The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-18
BY WILLIAM BAYARD HALE


Berlin. via sayville wireless, Dec
f7.-With the occupancy of Buzeu.
Field Marshal Won Mackensen's forces
have reached another important mile
stone in their onward sweep through
Great Wallachia.
To onlookers of this rolling up OF
the Rumanian and Russian forces
which is going on with kaletdoscoplc
speed. it is apparent that Braila and
GalatZ are now not far from the
grasp of the united Ninth and Dan
ube armies.
Strong Bulgarian forces crossed the
Danube to F'etesci. while the bridge
which the Russians threw across the
stream at Hirsova is still intact, en-
abling other achievements to con-
verge northeast OF Bucharest
The only impeachment preventing a
still livelier pace Is occasioned by the
rain-stalked roads. while the snow in
the Transylyanian mountains tenn
porarily impeded the campaign OF
rounding up the struggling remnants
of the Rumanian forces
The invading forces continue to ind
unlimited supplies OF grain stored IN
the elevators and on the tracks It
would seem that hasty attempts have
been made everywhere to rush the
grain across the Russian frontier, but
the invasion proceeded did not per-
NIT the hauling off of perceptible
stores.
After the peace OF Bucharest the
kingdom totalled $4,000 square kilo-
metres. The invaders already hold
one half of this territory, made up OF
farming lands, and they are in posses
sion of practically the whole active
oil producing section.
Armies Pushing Onward.
Along the l00-mile front in north
eastern Rumania from Buzeu to the
Black Sea, the armies Of General Won
Falkenhayn and Field Marshal Won
Ma ckensen pushed onward in the di-
rection of Moldavia and Bessarabia
during the last thirty-six hours the
German war office announced yester-
day. A bulletin issued by Berlin last
night stated that the bulk of the Teu-
ton forces have crossed the Buzeu
River and the lower Calma junul.
Eleven hundred and fifty additional
prisoners were taken and the booty
OF the last two days includes nine-
teen locomotives. 400 railroad cars,
mostly laden" we'll as ''innumerable
vehicles"
A Russian war Office statement is
sued yesterday reported check OF
Rimnicou Sarat Railway and in the
region OF Batogu. The mention OF
this latter place, however, is an in
direct admission that the invs.ding
center is now only thirty-two miles
southwest of the Rumanian Danube
port Braila.
In the Dobrud1a the loss Of Tet=
mele village to the Teutons Is con-
coded by Petrograd.
Thn hi toll
not expect the Russians to allow the
invaders to carry the campaign into
Bessarabia with the same ease and
swiftness that marked the sweep
through Rumania. This is indicated
by the concluding passage of yester-
days Berlin account. which, after
stating that the northern part of the
Dobrudja had been reached. says that
resistance is expected here.
Bessarabia is one of Russias most
ardently coveted prizes in this war
Its conquest by the Teutons would
mean the loss of Odessa and the turn
ing of the whole Russian southern
front. in the wooded Carpathsans.
Defense lines of the most power
full nature are believed to have been
built by the Russians ever since the
menace of the Teuton attack in ibis
area fir@' doomed large
The Volhynian battle front sudden-
ly bobbed up again in yesterdays Of
icial reports To the north OF the
vital railway sector. between Kovet
and Lutzk. Brandeburg reserves, four
900 men strong--as-
sumed the offensive and captured
Russian position Of about 600 meters.
taking four officers and 800 men pris-
oners. The attacks were directed
against Dilchi Porsk and Maly Porsk.
two fortified villages about half way
between Lutzk and Kovel. Petrograd
ofacially admitted the loss of one
trench. stating that all previous A.
saults were beaten off.
A German tank" bombarded Rus-
sian trenches near the village Of KA. &
barovoe. Sixty prisoners were taken
by the Muscovttes In the capture OF
a height in the wooded Carpathtana
Petrograd announced. Berlin report-
ed local advance In the Uxul vaIey. n
Railroad Cars Captured.
A Bulgarian headquarters statement
covering Saturdays operations -
ports the capture Of ITO railroad ear6
- Tntencl opD0aita CernaNoAa - sS