Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-19
THE WAR PRIMER By National Geographic Society

Galatz, lRumania's largest and most the Danube, is the subject of the fol- lowing war geography bulletin issued by the National Geographic Society:
 If Field Marshal von Mackensen's drive through the Dobrudja had ex- tended beyond the Tchernovada bridgehead to the north as far as Galatz,' Rumania would have been cut off entirely from sthe Black Sea, and the traffic of the Danube would have been bottled up. This city, which has population of more than 70,00O, is the chief lumber port of the king dom and stands second to Braila in grain shipments.
 'GalatZ enjoys signal commercial advantages in it's situation on the left bank of the Danube between two great tributary arteries sof traffic, the Sereth and the Pruth, the former ris- ing in Bukowina and draining all of central Moldavia, while the latter ris- es in the GFalician Carpathians and flows in southeasterly direction, forming the boundary line between Rumania and the rich Russian pro- the Sereth is three miles southwest of Galatz and the Pruth enters the Dan ube 10 miles east of the city.
 "The new section of GalatZ takes the form of an amphitheater spread out upon an elevation some distance to the north of the river, and the old town occupies the low land between the cliff and the water front. Most of the residences are in the new sec ton, while the flour and paste mills, the grain elevators and the immense grain magazines are located in the old town.
 "Galatz is defended by three lines of Qualifications, resembling an en- trenched camp. The Sereth line of defense, which extends to the. north. west as far as Focshani, a distance of 45 miles, is well supplied with Krupp and Gruson guns.
 For a number, of years Galatz has been the headquarters of the Euro pean Commission of the Danube, which had control of the improve ments and the maintenance of the channel through the lower reaches of the river, the Sulina mouth of the waterway being 90 miles east of the city. At the time of the outbreak of the war this commission was com posed of representatives of Austria Hungary, France, Great Britain, Ger many, Italy, Rumania, Turkey and Russia, all of which nations are now involved in the war; so that for the time being the commission is com pletely disrupted.
 'fGalatz's rapid growth from a town Of 7,OO0 1nha b1tantS to place ten times as large began in 1884, the year that the first steamer arrived here after a successful and historic voy- age down the river from the Iron Gates, on the distant Hungarian bor- der. "The region between Galatz and the Pruth River Is a forbidding swamp or
 mere, covering 50 square miles, where fowl and half-wild swine are to be found in great numbers. The swine have been known to attack the peas ants who frequent the lowiand to gather the gigantic reeds which are extensively used for fuel The Pruth, incidentally. is held in aversion by all Rumanians, who believe that many of the calamities to which the flesh is heir have come from beyond that wa terway-cholera. war. and famine. And a lesser i'll, but one which tries the patience of the peasant farmer, , is the burr which is brought over from Bessarabia in the tails of the Russian horses. These burrs creep up clothing like things alive and make an inextrfcable tangle of wolly fabrics. When they get in the manes and tails of animals they form stiff, heavy mat like an inmovable board or club. "Rumanians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Russians, ArmenianE, Jews and the recently. emancipated Tsiganes (gyp- eies) mingle in the great bazaar of Galatz The Jews. who constitute 20 per cent Of the population, are the thrifty merchants of the poor and are largely in control of the export trade in grain, lumber and cattle. They ai-