Evening star., 1916-10-24

Mackeusen Is tho hardest bloW huma'
MIA has received during the entire cam
paien. Through It the Rumanians
have lost their largest seaport, . por,
noted in international trade Tor "
shipments Of grain and petroleum- 81
multaneously the Rumanians @ lost Inell 1a
STA by way Of the Black sea. iosa
which 10 bound to have far-reachine
consequences for Rumanfa IN carrying
on hsf military operations
RUSSIA has been able to send heI
ally. by way Of Constanza, In large
steamers, material and men. which
then found their way Into interior Au-
mania on the main railroad line from
Constanza to Bucharest. The marine
transports are now limited in their op-
erations to Sulina and the Danube
morris. whore only vessels Of small ton
mage can dock and unload
Importance Of Railroad.
Tn addition to this general infu-
ence on RumaniAn warfare. however,
the loss of coustanza is of decisive i'm
portance as regards the military stu
alton in Dobrudta. The railroad line
from Constanza to Tohernavoda Is al
ready partly in the hands of the allied
Germans, Turks and Bu1garfans. East
of Murfatlar this line already has oeen
crossed by the attacking % armies anu ana
preaching Tohernavoda- For these
reasons the section of the railroad pc
tween Murfatlar and TchernaVooa rs
also apparently without value TO tne
Rumanians. Thus the quick transport
of troops and artillery to especiaiiy
threatened points Of the DobrudJa
front is rendered impossible. Further
more. an excellent base OF operations
has been taken from the Rumanians
and Russians.
tonic forces at Hermannstadt changed
the Transylvanian adventure OF tne
Rumanians into speedy ana comple.e ae
defeat In the same way the capture OF
Constanza and the interruption OF
railroad communication for the Ru-
manians constitutes a decisive Dio" TO
them in the Dobrudja theater. Ihe az,
Russians through Dobrudja against the
Bulgarians and the line of communfca-
tion between Sofia and Constant1nople
has thus been frustrated.
Cut the Railroad Line.
According to the London morning
NEWSPAPERS the Germans appear to
have forced the evacuation OF Con-
stanza by cutting the Transdoorud5a
railway about twenty miles west OF
the Black sea coast AS the Germans
make no claim to considerable captures
II is assumed here that the Rumanians
made good their retirement.
The Times military expert comments
thus on. the situation:
'Dobrudja is a separate and not vital
theater which the Rumanians can al
ford to lose without great hurt BUT
the reported loss of Constanza is dis
agreeable blow. limiting, as 1t does. the
means of access of Russian reinforce
ments 1t is also tactical defeat.
which coming after the loss OF Iurtu-
kai and Hermannstadt. necessarily re-
duces Rumania's strength, as well as
that of the Russians and Serbs who
took part in this action. and must also
impair the confidence OF the Rumanlans
in themselves.
The Morning Post says: while the
loss of Constanza is serious. the threat
against Tchernavoda Is more serious.
If it is true. The only bridge across
the Danube between Belgrade and the
sea is at Tchernavoda, and complete
possession Of the railway and the
bridge would open the way to Bu-
charest"
Says the Daily Mail: "constanza
petroleum and grain. Whether these
have been destroyed is not yet clear,
but II not the enemy has obtained i'm
portant supplies. The loss of this port
will be a serious blow. Rumania Is
deprived of valuable economic re-
sources and of a short and convenient
line of communication between Odessa
and Bucharest. by way of the Black
this event in the Balkans and the mid
die east will be great"
Serious Menace on West.
The Times thinks more military i'm
portance must still be attached to the
Transylvania side Of Rumania's war
than to Dobrudja- Gen. Won Falken-
hayn. says the Times. now has a foot
i've passes and has reached the frontier
at most of the others.
after breaking the left wing of the
Russo-Rumanian defense in Dobrudja,"
says the Chronicle. won Mackensen
pushed instantly forward fifteen miles.
and. with that remarkable rapidity in
improving victory which Is one Of
his chief military virtues. threw his
army within twenty-four hours across
the railway. Constanza was thus cut
of and had to be abandoned. Further
possibilities are embarrassing. The
Russo-Rumanian forces cannot retreat
northward. for they must keep in con-
sole line of communication across the
Danube. They must hold the BRIDGE
head. and the enemy. therefore, prob
ably will be able to sweep northward
poSS ShciA iSht 70 Cno mouth OF the
Danube and hem them into a small
semi-circle in front Of Tchernavoda
Such a bridgehead is very dificult
and costly to defend under modern ar
tillery fire. Possibly the allies will not
try to hold 1t, but retreat across the
bridge would be fraught with the Mt
most difficulties and danger.
On the other Rumanian front thu
hghting proceeds stubbornly, but the
names OF the places mentioned In the
communfques shift pretty steadily in
the wrong direction. One cannot a.
cape the impression that on all the
greatly outnumbered. The Russian r.e
inforcements cannot have been 40 larea
as were popularly supposed Some arr-
prise also 10 felt that Gen. sarr.iI.
more" s UeaA
Viewed 01sve1y In Paris,
PARIR October s4-rhs c.ntu-. .,
constanxa BY the Teutonio allies al.
though not unexpected, neverth.le..
puts . danper on the enthusiasm,
aroused BY the continued progress. Of
the entente allies on the front in
ricsrdy. French commentators do NOT
unouiy sxasgerate the Importance Of
the achievement Of Field Marshsi vo,,
Mackensen. whose action up TO tbs
present time 10 considered a. n dersno
eive one In shortening his front 40 q.
10 hold II better II with fewer men
They point out that tho only way he
could 90 this is to advance since IL he
fell back. his front would, on the con-
trary. be heightened In so far as he
AncCAAded @h