Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-07
RAPID GERMAN
MARCH AMAZING
Sweep Through Rumania AL
most Without Parallel in
History

With the German Armies Before
Bucharest, Rumania, Monday, Dec. 4.
(By Courier to Hermannstadt and
Wireless to The Associated Press, via
Sayville) Dec. 1.-THE armies of Field
Marshal Won Maekensen and General
Won Falkenhayn after campaign, the
rapidity of which has been almost unL
paralleled in military history, have
swept through half OF Rumania, have
crushed the resistance of the Ru-
manians at one strong point after an
other and having driven the Russo
Rumanian forces beyond Bucharest,
both to the north and south of the
capital, reclaiming their tentacles of
the Rumanian city from three sides.
Whether the Rumanians will elect to
endeavor to defend the fortified cap
ital is question which the next few
days will decide. The Associated
Press correspondent was privileged to
accompany the forces of Won Macken-
sen and Won Falkenhayn in their ir-
resistible dash through Rumania.
Breasted Mountains and Rivers
The Germans with the aid of Aus
tro-Hungarians, Bulgarians and Turks
have battered their way through
concentric position around Bucharest
within wonderfully short time. They
have breasted the natural fortitca-
tions of the Transylvanian mountains
and the Danube river and have beaten
their way through the strongest kind
of scientific defenses obviously pre-
pared long in advance. They have
thrown the Rumanian army number
/ ing hundreds of thousands of men
back in such disorder that even ap-
| parently impregnable positions such
as those along the rivers Alt and
| Argechu could not be held more than
q few hours.
The line of the Argechu river with
! its flooded, dashing torrent 800 yards
! to quarter of mile wide forming a
natural defense, appeared to be so
strong that the Germans themselves
| expected this last line of defense be-
| fore Bucharest would require time
and hard effort to force. But the
river was crossed both to the north
and to the south of the city almost
without breaking the stride of the ad-
Vancing armies.
The advance of the Teutonic forces
In western Rumania has been so rapid
that the military staffs have been
! forced to change their bases at inter-
walls of only few days to keep up
with the troops and to lay plans for
settling in towns not yet captured. A
! trip of 1000 miles by automobile in
this region, just completed by the
Associated Press correspondent, show
| ed how difficult it is to move as
quickly as the invading forces.
| The journey began at Livazeny, just
within the Hungarian frontier, with
Craiova as the first objective. Before
| the Transylvanian passes had been
| traversed Craiova had been captured.
Bombardment of Slavina began the
| day after Craiova was reached. This
bombardment was watched for a time
from Piatra, across the Alt river,
Slavina. The Germans believe the
Rumanians would be able to hold for
| n m az tirOOn limo Ct inv hi
heights along the river and the cor
respondent left to watch other feat
ures of the advance, but it was neces-
sary to return at top speed to reach
Slavina "a hours after it's evacuation
and As hours after witnessing the can
nonading.
Speed Is Amazing
The next objective was Karakula,
but it had fallen, together with
Slavina by the time the correspond
ent could arrive, and even the head
quarters troops were moving. Hasten
ing northward toward Tanelesti one
of the seemingly innumerable divisions
of General Won Falkenhayn was
found to have passed already east of
the line on which the Rumanians late
in November attempted to make a.
stand, only to lose 900 prisoners and
scores of guns.
Field Marshal Won. Mackensen's
troops which crossed the Danube had
come in touch with General Won
Falkenhayns forces between Rochi De
Vede and Alexandria, southwest of
Bucharest, before the correspondent
could swing southwark again, meet
ing everywhere the premature re-
port that Bucharest had fallen.
The advance, which often has aver
aged twenty or more miles a day has
been possible mainly for two reasons.
First is the seeming Generalization
and lack of leadership of the Ru-
manians, evidenced by the capture of
entire staffs and large-sized units, with
many guns and much material, by
insignificant German detachments
which often amounted only to cavalry
patrols. Second is the amazing of
fensive speed of the Germans, which
was indicated by the fact that the
correspondent frequently met close
behind the front, pressing forward,
troops which had been seen but a few
days previously miles behind in the
Transylvanian passes.