THE BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1917, Page 5

THE BALKANS.

BRITISH COLONI- y.T BRIXDISI. Received Jan. 12, 3.5 p.m. Home, Jan 11. The British colony at Athens has arrived at Brindisi. llie Italians are remaining at Athens. ARTILLERY ACTIVJS. , Received Jan. 12, 8 p.m. Paris, Jan. 11. A French Macedonian communique states:—The artillery duel is increasiing along the whole fr-ont particularly in the Struma regions and Makova and Monastir. BESSARABIA. From Reni to the mouth of the Danube the Russians have about BO miles of river to guard, and it is of importance that this should be done well. The enemy arc sure to make an effort to capture flic delta, for two reasons. In the first place, if they can -cross the St. George Month and reach the Sulina i Mouth, they will deprive the Russians of cue of their best lines of communication. In the second place, it they can force their way into Bessarabia they will get behind the Seretli hue, and profoundly modify the local strategical situation to their own advantage; There are an immense number of rivenin Bessarabia, all running due south. The-.e rivers end in long,' narrow, swampy lakes which run down to the bank 1 of the Danube. If the enemy seek to advance from the. Sereth through Bessarabia upon Odessa, each of these swampy rivers will form a strong natural defensive line. As they advance, their communeiations wiM become steadily worse, and, "with skilful generalship, tlie Russo-Roumanians -should be able to keep the ( enemy in play there for. months, defending each line successively, until sufficient /einforeements have arrived to enable them to resume the offensive, and until the Allies are all ready to take the offensive , on other fronts. But it the enemy can cross the delta they will turn the greater number of tlujse rivers at one stroke. So the defence of the line of the St. Jeorge Mouth should be very carefully attended to.