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Show RETREAT 01 ALT RIVER . GOITIiES Germans Press Victory and Establish New Offensive Of-fensive Positions Near Zimnitza ; Petrograd Admits Defeat at Several Sev-eral Points. BULGARIANS TAKE DANUBE ISLANDS Berlin Reports Repulse of Russian Army in Gyergyo Mountains, With Heavy Losses; Turkish Troops Advance Ad-vance in Armenia. SALONTEJ, via London, Nov. 25, 9:05 p. m. The Greek provisional government, composed of followers of former premier Venizelos, has formally declared war on Germany and Bulgaria. j " LONDON, Nov. 23. The final phase cf the campaign against Rumania, the " . ' drive- on fcer capital, Bucharest, is in lull swing. Having crossed the Danube, to far as is officially knAwu, at two places, Field Marshal von Mackensen b Bu'garo-German armv, advancing on the historic fortress from the southwest along two railways, is working toward a junction with the forces of General von Falkenhayn, whose legions are sweeping sweep-ing down upon the capital from the west and northwest. The last natural barrier, bar-rier, the Alt river, was crossed today. The Teuton junction and the subsequent siege of Bucharest are conceded here to be only a matter of time. Mackensen is now less than seventy miles from Bucharest. Bucha-rest. Falkenhavn some ninety miles. Advance on Three Sides. The most menacing blow is yet to be struck, it is believed, when Mackensen 's center crosses the Danube at Turtukai bridgehead, only thirty-seven miles Eoutheast of Bucharest. The advance on the capital now is in full progress from three sides. The nest few days are expected to bring reports of peace parleys between Rumania and the central powers and Bulgaria. The case of Montenegro, it is believed, will be repeated. As In Montenegro, Monte-negro, the reports will be based on vague proposals made by factions in the invaded in-vaded kingdom independent from the real rulers. Flatfooted Rumanian capitulation capit-ulation will cof come, even tut most pessimistic observers here believe, until un-til Bucharest has fallen. Mutual Hatred. The unquenchable hatred of King Ferdinand's people for the Bulgarian " invaders a hatred which is fully mutual mu-tual will stand in the way of any such development, it is believed. Meanwhile the Rumanian government is expected to flee shortly from the menaced men-aced capital. Brail a probably will be chosen as the temporary seat of the nation's na-tion's authori tv. The latest official news from the "Rumanian theater of war came from Berlin tonight. ' ' Parts of the army group of Field Marshal von Mackensen that crossed the Danube near Svistov gained ground," said a bulletin of the Germau war office. Further progress by Fal-knhayn Fal-knhayn on the middle and lower Alt also was reported. Rumanians Hold Out. The German afternoon report stated that Rumanian battalions "in the wooded mountains northeast of Turnu-Peverin, Turnu-Peverin, cut off from the main arm v. are still offering tenacious resistance" Tn the stubborn defense put up bv this ill-fated Rumanian force, the las't of King Ferdinand's army chain to hold out, is seen one of the most impressive im-pressive chapters of real heroism of this war. The German official statements are significantly silent as regards the points where the Danube was crossed by Mackensen. The bulletins of the Rumanian Ru-manian and Russian war offices show that crossings were effected near Zimnitza, Zim-nitza, seventy miles southeast of Buoha-r.-t, and in the mouth of the Alt, south of Isa.a. From both these points railway? rail-way? lead north ward, con verging at V Rosiori, toward which town Falken-0 Falken-0 havn is driving from Craiova. Bucharest this afternoon reported the (Continued on page Four.) RHUS CONTINUE ALT RIVER RETREAT (Continued from Page One.) forces which crossed the Danube were halted in their advance by Rumanian resistance. This was prior to the latest Berlin report, however. The Bulgarians have occupied a series of islands m the Danube. Advances in Dobrudja. In the Dobrudja there were no important im-portant actions during the last twenty-lour twenty-lour hours, but today 's Bulgarian state ment speaks of minor advances by "superior "su-perior numbers" of Russians and Rumanians. Ru-manians. On the eastern front only local engagements en-gagements were fought. General von Falkenhayu, according to a Berlin dispatch, today issued a proclamation proc-lamation to his army, reading m part: lt Comrades of the ninth army You have had to fight for weeks on icebound, ice-bound, rocky heights and in deep, snow-covered snow-covered valleys, nearly always without shelter and fire and often cut off from , communication. But none of you failed. Wherever i the enemy had to be bound he was de- ! tained with an iron grip. Where he had to be crushed he was pulverized. Where he had to be beaten he was shot to the heart." General disillusionment in Rumania Ru-mania because of Russia's failure to avert disaster from the kingdom was reported by the Overseas News agency today. In a statement the agency said considerable alarm was felt m Rumania over the fact that the Russian battle-front battle-front ' ' more aud more resembles The Russian frontier," intimating Russia's desire to keep Rumanian territory. |