The Washington herald., 1916-12-03
RUSSIANS SMASH
TEUTONIC FRONT
IN THREE DRIVES
Won Mackensen's Danube
Army Forced Back-Big
Bridge Partly Retaken.
KIRLIBABA INVESTED
Great Advance Too Late to Save Buch-
Arrest. However. Is Belief
of Experts.
By the Iaterastisn.I Newu Service,

(By the international News Servfee.)
Petrograd, Dec 2-The nrst serious
check Of the German allies driving upon
Bucharest from the south was reported
by the Russian war once today.
The Teuton forces that advanced north
ward from the Danube have been driven
out Of the villages Of Gestinar1 and
Tzomana and compelled to fall back. the
ofnciaI statement says
Three Russian victories, two of them
officially by the Cars War Once and the
third reported unoficiaIly. served yester-
day to send rays Of hope into the deep
gloom pervading London and the other
Entente capitals as 9 result Of Rumania's
plight
The Russian War ONCE announced:
First, the re-capture Of the western part
Of the big bridge spanning the Danube at
Cernawoda.
Second. the re-capture Of the villages Of
Comana and Gostinar1, sixteen miles south
Of bucharest and the driving back Of Field
Marshal Won Mackensen's Danube army.
Take Part of Town
A Reuter- despatch from Petrograd
stated that the Russians have gained a
foothold in part OF the town Of Kirlibsbs.
near the Carpathian Pass Of the same
name.
Z Important as each Of these successes is
In itself, a glance al the man and a
perusal Of yesterdays German war Office
statement issued later than the Russian
report, allowed but one conclusion: That
Hucharest's doom is sealed
Equally inescapable is the conclusion
that the Russian offensive In the Car
pathians was set in motion too late TO
stave on the Rurnanian disaster and that
the only thing Russian aid in Rumania
may bring about is a partial rescue Of
king Ferdinand's scattered armies.
The capture OF Bucharest, it is evident
from yesterdays official reports, fS net
| Tia appermeSt object OF the Teuton COM
manders. Evidently relying upon the
capital falling automatically. Falkephsyn
and Mackensen are now working Jointly
for one supreme goal. the annihilation or
capture OF Rumanias armed defenders.
Reports at Variance.
That the Russian report Of the success
| south Of Bucharest is a belated one, is
J shown by yesterdays German war ONCE
| less than 81 officers and 100 men, ~ can
1 non and 100 loaded ammunition carts. The
| statement makes il clear that the Teu-
| tons broke through the Rumanian posi-
| tions south OF the capital. The Petrocrad
| claim Of Russian successes in the Car
! pathians conflicts sharply with the Ber-
| lin and Vienna accounts which state that
! the Russian thrusts failed under terrific
! losses. Moreover, Berlin announced the
| capture Of loo Russians al one point in
| the wooded Carpathians. Both the c.
| man and Austrian war Offices admit TIL
| the Muscovtte offensive IS OF the FIRST
order. carried out by large masses OF
! troops.
| In Northwestern waIlachia. where Fall
kenhayn's right hand man. Gen. Krarrt
Won Delmenfngen. is driving eastward,
the engagements. according TO Berlin,
are developing into a great battle"
RumanIans Defeated.
| Further to the southeast below
| Pitescia. where one Of FaIkenhayn's
armies is pushing toward Bucharest. the
! Rumanians once more offered battle. but
were decisively defeated, their front
broken In two
! As for Mackensen's Danube army il
] has reached the Arges River seven miles
= below Bucharest City and only two and
a half miles from the outer ring Of forts
! This advance is admitted by Petrograd.
The outstanding developmept yester-
day was. however an indication thar
| Mackensen has effected a new crossing
of the Danube this time at the TurtukaI
Bridgehead, described by the great
/ Moltke as the best point for the pur-
pose.
Here the Teuton commander has been
/ marking time pending the advance Of
his Svtstov army. whose heavy artillery
I is now well within the range Of the
/ Bucharest forts. From TurtukaI to the
/ capital is some thirty-two miles But
the mission of the Turtukai force, II Il
/ has really crossed the river already, is
! to head due north toward the Bucharest
| Cernawoda Railway less than twenty
I eight miles