Omaha daily bee., 1918-07-12
ARMY LEADER
0VERRULED BY
POLITICIANS
German and Bulgarian Armies
Might Have Been kagged in
Dobrudia, Genera! Won
MaCkenSen Declares
BY Associated Press.

London, July 11.-How the
Roumanian armies lost an op-
portunity of annihiIating the
German and Bulgarian armies
in the Dobrudja in 1916 is re-
vealed in a confidential docu-
ment which has just reached
the Associated Press from an
authoritative source in Rou-
mania.
The document contains an account
of conversation between Field Mar
shall Won Mackensen and the Rouman-
ian military leaders which occurred
shortly after the Roumanian peace
treaties were signed. Won Macken-
sen declared that the failure of the
Roumanians to press their advantage
in 1916 changed the whole course of
the war. He said that his entire army
could easily have been pocketed and
compelled to surrender and this
might have been followed by sep
arate peace with Bulgaria which
would have separated Turkey from
her allies and changed the whole bal
ance of power in the east.
Blunder at Bucharest.
The Roumanian failure, the memo
randum states, was due not to the
military leaders. but to the short
sightedness of the politicians at Bu-
charest.
In September, 1916, General Aver
scu, commander-in-chief of the Rou-
manian army and by far the ablest of
all the Roumanian generals, had taken
IAN army of four divisions and had
crossed the Danube into the heart of
the enemy's country. He had fqu1m a
clear path into the heart of the Ger
man-Bulgarian Dobrudja army, and |
had penetrated Is miles with. view
to cutting off all their communica-
tions and striking them from the
rear. General Averscu's own position
was safe, for behind him he had eight
divisions of support and reinforce
ments, including Serbian and Rou-
manian troops of first quality.
Ordered to Withdraw.
But Averscu had neglected 10 cut
The wires which connected him with
The politicians in the Roumanian cap
tai, and he had only gotten IS miles
beyond the Danube when there came
4 peremptory order to withdraw his
orces. 1t was an absolute command
from the war cabinet. Averscu
ried to reason with hiS political
,hieftains over long distance tele-
'hone wire, and even threatened to
.esign, but the politicians had decided {
md refused to change the decision.
The cabinet, it appeared, felt that
here was danger of the German
rmies on the other side of Roumania
the Carpathian 'front.' breaking
Trough and doing a great deal of
larm at time when Averscu's army
vas far aheld. The politicians timidly
referred a defensive policy to dar-
ng offensive and after day or two
II delay, Averscu and his army with y
rev from their commanding posi-
ion in Won Mackensen's rear and
etired back across the Danube.
Germans Puzzled at Maneuver.
The. Germans were much puzzled
y this maneuver, and never we're
Bile to secure. satisfactory explana-
on of this withdrawal of their enc
ly at the very moment when his
ause seemed won. Won Macken-
en- was an old pre-war friend of
.verscu and knew the latter's abil-f
les too we'll to underestimate them.
That was why Won Mackensen
ought out Averscu during the peace
arleys few weeks ago in Bucha-
,st
why did you withdraw" asked
On Mackensen. IF you had gone
'rward you most certainly would
ave bagged the whole of the Bull
arian ans German armies in the Do
-udja."