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39°
A VISIT TO PETROGRAD [chap. xxi.
" And why is that ?" I asked, somewhat
surprised.
" I will tell you. In the first place, we know nothing
about the fighting qualities of the Rumanian Army;
1877 is a long time ago, and 1913 was only a military
outing in Bulgaria. On the other hand, what we do
know is that Rumania does not possess the equipment
necessary to modern warfare, nor munitions more
particularly. At present we possess both, but not in
sufficient quantity to enable us to share them with a new
army of more than 500,000 men. I shall be told that our
allies in the West can supply Rumania; but you, who
are in a position to know, are perfectly aware of the
fact that, given the present state of our communications
with the West, everything sent to the Rumanians would
diminish by that much what we ourselves ought to
receive ; hence it would always be a case of sharing.
Secondly, if Rumania decided to come into the war, we
ought to have an army of at least 300,000 men, perfectly
equipped and supplied—under the command of an
excellent general—which could enter Rumania by the
Dobrudja and Tutrakan. Now, a great many people at
General Headquarters think—and I entirely share their
opinion—that if we did possess such an army,1 it would
have quite enough to do on our own front, already a
fairly long one, in the event of our deciding to make a
vigorous offensive."
"And why would you have to send this auxiliary
army to the Rumanians?" I asked.
" If for no other reason, to defend them against the
Bulgarians," replied the General with a subtle smile.
"The geographical situation of Rumania," he continued,
"is very bad. If the Rumanian army advanced towards
Transylvania in order to realise national aspirations and
1 This reserve army already existed at the time when I talked with
General Polivanoff, and it was quartered at Odessa and in Bessarabia.
It was General ScherbatchefPs army, and at the time of Brussiloft’s great
offensive, it conquered the Bukowina by a series of brilliant operations ;
but it could not after that be sent to the Dobrudja.
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