Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1916-08-31
,SRsss.spi. u O. war.

The supreme q knihcance of Rou.
mania's entrnnce hto the war is found
in the light whid It throws upon the
status Of the gree struggle 1t means
that in the opiniQ Of an expert, whose
very life depep npon that experts
ability to pick he winner Of this
war, the Allies y going to win.
For two years koumania has watch
ed and studied close quarters the
struggle Of the Titans. That strug-
gle has been Of the most vital con-
Germ to her. Her future existence was
at stake. Soone or later she had
to join one side pr the other, and self
preservation reqt red that she would
join the side th2 would triumph In
the end. To del ermine which side
would triumph b Is been the foremost
business OF her government and to
answer that que Btion every resource
of her gOvernme ht has been devoted.
Situated close toy the scene of actual
combat, her facil ties for learning ine
truth OF the sitv ltiOn have been Of
the best. II exp8rt judgement regard
ing the present. situation and the
probabilities OF be future exists any
where, 1t should found in Roumania
In the minds OF those Roumanian
statesmen who f4r two years have re-
fused to be swaked by the pro-I.atin
sentiment of the people and have pre-
served the natio4's liberty Of decision
until the time cd ne when the decision
. could he made with reasonable assur-
ancc against faah mistake.
And now the decision has been made
. and ROumania has picked the Allies
as the winners o the war. The moral
, effect Of this development cannot be
other than tremendous. 1t carries to
. all the world confirmation of the AL
lies claim that I'LL is we'll with their
, cause. Not only( that, but it brings
them,. too, largE accession of new
, strength at a stfategic point OH the
war map and IT. provides them with
new facilities great importance
t The Roumanian3ar is not less than
half million 4strong. 1t threatens
l Austria -Hungaryk flank and Bull
; garia's whole nj rthern frontier. 1t is
precisely where it can strike with a
: maximum of enkct And now for the
, first time the Rouhanian roads are
e open to Russia who can move her
armies across Roumanian soil against
t either Austria or Bulgaria.
. In considering the whole effect,
moral and military, Of Roumania's en-
trance into the var one must not lase
sight of its close relation to what Italy
has done and is doing as part of the
general Allied plan. Italy's declara-
tion of war against Germany was
t practically simultaneous with Rou-
e mania'S entrance and the two steps
were evidently coordinate moves The
Roumanians consider themselves close
kinsmen of the Italians and the bond
:. cf sympathy leiween the two peoples
4 is str0S; - sndered stronger by
nn (lll -
;, conflfcl. The italian declaration
u against Germany was the consequence
y Of Italy's Intervention in the Balkan
e campaign. 1t is probable that there is
. some agreement between Italy and
0 Roumania as to the Balkan situation
and it seems likely. for this as we'll
e as for other reasons, that Roumania's
D first offensive efforts will be UNDER
Il taken there.
1t has appeared probable, too, from
the outset that the Allied Offensive
e from SalOniki contemplated Rou-
manian cooperation. That will mean
e that Bulgaria is menaced OH both front
l and rear. Unless TeutOn offensive
against Roumania can be launched
5 from Hungary in suchh strength as to
keep the Roumanian army busy de-
Tending its own frontier. Bulgaria's
fate appears to be sealed. And no
such Teuton offensive is probable.
ROumania's mountainous frontier Is
easily defended and Russia can help III
i the task If necessary. The way seems
open for n successful Allied campaign
in the Balkans which will eliminate
, Bulgaria, perhaps bring Greece into
tile war Oh the Allied side. reconquer
: Serbia. cut off the Central Empires
from. Turkey. and open the path for
INVASION or Austria Hungary from the
south and east.
This seems to be the most reason
able forecast for the future. A pos
Sihle alternative is the launching OF
Roumanian offensive In combina-
= ti"n with Russia directly against
Austria-Hungary rather than against
Bulgaria in the effort to roll up the
whole Austrian line the front of which
the Russians are now attacking. This
plan would probably mean compara-
lively slow progress at first, but 1t
would have the merit Of keeping the
main ROumanian army where it would
be buffer between Roumania All
the Austrians, and II there Is any like
lihood that thee Austrians will attempt
Il serious offensive, it will probably be