Against the wishes of "Viața Românească" Germanophiles, Romania eventually entered the war as an Entente ally, and, in 1917, was invaded by the Central Powers. During these events, Nour was in Iași, where the Romanian government had retreated, and whence he made his first contributions to the international press in Entente and neutral countries. He kept company with another Bessarabian agent of the "Okhrana", Ilie Cătărău, wanted by the Central Powers on charges of terrorism.