. Machine-guns were everywhere, and rifles were fired from every window, roof, and cellar. • The .Russians also occupied the sum' iriits commanding the railway to Matmarossziget, in Hungary. i 'A SUCCESSFUL RAID. Bereived Dec. 4, .Vi p.m. London, Dee. . A • BritUli PJoftika comwuni-iuo states:— Our patvok si-;-:'.";''.- 1 );;- raMe-l. Xohovi. Aeropiiinps ,v.ur.;wt'i'i the camp near Seres.

RAIN INTERFERING

I BRITISH. TRANSPORT .rOR^J®. IM: DIMEXRSE STORES : .' i i I ■■ ' ; ! Received Dec. 4, fI.'HS ,p.w. London, Jtr, Calvert, writing from' : bian lieadf|iiai'tevs, states tliat raja hiifl tiers operations. On the uortli-east." i&'oiA the enemy lias apparently evacuated the northerly mountain positions, hm\ • chosen the I'rilep Road as lus primijyu line of retreat. The British transport is inocssfllrtlvs. forwarding immense quantities of am«munition and stores to' front.

BATTLE OF AROESUt. ' t GERMANS CLAIM A WSS. Heeeived Deo. 5, 1.20 a.m. , . Borlin, Dec. i. Official: The battle of Argesul, north* "west of Bucharest, was won by tb« ilth Army. The Raiser ordered th( churcli bells to be rung to-day Prussia;, Alsace, anad Lorraine. BUCHAREST NOT A FORTRESS. ' London, Dec. 3. • A Roumanian semi-official statement! denies the statement by Wolff's n gents that Bucharest lias been transformed into an" armed eamp. It points ou. that Bucharest ceased to be a fortrest before the war and, when its 'flcoupa l tion was -threatened, the military pre', pared to evacuate it, but M. Curlewid urged them to. remain. A GERMAN REPORT. Received Dec. 4, .).» p.m. i Berlin, Dee. ( . A communique records the advance from'Kampohing and 'F'itesei, crowing the Argesui River, and tile capture ofi 2302 prisoners and 15 guns. A GERMAN GOVEKNOB. Amsterdam, Dec. 9. Ocreral von Sehefeund WeidenbacK has been appointed Governor of ths occupied part of Koumania