Northern Advocate Daily With which is incorporated the Northern Mail Daily. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1916. ROUMANIA.

Northern Advocate, 6 December 1916, Page 2

Northern Advocate Daily With which is incorporated the Northern Mail Daily.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1916. ROUMANIA.

Registered for transmission through the post as a newspaper.

The fate of Koumnnin is still hanging in the balance. The reports today arc gloomy, but tltcre is a glimmer of ho[)t; in the fart thut the liusisan operations arc taking formidable proportions, it is .said that there has been a RussoRoumaninn .■junction for the defence of Bucharest, but whether the reinforcements can arrive in sufficient force and within time remains to be seen. There is no doubt, however, that the Russians are making a big effort. It appears (says a ■well-known writer) that Brusiloff has struck with tremendous power and a vast artillery force at Kirlibaba and Dornawutra, "with the design of invading the Tnuisylvanian plain behind Fallceuhayn's advance from the north. .lie is defying the season and pressing his asault with the utmost fury. Ard his advance is not confined to the name , ! sector. All the Rusisan forces .south of it are assaulting from the Moldavian frontier, and an official Berlin message dec , ares* that the assault extends ;\s far north of the KirJibaha as li-e ..'ablonliza pass. This account announces that in spite of the enoi'inouL' expenditure in men and munitions the Rusians have gained nothing worth speaking of. But the Austrian commander has asked for rein-for'-ements, reporting that he has nor force enough to withstand the huge onslaught of Brusiioff's armies. General Brusiloff is in great strength with plenty of artillery, and Ins men are fighting with the utmost determination. It is a tremendous battle for the invasion of Hungary. Berlin officially reports that the lighting is fiercest east of the Yasarhely basin—that is the upper Marys Valiey-—the upper waters of the river which flows past the German positions to its junction with the Theiss north of Teinosvar. Another account describes the objective of the Russians as attempting to reach . the Hungarian plain by the ftyamas Valley, meaning, we presume, the Szainos, The valley of this rner is north of the Maros Valley, and leads to junction with the Theiss north of the Maros junction, which is at Szegedin. Now the position of Jacobeny and Dornawatra are near the heads of both valleys, and it is likely that the capture

of those; positioJis will open both valleys to the .[{iissiiin n.dvancr , . The Hi'.ilo of the force.s of I'nisilofV will probably require both, and if the valley!-: are opened by the piercing of the Austrian lino—whirli i~ feared by its i-oui-niander in that sector —there will be a very serious invasion of Hungary by Russian armies. Hence the anxiety in Jjcrliu. For tin: nioinent. of eOMri.e, Fnlkrnlwiyn ': : i cmunini<-;i 1 ion:.; iji hi.'- rear (if hiy tor« in \\'allachin>i plain athi'd(in,u [iiirli;iresl■ — ;ire s:i.fe, for he has the command of the Danube Nevertheless, the threatened invasion of Hungary is not a (juaiitity for him, for if that invasion sweeps on through the Banat, seizing the coiintry as far as Belgrade, Fjilkenliayn and Mackensen will be left, in the air. Ruch is Ilie strategy of the one of Hie great double battle for Bucharest, .Hie. part now ra^int; , in the high country of the 'Wooded ('arpat hians and the

Transylvanian Alps. The front is measured in Berlin a* IiOO kilometre's, which agrees with the 200 liiil'es wi- , 'assigned to the difhiik-o from the northern fringe of the Bucharest battle of the northern bank of tho Knssian invasion. Meanwhile, howfVi'i , , the enemy guns avp npjVroiU'hing Bucharest, and while strategy may ho "in the air" it is only strong and effective opposition which can save- the city. Even with .Russian aid we must not forget that Greece, has > owpliciited tho I position '\)u\ flu- i'ai! of tho t}iuuminia:i [ capital may chuiigo tin l whole, aspect of the Balkan campaign. We are not attempting, to find tho dark side of the cloud, but to take ;i dispassionate view of the position.