Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-22
BALKANS BURDEN
IS ON DIPLOMATS
They Are Working Fcverishly
to Draw Little States
Into War.
DECISIVE MOMENT NEAR
Rournania Must Decide Soon on
Which Side She Will
Fight.

l4ONDO August 2l.-While the
progress England and France are MAX
Ing the Gallipoli Peninsula Is falling
lar short OF the expectations Of the
general public in both countries. who
had expected n quick and spectacular
penetration Of the Dan danelles by the
allied fleets. followed by the immedia to
fall OF Constantinople. the best proof
OF the importance Of the operations in
this part Of the war theater Is TO be
found in the feverish diplomatic activ-
ity Of the German. diplomats IN the
Balkans and particularly in Bucharest.
When, last month, Roumania def
nitely refused to comply with Ger
manys request TO permit the passage
Of German arms and ammunition
through the country to Constantinople,
the German press made no attempt to
conceal it's bitter disappointment, and
it was plainly limited that unless some
way was found to supply Turkey with
munitions the fall Of Constantinople
was merely a question of time.
Since then the diplomats have worked
necessarily at Bucharest and there are
signs tending to show that the moment
has almost arrived when Roumania
must give up her neutrality. When
the side OF the quadruple entente.
What is delaying the decision OF
Roumania is the fact that while the
people are strongly in favor of joining
hands with England, France and Rus
STA the court and certain high mill
tary officials are undoubtedly pro-
German. Besides, it must be remem-
bered that the decision is Of the most
vital interest to the future of The
kingdom. and the very existence Of the
nation is at stake. Roumania the
greatest of all Balkan states, sees her
position as a semi-great power threat
ened BY Bulgaria as well as by Rus
sia. but in case she should join hands
with Germany she runs an even great
ar risk. The efforts OF the English,
French and Russian diplomats have
mainly oeen directed towards creating
harmony between Bulgaria and Rou-
mania, which is by no means an easy
task.
These diplomatic negotiations for7ti
a chapter Of the secret history Of the
war HhichJ~1lI become known only
when Roumania reaches her final de-
cision and issues the usual green or
yellow or red or pink book containing
the conventional collection of diplo-
matte dispatches carefully chosen to
place the country in the most favor
able light in the eyes Of the. few re-
naming neutral powers.
Roum1nias territorial ambitions
which she is now trying to realize by
astute bargaining, lie in two. or rather
three. directions. She wants Russian
Bessarabia. which Is not purely Rou-
manian. but which is nevertheless the
home of some hundred thousand Rou-
manians. Greater is her desire for Aus
tro-Hungarian Bukovina, which Ger
many. generous with the property Of
her neighbors is already said 10 have
offered Roumania. and Hungarian
Transylvania.
What is probably one of the prin-
cipal reasons why Roumania has not
yet Joined the allies is that she is
loath to see Constantinople falling into
the hands OF Russia. a 8 this would con-
stitutc a danger to her future exist
ence. II is be true, however. that
France and England have given bind
ing guarantees that Russia will not
retain Corstantinople. Roumania stands
TO gain only by the fall OF the Darda-
nelles and Constantinople. because this
will open a new and important export
route for stores of wheat