THE BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1916, Page 5

THE BALKANS.

FATE OF BUCHAREST. ' CAUSES NO SENSATION GERMAN LINE SHORTENED. lIUSSO-ROUMANIANS ENDANG KRED. Received Dec, S, 1-2.50 a.m. London Dec, t. The fall of Bucharest has long been expected, so that it has caused no sensation. News is now anxiously awaited us to the condition of the Roumanian ■ army. Another danger that is threatening is the German advance on the flank of the Russo'Roumanians in Moldavia. The Germans now control the Roumanian railway system, and probably enormous supplies of wheat, cattle, and oil will tall. The capture of Bucharest anil Plo«shti shortens the German line by 300 miles, and enables the diversion of large forces elsewhere. Meanwhile a fragment of the Qrsova army 'continues resistance, though many have been taken prisoners. It has now been cut oil' for nearly three weeks, but, rather than surrender, is continually appearing at new points. A GERMAN REPORT. Vancouver, Dec. fi. Berlin announces that Bucharest has been captured. ROUMANIAN DEFEATS. A GERMAN REPORT. Received Dee. 7, 8 p.m. London, Dec. 0. I A German official statement says: • We captured Sinaia, 37 miles north-west or Plobhti. We cleared out the Roumanians on the south bank of the Argesul, and are now advancing towards Bucharest. The communique claims that the Germans captured lCflO men and four guns in the fight oil the Alt with the Orsova rearguard, whose way was blocked on the east bank of the river, and -also took prisoner 4400 other Roumanians. It says they captured considerable stores of weat- bought by Britain on the railway north-west of Bucharest, and admits the Russian suecess in the Trotusal valley. ATROCITIES AT ATHENS. AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION. London, Dec. (I. A telegram from the British Legation at Athens states that two Greek Red Cross nurses, after tending a wounded legation porter all day long, were subsequently arrested, dragged before the head of the police and shut up for 30 hours, without food or water, in a filthy latrine. Continuous attempts to rape them were made. The house was looted. They have now been released. They state that the police headquarters are filled with Venizelists. Some have been battered to death and some have had their eyes gouged out. The late head of the secret police was tied to a post and beaten on the head with a club by an orthodox priest. GERMANY'S NEXT TASK Amsterdam, Dec. 6. Sofia messages declare that after Bucharest the next task of the Germanic powers will be the capture of Valona, which is in Italian occupation. They will then join hands with Greece. Bulgaria is introducing a Mass Levy Bill on German lines. BULGARIA'S TERMS. Amsterdam, Dee. fi. The Zeitun Gammittog publishes an interview with a Bulgarian statesman Bulgaria's first condition of peace is the relinquishment of Russian hopes of Constantinople. GERMANS ADVANCING Amsterdam, Dee. 0. A German correspondent says that the victory at Argesu was only possible because the Roumanians had no time to destroy bridges. Tlit fltli German Army is incessantly attacking the rearguards and marching straight upon tho oil fields at I'rahova. If the valley is reached the Germans will be oil the line of retreat of the 2nd Roumanian Army, which held up the enemy for two months. j ROUMANIANS RETIRE London, Dc. fi. A Russian communique says: The enemy was successful in the direction of Tirogivista, Ploesti, and in tho region of Dokonesti, on the Titu-Bucharest railway, where the Roumanians were compelled to retire in consequence of the piercing of their front. Enemy attacks on other sectors were repulsed. A French communique says: There is nothing to report in the west. The Franco-Serbians made further progress north of Paralovo. There was a violent artillery duel north of Monastir. IMPORTANT SERBIAN SUCCESSES. ' Received Dec. 7, 5.5 p.m. London, Dec. fi. The Serbian headquarters stales that ,the latest. Serbian successes are import- ; ant. The newly-captured positions threaten Sokolo. If the latter falls, the entire Mogeen region will be freed of the pnemy. • .

WEST OF SPIES. IN ROUMANIAN CAPITAL. Renter Service. , Received Dee. 7, ii p.m. Koine, Dec. fi. Tlio Giornalc d'ltalia slates that. there were six thousand German spies in Bucharest wlion the war started. .Many were arrested and others interned. On the morning that war was declared the King ordered the arrest and eourtmurtJal of all (lie palace servants. JIO.VAST lit. THE LOCAL ,STRATEGY The strategy which >lionltl now develop around Monastir is ol considerable interest. Not only does the town stand in a rather extensive plain, where an offensive is easier than anions ilu ' mountains, but it is a central point from which' blows can be struck in several directions. Three roads lead out of the northern end of the town. One of these goes westward across a range of hills to Resna, near the head of Lake Presha, and then turns to the north-west, skirts the northern end of Lake Ochrida, and runs up the east bank of the Black T)fm to Dibra. 'Jhat road is of great importance. as General San-ail's first care should be to clear his left (lank and force the enemy back from the lakes, llonastir lies nearly 20 miles due east of the northern ernl of Lake Presba, but it is :!!) miles from Lako Ochrida, so 10 miles will be added to the enemy's line by merely forcing them back from Lake I'resba. A road runs along the hills between the lakes, and probably a force will follow this road and co-operate in a turning movement. Another road runs out of .Monastir northwest to Kishevo. but it is commanded by a flump of hills about JO miles to the north, where the enemy will probably' attempt to stand. A third road, about the most import,nit of the roads leading out of Monastir, runs north-east to Prilep, parallel with the Seleeha Dagli and the Cerna River. At Prilep it bifurcates, one branch leadinn; north-west to Kishevo, and another running north-east to Krivolak and Voles, on the Vardar River. All these roads will have been improved by the Bulgarians, and General Sarrail now has the option of striking along any of them from a central position; while a couple, of roads are. also said to have been constructed down the valley of the Cerna to the Vardar, and these will be useful in the turning movement against the enemy's centre.