Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-11-12
Won Mackensen Swiftly Re-
treats in Dobrudja, Falling
Back Forty Miles or More.
THEORIES ARE ADVANCED
AS TO CAUSE OF ACTION
French Have Scored Further Sue
cesses in West-Sharp But I'm.
important Actions Elsewhere.
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN


BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN,
Russia will see that our brave little
ally (Rumania) does not suffer for es-
pousing the cause of the allies."-Gen.
Brussiloff
IL this assurance from the commander
OF the vast Russian armies one,at;np
against the forces Of the central powers
were not sufncient reinsurance that the
eneente-more particularly Russia-did
not intend to bend every effort to for
ever enectually Illustrate such aspira-
lions as the Germanic armies have In
the Rumanian section of the Balkan
battle arena, careful scrutiny Of the
orfcial war reports emanating from
Berlin. Vienna. Petrograd and Bucha-
rest would be proof positive.
Not only has the car sent vast legions
to tho relief of the sorely pressed Ru-
mantan armies in the regions of the
Dobrudja. where Field Marshal Won
Mackensen, with his mixed forces Of
Turks, Germans and Bulgarlans, ad-
vanced to point moro than forty miles
north Of the Cernavoda and Constanza
railway, but. with the exception Of the
Rumanian center on the Translyvania
'front.'. Slavic forces are battling side by
nand.
What is more, this help extended to
the gravely menaced little nation is
having its effect. Not only are the
Austro-German forces being held in
check everywhere. with the possible ex-
ception Of the regions south of the Red
ROVER and Predeal passes. but Field
Marshal Won Mackensen whose vic
tories in the Dobrudja were of such
pronounced character as to cause Ber-
lin to announce that the complete over
running OF Rumania was but hours re-
moved. is retreating in the face of de-
termined enemy offensive efforts II
his advance stirred the German nation
likewise the haste with which he is
withdrawing must cause a proportion
ate amount Of gloom in Berlin.
The Dobrudja situation is intensely
interesting at the present juncture.
Field Marshal Won
Won Mackensen's Mackensen inaug-
urated his latest
Cernavoda railway and it soon carried
him over the chief artery of communi-
cation in King Ferdlnand's realm-the
Constahza railway. The Rumanians and
such Russian forces as had been sent
to the Dobrudja earlier in the campaign
fought valiantly, but under the weight
of superior numbers and artillery were
almost helpless Not only did the rail-
way fall into the hands of Won Mack
ensen. he thereby cutting Off the main
route for the reprovisioning and re-
chipping of Rumania's military forces,
but Hirsova. far northward. also was
showed no signs OF slackening in their
retreat. and the very impetus of the
drive carried Won Mackensen to points
eighteen miles north of Hirsova on his
left flank and approximately fifteen
miles north Of the Hirsova line in the
Black sea regions.
Whether his extremely long COM
lines were found faulty or
the increased resistance of the Rus
slams and Rumanians prevented his go
ing farther Is not known but shortly
after he halted events In the Dobrudja
again began to receive scant mention
In the official communiques of the vari-
from entente quarters that
Gem Sakharoff, one of the most bril-
liant military leaders ever produced by
Russia, had been removed from the
front in Galicia and Volhynia in the
east and sent to the Dobrpdja to re-
marshal and lead the stricken and
sorely pressed Russian and Rumanian
forces. II the present situation Is due
to the wisdom and sagacity of the Rus
sian leader the confidence placed in him
and the belief that he would rectify
the threatening situation in this sec
ton has been more than justified. But
few days elapsed after he took com
mand when the Rumanians and Rus
slams once more started southwark.
Won Mackensen has been in nowise
able to check their fierce onslaughts.
villages in the line of the
German retreat have been leveled with
the Germanic brand. Hirsova, a city
which the Germans earlier pronounced
a great capture, was evacuated by the
Teutons after the lines had been with
drawn toward the seacoast. TOPAZ was
the next important town reached in the
retreat, this being about half way be-
tween Cernavoda and Hirsova. Now
Russia announces that Russian troops
are operating within two miles of
This would indicate that
Won Mackensen has pulled back his
whole line for a distance of forty to
fortyflve miles in the past week, a re-
treat much speedier than was his ad-
vance.
The statement from Petrograd de-