THE BALKANS.

Northern Advocate, 6 December 1916, Page 2

THE BALKANS.

ROUMANIA'S PERIL

THE POSITION BLACK.

GERMANS NEARING THE OIL WELLS.

RUSSIA THE ONLY HOPE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Press Assn.—Reed. ]0.5 p.m.) LONDON, December 5. The situation before Bucharest is black, indeed, if the Germans claims are to be accepted. A decisive battle was fought on the Arjcsh on Sunday when the RussoRoumarrians defeated the : Germans and also recovered ground lost southwest of Bucharest, when; the enemy was driven back on Saturday by the Roumanian offensive. The Germans are now within range of Bucharest's big guns. General Mackensen has assumed chief command and he claims the Roumanians have suffered bloody losses and that the advance to the plain has also simplified the commissariat problem as the greater part of the maize crops have been captured in addition to large stocks of wheat, petrol, wood, metal and salt, much of which was found in loaded carts. The German advance on the Targovista brings them to the outskirts of the oil area. This is the richest oil field in Phahova Valley. It lies between Ploesti and Predeal Pass. During 1915 Roumania exported 429,000 tons of refined oil products and it practically all went to Germany and Austria, but only three per cent, of this was petrol, which the Roumanians treated as contraband. The present stock of petrol in Roumania is about one million tons. If the Roumanians are able to demolish the we'ls and machinery it will be six months before the Germans arc able to ex tract oil. The only redeeming feature in the news is the fact that the Russian army has effected a junction with the Roumanians before Uusharest and it must be hoped that the Russian? will be able to throw in further reinforcements at the danger points.