The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-11
S|l|STR|A, IMPORTANT
RUNAN|AN CITY, TAKEN
Bulgar-Gcrman Forces Swing Along
Road To Rumanian
Capital.
BERLIN REPORTS OPTIMISTIC
Advance on Dobrudja Continues Sue
cessful Claims Sofia-Military Men
In London Hope Russian Drive May
Carry.

London. Sept. l0.-The Rumanian
city and fortress OF Silistria on the
southern bank Of the Danube, fifty
four miles from the outer forts OF
Bucharest, has fallen to the center OF
the Bulgaro-German invading armies.
The capture OF this important
stronghold was announced this after
noon by the Berlin war Office.
With Slistria In It's hands, the In
vading center Is now in a position
either to swing TO the northwest and
in conjunction with the lef which
holds Turtukai (thirty-nine miles
from Bucharest), attack the Ruman,
ian capital, or turn east to aid the
invading right in stemning the, Russo
Rumanian tide that threatens a sweep
down along the Black Sea littoral into
Bulgaria and toward Constantinople.
Thus far danger from that quarter
does not seem imminent, however.
Sofa officially announced tonight:
Our advance in the Dobrudia con-
tinues very successfully. The enemy
everywhere has been beaten and Is
retreating"
This conflicts with a Reuter- dis
patch from Petrograd which says that
Russian cavalry has occupied several
points on the Bulgaria Rumanian from
tier
A dispatch late tonight from Odessa
says the Bulgarians are evacuating
Farna. the principal Bulgarian Black
Sea port, in anticipation of the ar
rival of the Russo Rumanian army
from the north.
In view of the retirement of the
yNianS a6
Bucharest, coupled with today's Sofia
statement of further advance in the
.Dobrudja, military critics doubt the
report.
Resting Hope On Russians
Military critics here for the first
time voiced a note of pessimism to-
day regarding the Rumanian situa-
ton when news came OF the fall of
Slistria. The allied hopes are pinned.
however, upon the development OF
the situation in the Dobrudja. If the
Russians can break through there, it
Is argued. the possession Of the two
Danube fortresses will be OF no avail
to the invaders and the menace to
Bucharest will be removed
Sofia and Berlin today are silent
on the Rumanian claim of last night
that the Russian Rumaniar forces
have retaken the fortified city of
Dobritch. Major Moraht, the Berlin
Tageblatt's military critic. estimates
the Russian Dobrudja army at be-
tween 800, 900 and 400, 900
Meanwhile there is great rejoicing
in Berlin over the capture of Turtukai
because that fortress holds the key
70 swift drive on Bucharest. Major
Meraht puts the Runanian losses in
the battles for this stronghold at So
600 4 belated Bulgarian official re-
port states that eight Rumanian in
fantry regiments and two battallions
of a gendarmes regiment were cap
tured, The total of Runlaniau prison.
ers taken up to September I is given
at 400 officers, including three briga-
dier-generals and $1,000 unwounded
soldiers.
BuIEarinns Are Bitter.
The intense bitterness felt in Bull
garia toward the Rumanians, dating
from the second Balkan war and re.
vived by Rumanian intervention on the
entente side, is reflected by the Bull
garian war Office statement which. in
enumerating the booty. speaks of two
batteries stolen in 1919 More than
100 cannon were captured at Turtukai.
Todays German war Office statement
says:
The losses OF the Rumanians and
thuSS!aHS III inc last rev days appear
to have been very considerable"
King Ferdinand and Crown Prince
Boris, Of Bulgaria. are comforting with
the Kaiser at German army headquar
ters on the Russian front. The Official
Berlin report says:
The American consul-generai in
budapest has taken over Rumanian In
terests in Bulgaria.
German seaplanes again bombarded
the Rumanian Black Sea coast yester-
day. They included in their attack
Russian naval forces in port OF Con-
stanza.