The Washington herald., 1916-12-08
RUMANIANS RACE
TO ESCAPE DOOM
AustroG Germans, Hot IN Pur-
suit, Capture Kimpina,
Railway Terminus.

(by the International News serviee.)
Beriih (via sayville wireless). Dec. t.
The Russo-Rumanian armies In central
Rumania are retreating along their
entire front, the German war ONCE an
nounced today.
hmpina, at the northern terminus Of
the Bucharest-Pioeshti Railroad, kes
beecaptured by the Austro-Germar&
The German allies that occupied
Bucharest yesterday captured 1os oficers
and s1oo Russian and Rumanian soldiers.
High tribute 10 paid by the German
war ONCE to the valor of the German.
Bulgarian and Turk
ish soldiers in the Rumanian theater.
Capital Not Bombarded.
The last twenty-four hours brought no
far-reaching developments in the scat
eered Rumanian battle areas. It was
confirmed from all sides that the capi-
tai fell to the Teutons without siege or
bombardment. The defending army, its
last desperate stand on the Arges River
thvarted. took to flight eastwards on
the Bucharest -Cernawoda rail and the
race which will decide its rescue or doom
is now in full swing.
Berlin announced the capture of an ad-
ditional log officers and 800 men today.
The Russian war ONCE admitted the
evacuation of Bucharest, the eastward re-
ttrement Of the Rumanians in Wallachia,
under stubborn rearguard actions, and
the withdrawal Of the army south Of the
capital
The Berlin Local AnZeiger places the
total number Of Rumanian prisoners thus
far brought into Germany's interior at
1Oe,Oos.
The fighting In the wooded carpathians
and in the Transylvania Ridges Is still
violent, but continues on a more or less
local scale.
May Hasten End of War.
In the Teutonic nations and countries
OF their eastern allies the victorious
whirlwind campaign against the fertile
Balkan kingdom Is hailed as an achieve
ment of the first order. Monarchs, states
men and high military chiefs IN congrat-
ulatory kilograms and public utterances
describe It as Fastening the end of the
war.
Emotional touches were added to the
rejoicing by the facts that Field Marshal
Won .Mackensen took Bucharest on his
S7th birthday, that the city fell exactly 100
days after Rumania, upon declaring war.
sent her Iegions to invade Hungary, and
that Hindenburg has surpassed all hopes
pinned on him by his countrymen when
he assumed the ONCE Of chief of the great
general staff.
In the entente nations. on the other
hand, the shock of ths Teuton blows in
Rumania eliminating In the capture Of
Bucharest and still pushed with unabated
vigor in the pursuit Of the shattered de-
tenders. found expression in gloomy press
comment, marked here and there by Bit
ter attacks on those responsible for the
diplomatic manipulations that brought
about Rumania's untimely intervention
and for the failure to avert the disaster
by timely and concerted military action.
Serves to Deepen Gloom.
Coming as it does coincidentaIly with
serious governmental crisis in England,
France and Russia, at a time when a
substantial victory is needed as never
before to counteract those internal diff
culties, the Rumanian debacle serves to
deepen the gloom and bring into the open
much OF the long fostered discomfort.
Thus the Petit Journal of Paris saws
France realizes with bitterness of spirit
that we are partly responsible for the
catastrophe which was not due entirely
to military abilities of the jenemy lead
ers."