Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-12-12
The Conquest of Rum ania.

The fall of Bucharest marks the climax of the
most vigorous and resourceful campaign the leu
tons have conducted. In an almost Incredibly
short time they have turned what threatened to
be their fatal danger into shining advantage.
True TO their precept that the surest defense lies
in attack they have crushed the Rumanian menace
and thereby deferred, at least the day when their
enemies can close in from the Ball ans and round
out the imprisoning circle of steel This, they
have done despite the heavy pressure against their
lines on other fronts and despite the fact that
when they launched the Rumanian adventure their
fortunes in all other fields of the were over
cast.
The closing days of summer found the Teu-
tons on the defensive everywhere. In the west
they we're under the blows of the British
and French; in the east they had fallen back and
back before the great Russian drive. Austria
seemed almost done for. Her losses in men dur
ing four months had been upwards of six hundred
thousand. Germany too had suffered severely in
the long and futile attack on Vekdun. The Allies
were striking hard and in unison. For the first
time since the war began they had aplenty of
munitions and showed a well-concerted plan Of
action. Then as though fortune were playing her
last card against the Central Empires, Rumania
Joined the Entente Yet, in the thick of all these
. Heterogeneous Germany organized and carried
a new offensive, which in its outcome was more
important in some respects than the conquest of
Servia.
In the light of subsequent events it is clear
that Rumania's action premature and her plan
of campaign grievously ill advised. She not
really prepared for defense, much less for the Of
fensive she so lightly adventured Instead of strk
ing Bulgaria the vital spot for Allied strategy in
the Balkans to aim at, she dssipated her strength
in a furry against Austria. The ensuing develop
ments are Interestingly analysed by the New York
Evening Post:
For an understanding of what has hap
pened TO Rumania in the very simplest terms
the reader need only glance at ordinary
map of Europe. There he will juttng
into Teuton territory two solid land masses.
The one to the north is Poland, wedged in be-
tween Prussia, Slesia, and Galicia. The
to the south is Wallachia, or southern Ru-
mania, wedged in between Austria Servia, and
Bulgaria. The military implications of such
a situation are simple. For offensive purposes
the armies that hold the wedge have the ad-
vantage of striking out in three directions.
When on the defense they are under the disad-
vantage of being beset from three sides. Dur
ing the first six months of the war Russia in
Poland the aggressive From Poland
she invaded East Prussia TO the north and
Galicia to the south. The tables were turned
in the spring of 1915, when Mackensen from
Galicia and Hindenburg from East Prussia set
in motion the gigantic pincers that crushed
Russian resistance in Poland. What hap
pened to Russia in 1915 is the experience
of Rumana. The only difference is that in
1915 it was Mackensen who delivered the first
staggering blow from the south against Po-
land, whereas in Rumana it was Falkenhayn
who dealt the decisive stroke from the north.
In conquering the greater part of Rumania,
the Teutons have acquired food resources that will
be particularly valuable in the present lean condi-
ton of their larder. But much more important
than material treasure military gain is
the moral stimulation and sustenance which this
victory will give the people of the Central EN-
pires.
The major portion of the Rumanian army ap-
parently has eluded the Teuton pincers and will
be able to reorganize in the north in connec-
ton with Russian forces rather formidable
basis. For the Allies, the present situation long
foreseen, doubt, will mean stifening of reso-
luton and probably a more daring and energetic
policy.