THE GERMAN BULLY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 4158, 8 February 1916, Page 5

THE GERMAN BULLY.

ANOTHER EXCITING BALKANB CRISIS.

IMPORTANCE ADDED T 9 GALICIAN ADVANCE.

BULGARS STOP TO THINK.

(United Press Association—Copyright.)

(Received Feb. 7, 10.25 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 7. The outlook in Roumania has taken, on a sudden importance. The Milan newspaper “Secolo’s” correspondent says the Roumanian representative in Germany telegraphed on Wednesday that Austro-Ger-many hadi formally notified Roumania that they regard the eventual election c t two Transylvanian Irridentist Parliamentary candidates at Galatz and C iracalj and, secondly, -bile sale to E. gland of over 80,000 waggon loads of grain as acts of hostility towards the Central Powers, which will take measures accordingly. Roumania immediately replied that her constitution did not permit the Government to thwart the election of Irridentists, and it was only possible for Parliament to nullify the elections by declaring them illegal. Secondly, the sale of grain was a purely economic question. The Government had necessarily to safeguard the economic interests of the country, and could not be deprived of its sources of gain. Latest messages state that the Bulgars and Turks are moving towards the Roumanian frontier. A message from a German source alleges that Roumania offered to compromise by supplying Austro-Germany with an extra consignment of iOO,OOO truck-loads of cereals. Confirmation of the presentation of the ultimatum is lacking, but the correspondent of the “Chicago Daily' News” on the Roumanian frontier de- ] clares that Germany’s latest demands on Roumania include most complete written guarantees of a neutrality favorable to the Central Powers and * the demobilisation of the Army, which * is entrenched on the Transylvanian 1 frontier, scarcely fifty yards from the j Austrian Landsturm. They have erected new Russian , guns at Churning. 1 Tlfe Aus-ti'o-Gerinan trenches have been fortified’. M. Bratiano (Roumanian Premier) is rejecting the demands. The correspondent continues: The German Minister is besieging; M. Bratiano with propositions and menaces regarding the sale of grain to England, whose cheque for £10,000,000 profoundly impressed the Roumanians. The Russian successes aTe also a source of gratification, and the proGerman clique in Roumania seems to be becoming steadily undermined. The German election intrigues aroused most violent resentment. “The mighty destinies of civilisation are revolving round the fighting at Czemovitz, which, for the moment, is the capital of Europe. Here may shortly be decided the right to dominate the Balkans. The Russians are steadily advancing, and their shells are daily nearer Czernovitz. The enemy is receiving reinforcements from everv available source, including two Bavarian Army Corps from tlie West Front and also General Mackensen’s Serbian'ariny. The correspondent concludes : ‘ ‘The Kaiser presided over a Council at Nish, which Generals Maelcensen and Jekoff attended. “It was decided that the Bulgars should forthwith advance -towards Salonika, but Bulgaria is newly embarrassed regarding the concession of territory by Turkey. Bulgaria also requires explicit guarantees of Roumanian neutrality before embarking on the Salonika adventure.” Importance is attached in some quarters to Roumania’s new. .Bill, authorising a supplementary military credit, of eight millions sterling. Messages received in the Rome press assert that the feeling in Roumania is optimistic. The positions in Galicia and Salonika are restoring confidence in Roumania and now ninetenths of the mobilised forces have been disposed 'on th e Bulgarian and Hungarian frontiers, and none on the Russian.

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

THE BROKEN HILL TROUBLE.

MINED IN THE CATTEGAT

The entire Austro-German press fear that Ron mania is only awaiting a favorable moment to strike on the side of the Entente. They admit that England’s purchase of eighty thousand waggons of Roumanian grain was a great stroke of practical diplomacy. A Budapest message states that the Austro-Germ an s are seeking to piece an order for one hundred thousand waggons.

THE SALONIKA POSITION.

FIGHTING ON DOTH AN FRONT.

