The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-10-07
DRIVE DIRECTED BY
THE GRAND DUKE
Drive to be Made by Russians Into
Bulgaria Through the
Dobrudja

London, Oct. Most alarming of
all the news recently published in
Germany is the report, received thru
Stockholm, that Grand Duke Nicholas
had left Trebizond for Odessa to pro-
ceed to Kieff and thence to go to the
Dobrudja to take command of the
armies driving through Bulgaria to-
ward Constantinople.
Reports from many quarters affirm
that these armies have been organized
ON very powerful scale and the Ger
man reading public is being prepared
for coming events by the announce
nent that in this campaign for the
ccnquent of Roumania and the roll
ing up of the Russian left, Field Mar
shals Won Hindenburg and Won Mac
kenzen-to whom, it is recalled, is
due the fact that the Prussian army
IS stin camping in Russia, that Ser
bia is in the hands of the central al
hes, that Bulgaria is carrying out un-
impeded military operations on a
large scale, and that Turkey has lost
none of her confdence-win probably
have to maneuyer extensively on ac-
count of the peculiar terrain of the
Dobrudja.
The vast quadrilateral of the Dob
rudJa lying between the elbow of the
Danube, the Black Sea and the Rou-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS frontier on the
south, is an immense sandy plain with
marshes on the edge of the river and
of the seashone. There is no water
apart from salt wells and the country
IS largely desert, except for pastur-
ages, which grow up after the spring
storms, and support the herds of sheep
and buffalo on which the sparse pop
ulation makes its living. This popu-
lation is of mixed blood, comprising
Turks, Roumanians, Greeks, Bulgar-
ians and Jews, about 100000 in all.
The only completed railroad in the
territory is that running westward
from the port of Constantza toward /
the capital, Bucharest. As the Rou-
manians can pass the Danube within
their own territory, the Dobrudja of
fers greater facility for operations
from Roumania against Bulgaria
than for operations in the opposite
direction, especially If the Bulgarians
fulfilled their agreement, made in the
treaty of Bucharest of three years
ago, to dismantle and raze the forti-
ications of Rustchuk, Shumla and
Baltchik. So true is this observation,
hat the ancient Romans in the days
If Trajan had decided to close this
great invasion highway by means of
walls, to protect the Roman empire
against the barbarians.
The position and fortunes of the
army of Prussians, Bulgarians and
Turks under Field Marshal Won Mac
Aenzen, estensibly dealing an often
i've blow for the destruction of Rou-
mania, and in reality endeavoring to
itay the invasion of the army of Rus
ians, Roumanians and Serbians, are
therefore, of intense concern to all OBJ
ervers in the Teutontic countries, and
is realized that on them may hang
he early decision of the war. One
,oint of great Importance is being
RELY admitted, namely, that all hope
t taking the Russian-Roumanian
orces in the Dobrudja by surprise is
low gone and that operations hence
onward must be conducted practical
y in the open. This fact is not en-
ouraging to the Prussians, as their
esources in men and material are be- (
icved to be greatly inferior to those
pposing them. II
II