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i9i6] RUMANIA’S DIFFICULT POSITION 389
to threaten the Austro-Germans in the flank, the
Bulgarians would immediately dash to the Dobrudja and
the Danube; and then think what an enormous frontier
Rumania would have to guard on that side. And we
know that the Bulgarian troops are first-rate, and
what is more, animated by ferocious hatred of their
neighbours."
" That is exactly the answer I expected," I said to
the General, "and I entirely share 3’our opinion. But
have we not sufficient troops both to strengthen our
Galician front and to attack the Bulgarians ? A brilliant
success against them would, in my opinion, lead to a
complete and immediate change in the Bulgarian Army,
to the downfall of Ferdinand and the Boche alliance!"
" What you say is perfectly true ; but it is not soldiers
we lack; it is means of communication ; our railway
system is only capable of supplying our front, which
consists of a given number of divisions; add to this number
another 800,000 men (500,000 Rumanians and 300,000
Russians), and our armies will not be properly supplied
either with men or provisions, or, above all, with arms
and ammunition. You also doubtless know that on the
Rumanian side we only possess two railways, and both
are absolutely ridiculous ; they are being improved at
present with feverish haste; but it is much too late."
I took leave of General Polivanoff, telling him that I
hoped with all my heart that his most sound and clear
ideas would carry the day.
The two Generals, Beliaieff and Lukomsky, whom I
went to see soon after, made a very good impression on
me. I had already conferred with our Chief of the
General Staff when he passed through Stockholm.
This time in a pregnant conversation we drew up a
whole programme (which, however, was never carried
out) concerning the compensations to be granted to
Sweden in return for the transit allowed to us and the
supplies that we could obtain from her. General
Beliaieff seemed to me to be very well up in all the
questions relative to his department, and I was struck
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