ROUMANIANS FIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1918, Page 2

ROUMANIANS FIGHT.

AGAINST HEAVY' ODDS "NO SURRENDER." Oitoz Front, August iffl. The enemy s>till initiative on Hie Roumanian front, but at the present moment he confines himself to local actions or to rectification of the front, as .mterday, when a couple of villages west of Panciu were taken. Up to now all.the German main efforts ' have foiled against th o stubborn fight put up by the 'Roumanians, who have t>€«i able to hold their own. After the first failure to break through at Marasesti, the enemy's effort on the Oitoz front suffered the -same fate. This sector already last autumn had been tho tomb of thousands of the enemy. Ten days and nights he hammered'at the wall formed by the Roumanians, and but little ground was gained, quite disproportionate to his enormous losses. Eight Austro-German divisions were exhausted in fruitless mass attacks. The enemy's command, regardless of losses, sent repeatedly from four to six waves which broke in front of this splendid army which is defending Targu Ocna. much raveted by the eenmy, for it commands the railway line supplying Roumania with oil. salt and coal, 'with conspicuous gallantry, and contempt for the heavy fire of the enemy's artillery and machine-guns, the Roumanian troops, who had sworn not to he made prisoners, counter-attacked the Austro-German forces, throwing the i-nemy back from this important position. The enemy's efforts now seem ince more to be. directed towards Ad.juu*, in the hope of cutting the Roumanian Army in two by the capture of that railway junction.

The splendid resistance of the TJonmanians at Marasesti and now at Oitoz | shows that the Army is doing all that is Imnmnly possible. All who witness the ; struggle for liberty of this little nation are unanimous that the valor and selfI sacrifice of these troops who have now to jrely mainly on their own reduced resources in men against «, much siiperier enemy arc beyond all pTaise.