Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-29
GRAFT CORRUPTS
ROUMAN|AN ARMY
Captured Officer Explains Rca
son for Sudden Collapse of
Soldiers and Staff.
IS. DOWNFALL OF NATION
Shoes Sold by Wholesale for
Equipment Have Solcs of
PaSteboard.

/ VIENNA. April cs.--Thc Neue Freie
Presse publishes sensational disclos-
ures made by a captured Eoumanian
omcer. which explains the rapid col
lapse Of Roun,ania and the removal OF
the former chief of staff. General
! .Uiescu. from tn. post Of war minister
| The officer, whose name is. OF course
kept secret. Substantiatcs his charges
| against Iliescu and other army leaders
and politicians with many details and
has given his word OF honor that his
\ statement is correct in every respect
| Corruption in our army and admin
! isiratioh has caused the downfall of
our country the Roumanisn said in
long talk with correspondent OF
/ the paper mentioned ITO the honor
OF some of our generals and officials
! ii must be said that they raised their
voices against the evils which have
been undermining our national strength
! for 4. long time. General Avarcscu in
June. 1916. openly warned the army
! board that = country that was not able
TO atop the Generalization in the army
never would be able 10 conquer for
cign enemy.
II do not charge General llicscu him.
! self with grating" the officer con-
| tinued Ills political followers. how.
ever. were kind OF company for
/ mutual profit. This clique introduced
: the Russian system OF Wholesale graft
in army contracts. To cite only one
example: Late in 1916 General Iliescu
, ordered 10000 pairs OF lace shoes from
the firm of Vasiiescu & Botscha. The
! shoes were furnished promptly. but
! without leather iaccs. although the
( contract stipulated that each pair or
| shoes was to he accompanied by Two
| pairs Of laces. For these the frii: Maa
! 10 receive cents per pair. 4 wee.
after the delivery Of the shoes the
! laces were ordered from another ..1rm
| At contract price of 10 cents pc. pair
and somebody made an extra profit of
nearly $4,000. The former War Min.
ister Filipescu protested against this
piece OF thievery. in the Epoca but
General Isicscu explained that the
laces were needed at once and had 10
be obtained at any price
BAD EXAMPLE OF OFFICERS
INITIATED ny SOLDIERS
The bad example given by the high
est officers was initiated by those of
lower rank the officer declared. Ger
| tain commanders OF regiments and
companies even cheated the men under
their command out of their pay. Cap
! u,
!! told his soldiers that he would double
their pay by speculations at the stock
! exchange. For months he drew all
the money of his men. In January.
1915. he assembled his company in the
yard OF the barracks TO make speech
| in which he said: I have invested your
| pay, as promised, but scoundrels like
you can have no luck. Your money
is lost
Captain Stancescu. .Lieutenant-Col-
| onel Jernci and other officers also
obtained large sums by charging the
soldiers with carelessly destroying gov
eminent property and making them
pay for the alleged damage done
Already during the first weeks OF
! the war the results OF the demoraliza-
] ton and corruption became evident
everywhere" the Roumanian said ~
conclusion. The provision transports
did not arrive. and the food furnished
to the soldiers was insufficient and OF
the poorest quality. During the re-
treat from Pennsylvania the COM
mander of the Sixth Regiment of Chas-
seurs sold an entire provision train to
natives: TO cover up this piece OF
crookedness he confiscated all horses,
wagons and foodstufs in the villages
| through which his rctreating regiment
passed. The men OF the Tenth and
Eleventh Infantry Regiments and OF
the Tenth and Second Artillery Regi-
ments were barefooted week after
they took the field. because the soles
of the shoes furnished TO them con-
sisted OF pasteboard and went to pieces
as soon as they became wet. Great
quantities OF socks. clothing. shoes and
barbed wire disappeared continually,
but the military officers never made
any effort to find the thieves"