THE BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1917, Page 5

THE BALKANS.

MOLDAVIAN SITUATION IMPROVED. COLOSSAL GERMAN LOSSES, ■ Received Jan. I], 5.50 p . m . ti r. •, ™ 'London, Jan. M. ! The Daily Telegraph's Rome cora-i pondent report* that the Roumanian WlOll states the situation on the Moldavian front has improved. Evacuaion cereal, and the consolidation of the Screth-Pruth line were the .nain objects of tin recent battles. Tlic Gcr. man losses were colossal..

ENERGETIC ENEMY ACTION. EXPECTED AROUND MON'ASTIR Received lan. 11, ? p.m. ~ ~. Salonika, Jan. 10 Jiverytlnng indicates energetic eiiemv action at Monastir. It.js reported that a Bulgarian .egiment has arrived from the Dobnidja, and the'remainder of the division is coming, besides an Austrian regiment (torn Kajkindeli ,and possibly some German reinforcements Hie enemy will attempt to work? south round Lake Ochnda, \n order to join Kin* Constantino's ■ forces. .'' ° THE PREDEAL ARMY. BEES HEAvT. FIGHTING., Receiver Jan. 11. 0 p . m , ~ _ ■ London, Jan. 11. -Mr. Braun, war correspondent, sends from Jassy the first authoritative ac* count of the late of the Predeal nrmv winch the Germans allege to have sap' tured. He witnessed thf retreat 01 the whole army under the command of flcneral Overescu, who is now Commander-m-Chiet of Roumanin. King Ferdinand ordered the retreat from the Carpathians when the heights safeguarding Bucharest were abandoned. General Overescu withdrew s-'owlv maintaining contact with the enemy artillery until the, infantry was .safe when the guns were destroyed and abandoned. The rearguards were also jacrinced. The Predenl divisions have uinco fought prominenflv.

REIQN OF TERROR. J.N jiOUMANIAN TOWNS. .reived Jan. 11, S p.m. -ondon, Jan. JO. Advices liave been received of a reign of tciroi in Bucharest and other towns. The Germans are deporting thousands. ITALY'S HELP, A large force of t*oops. Received Jan. 12, 12.25 a.m. , Washington, Jan. 11. The Now York World's correspondent states that Italy has agreed to place a- very large force of troops at the disposal of the Allies, who promised Italy the possession of the province ot Trieste and Southern Albania, including Avlona and a iringe of Dalmatia. OFFICIALS ORDERED- TO i,EAVE. Petrograd, Jan. 10. Germany has requested the United States and Dutch Ministers, who remained at Bucharest tt safegua"' foreign capital, to leave Roumania. . THE CZAU'fc, SYMPATHY • Paris, Jan. K. The Czar received ' the King and Queen of Roumania, with '.lie Crown I Prince and M. Bratiano, at t'he Russian headqiiarteis. M. Bratiano had a three hours' audience with the Czar. IX THE DOBRUDJA. | Tht Russians must now have, retiree' well back into the swamps which All the i loop behind Machin, and possibly they intend to make an effort to hold their ground there in order ti cover Uraila (writes "Critieus" in the Buncdin Star). lit is doubtful if they will succeed, or if [Braila can be covered in any case. It t will he noticed that just south of Braila the river runs in two channels, forming a huge island, if the enemy get possession of that island they will be able to bombard Brailo at short range; nor will Hue possession of the loot, by the Eiis- , sian? enable, them to prevent' thai. For the "Russians.to attempt to hold the | northern end of the island will be an i extremely dangerous thing, as the forces engaged would oe likely to be trapped there. The enemy can now cross over to the'island further south from both sides,

On the whole, there seems but Ktti» hope now of keeping the enemy out of artillery' range ot the important /ailheads of Galutx and Reni, save in the "very improbable event of a large accession of strength enabling the RussoRoumanians tc take the offensive again. It should be clearly understood that, strategically speaking, it is the power which it -gives tht enemy to threaten the Russo-Roumaman communications with Bessarabia which is the worst advantage arising from the loss ot the Dobrudja. It is true that if the Hussions .vish to take the offensive there they will now be faced with the formidable task of forcing the crossing of the Danube in face of the enemy. But, then, there is no need to take the offensive there. When the time comes to take the often -ivt again the proper places to do it w'ill be on the Trflhiylvanian front and through Wallachia to* wards Bucharest. Assuming the latter move to be successful, the position of the enemy in the Dobrudja would become steadily more salient and dangerous as it progressed. When the RussoRoumanians reached a point luffleigjitij

far south they would be able tojcttt* . the Danube on to the enemy"* real". - ? and cut off any of their force, remaiaiaa in the northern Dobrudja. ft* &• enemy would not wait for would retire as > soon us their poUtiM! - became too dangerous, and leavi <&| ' Russians to <ross tlie Ltffrer Danube. u*t opposed. '•< i'. , - **?