Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-01-12
.RUMAN|A ABOUT
TO JOIN ALLIES
Indications Are That Little
Balkan Nation Is Ready
to Fight Germans
BIG OPERATIONS
DUE IN THE SPRING
British View Is That the
Real War Has Not Yet
Begun in Earnest

Lonodon, Jan. 11-There are in
creasing indications Of early participa-
t1on OF Rumania in the war thus bring.
Ing into play another party to the
combination against the Teutonic
powers contemplated by Great Britain,
France and Russia.
Difficulties confronted the allies in
the earlier stages of the war in furn-
lshlng munitions, equipment and other
necessities of war beyond those re-
CURED for their own immediate needs
These difficulties now have been sur
mounted and the obstacle which hith-
erto has blocked full Rumanian
mobilization has been relieved with
the arrival in that country of the re-
qufsite supplies for the equipment and
provisioning of the 100000 men which
she is able to put into the field The
arrangements have been completed
also for the financing of these opera
tiOns.
Allies Merely Holding Own.
The lack of stirring battles at the
present stage Is attributed by British
commentators, to the determination of
the allied commanders to content
themselves with holding their present
positions until the projected ring of
armies is considered sufficiently strong
to strike blow which they hope will
prove decisive.
The British idea that operations up
to now are only preparatory to big
events fits in with a bit Of gossip that
Lord Kitchener when asked concern
ing the probable duration of the war,
said:
II don't know when it will end, but
do know when it will begin, and
that is In May
The opinion in some quarters. how
ever, is that the Inauguration of more
general movements will be earlier than
expected. although persons in close
touch with the army believe that the
crisis will not be reached until sum
mer.
Reserves are Plentiful.
Russia is still sending enormous
masses of men to within easy reach of
various points on her long fighting
line The levies of 1914, amounting to
100000 men are just leaving the
training camps. which will be occupied
Immediately by the 1915 levies now
called out
Germany's newest levy just an
nounced, amounts to 100000 men Of
the age Of 19, and her masses of re-
serves already under arms enable her
20 rush heavy reinforcements wher-
ever required without withdrawing
troops already engaged at the front,
in either the eastern or the western
fighting zones. This was shown few
days ago in Alsace when the Germans
assembled a force sufficient to re-
capture Burnhaupt. from which point
the French were threatening Muel-
hausen
Perthes is Center.
For the moment, the center of in
terest in the western field Is Perthes
on account Of the railroads in that
region, which are of equally great i'm
portance to both the German and
French. Should either side gain pos
session of the railroad now held by
the other, lines of communication
would be cut and it would be neces-
sary to evacuate trenches for con-
siderable distance The Germans re-
allied that danger when the French
captured Perthes and brought up large
forces in an attempt to regain the lost
terrain.
The fighting in Poland recently has
been purely of local character. The
Germans are said to be contemplating
an attack at new point. Apparently
the Russians are content for the pres
ent to maintain their straight line
north and south, without attempting
to push westward.
Further south, simultaneously with
the Russian progress in Bukowina, an
advance on Cracow once more appears
to be imminent.