(Received Feb. 7, 11.15 p.m.) SALONIKA, Feb. 7. Tlie first encounter since the Allies’ retirement occurred’ on the Doiran front on Sunday, when French patrols encountered the Bulgarians. There were few casualties. Rome reports tkat fiber e was a terrific explosion in the arsenal at Sko- , c'ira (Scutari), and three Workshops manufacturing 12-inch hydraulic guns were blown into the air. One hun(l dred and ninety-five employees perished.

THE SERBIAN RETREAT.

A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.

WEEKS OF HORROR. • (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) (Received Feb. 7. 5.5 p.m.) t LONDON, Feb. 7. Mr. Crawford Price' reports : Despite weeks of incessant warfare,- fatigue, famine and exposure during the retreat over snow-clad Albania, the Serb . Army has - succeeded in bringing b<Tf its effectives to the Adriatic.

AN ATTEMPT TO BOUNCE ROUMANIA,

ULTIMATUM REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN SENT-

DEMANDS REJECTED BY ROUMANIA.

The Serbian story indicates incoherent Allied direction and divided responsibility. The Serbs battled against overwhelming odds, buoyed up with hopes of the Allied army, their eyes ever turned southwards. When they realised the awful truth—that they had been abandoned—they lost their morale and retreated to the Adriatic insufficiently clad and half-fed. They suffered repeated disappointment on the journey, hoping for Allied stores.

The Allies’ eleventh hour activity is somewhat ameliorating the situation. There is plenty of food at Brindisi, but not enough hospital ships at Durazzo.

“When I left Corfu,” continues Mr Price, “there were 134,000 Serbs at Durazzo awaiting transport, but the Adriatic is still open to Austrian war ships. The whole muddle is due to their being no directing head and no unity of control and the wasting of veteran soldiers wb.'le plastemig the English cities with appeals J;r recruits.

“Fortunately there is reason to believe the task h s now beeu properly taken in hand, and an effort is Lemg made to remove .be Serbs from Albania before the Auscro Bulgar hordes descend. THE WEST FRONT.

RECENT ATTACKS PURELY LOCAL. ENEMY’S PURPOSE NOT DISCLOSED. (Received Feb. 7, 10 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 7. Correspondents on the British front state that the recent attacks on Ypres, Loos, and Armentieres wer© purely local, and it is difficult to guess the enemy’s purpose. There is no reason to believe thev are the prelude to a general attack.

GREAT AIR ACTIVITY. (Received Feb. 7, 11.15 p.m.) LONDON. Feb. 7. General Haig reports that there were 28 air combats on February 5vVe downed six machines, and one of ours did nofi return. A FRUITFUL BOMBARDMENT. (Received Feb. 7, 11.15 p.m.) PARIS, Feb. 7. ; ?A communique says:—Franco-Bri-tish artillery bombarded trenches at Boesinghe and silenced two batteries. Onr bombardment of the Navarin plateau on Saturday had excellent results. Trenches were wrecked and several ammunition depots blown up, and reservoirs of asphyxiating gas demolished. The wind drove the gas to the enemy’s lines.

(Received Feb. 7, 10.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 10. The Court ha s arranged to hear the Broken Hill miners’ case on February Mr Pearce has again appealed to the strikers to reconsider their posiPearce states that he intends to follow New Zealand’s example in providing rejected recruits with badges'.

GERMAN WARSHIP SUNK.

(Received Feb. 7, 11.25 p.m.) L COPENHAGEN. Feb. 7. It is reported, that a large German warship was mined and sunk in the Cattegat. . , She sent out distress wireless messages, which soon ceased.

AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES.

LATEST LISTS. (Received Feb. 7,. 10.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, Feb. 7. Casualty list No. 139 shows : 111—Pvts. W. Rodgers (m hospital at Cairo, T. Lockhart (Net-ley), C. K. Robinson (Malta), Sergt. N. Woodhouse (Alexandria), Sergt. A. H. Brewer (Malta), Pvt. H. Ca Wounded—Sergt. S. Barnard to duty —Pvts. J. Lester and J. H. Carr. .