The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-26
HEARS ROUMAN|A
 IS ID ENTER FIGHT Waiting to Accumulate Suf- ficient Munition Supply A QUESTION OF TIME
Report Brought Back by American Business Man-American Ambassa- dress s. Vienna Abandoned Red
 Cross Work After the Lusitania

London, March 1-(Special )-Rou- manias participation in the war on the side of the allies is only a matter of a short time. It is a question of muni- tions only; as soon as Roumania ob- tains sufficient supply she will enter the fray. This word is brought to Lon don by an American business man who has recently been in Bucharest. He conversed there with the highest of ficials of the government and with com manding generals of the army, includ- ing General Jonescu, one of the heads of the Roumanian forces.
 This American, whose reliability can be vouched for even if his name cannot be mentioned, went to Bucharest, capi- tai of Roumania, via Paris, Geneva, Vienna, Budapest and Kronstadt, and thus got glimpse of Austria. He does not present pretty picture of con- ditions in that country
 He said definitely that Roumania will come into the war on the side of the allies as soon as she has the munitions to enable her to do so.
 q was told" he said, "that in case circumstances compelled them to take either the offensive or defensive, their present supplies of ammunition, etc, would be used up in three months. Up to now there has been no way of get ting further supplies into the country, but now that the new railway down from Archangel is working they will be able to get all kinds of war ma terial in through Russia, and in a few months will be ready for big cam paign."
 KNOWS NEAR EAST
 This American knows the near east thoroughly and has been optimistic all through as to the final victory of the allies. asked if his recent journey had altered his ideas on the subject
 "On the contrary it strengthened them" he said "Conditions in Austria are very bad. The food shortage is bit terly felt. The traveller who arrives even at the biggest and most fashion able hotels in Vienna, gets his red bread ticket as soon as he has regis tered. This ticket is divided into three portions one for each meal and if traveller arrives late in the afternoon he gets only the part that provides for his dinner. The ticket calls for 70 grammes of bread per day-the war bread, which I personally found un eatable. There are only two meat days week, throughout Austria, and the famous Vienna pastry has shrunk down to dry little sweet cakes. As one travels through the country, it is evident that live stock has almost disappeared from the pastures and such as one sees is tended not by men, but by women in black In Vienna l saw one of the new est regiments marching through the streets on it's way to the front. 1 never saw such soldiers. They were all either too old or too young! In the Austrian capital o'clock tea is one of the most popular social function, and, in normal times, the big tearooms of the Hotel Bristol in the late afternoon furnish wonderful sight They are still crowded, I found, but it was with Wom- iy,, ,,1on and elderly most of them in uniform.
 Among the working classes in Austria he discovered the belief to prevail that Germany started the war because she needed money, and that various persons connected with the German army are rapidly becoming millionalres. Apropos they relate that when the Kaiser went east to thank Hindenburg for his 'vic- tories." the All Highest after he had pinned on the commanders breast all the decorations in his power to con fer, inquired: "Is there anything else l can do for you, general?"
 And Hindenburg is said to have re- piled: "Yes, your majesty, make me an. army contractor"
 ABANDONED WORK
 Tn Austria he found that a popular hatband with some women was one bearing the legend "U-boat S." It was U-boat 8 that sank the Lusitania Frederic C. PennelQ, the American anl- bassador to Austria-Hungary, occupies one of the finest residences in Vienna. It's gardens can be electrically lighted by turning couple of switches Soon after the beginning of the war Mrs Pen field set up two Red Cross hospitals in Vienna, equipped to perfection. After the sinking of the Lusitania, however. she ceased to be connected with them in any way whatsoever, and the insti- tutions have had to get along as best they could.
 "Arent they on the watch for spies in Austria!" he exclaimed. "At kron- stadt every traveller is searched even down to his boots and all his papers are taken from him and held for AS hours. That means. of course, that if he l is in hurry to go on his way. he loses them. Even commercial travellers price lists and catalogues are gone through page by page lest they should contain something helpful to the enemy. When the Kaiser. visited Vienna. was told, | for five days no one was allowed to leave the country.
 "Roumanian troops are massed on