Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-07-21
Visit of Associated Press Cor
respondent in Company
With Queen Reveals En-
teebIed State of Country.
TROOPS STILL WILLING :,
TO BATTLE THEIR FOE
Signing Of Peace Was Carr
ried Out Before Sovereign
Could Do Anything to Help
Afflicted Subjects. u

London, June 80 (by the Associated
Press correspondent recently In Ru-
mana) Just week before peace
negotiations we're opened between
Rumania and the central powers the
Associated Press correspondent az
Jassy received an invitation from the
queen of Rumania to accompany her
on journey to the Rumanian front.
! Rumors of impending peace had
been current in Jassy for some time.
but the queen resolutely refused to
believe thar any agreement" with
Germany was possible and confined
| her work of encouraging and inspir-
ing her beloved soldiers. one of her
principal objects on this journey was
| TO make sure that the officers and
men at the front were still firm In
their resolve TO fight to the last In
defense of the cause which she cher
ished so dearly.
Invader Leaves Mark.
| 1t was only four days before tho
opening of peace negotiations when
she left Jassy ON the royal train for q
the next three days she travelled by
automobile about three hundred miles
| back and forth over the 11O-mtie
front which the Rumanian army was
then occupying. She passed through
scores of little villages, all devastated
| by artillery fire or aerial bornbard-
ment, many of them bearing the inde-
| lible mark of the German Invader,
| who had occupied them but had been
driven out by the Rumanian troops.
The picturesque little churches.
built generally Of spotless white lime
stone, seemed to have been particular
marks for the vandalism Of the Ger
mans, who had not even spared the
village cemeteries, where scores of
new made graves spoke mutely OF
the ravages of typhus and typhoid
and also of the heroic defence, made
by the Rumanian army. Many OF tho
villages were absolutely uninhabited:
Others were deserted by all except
handful of persistent peasants
Hoped to Return. e5
Occasionally family could be seen
packing up Its meagre household
goods for departure northward. Ey-
erything which they could not carry
with them they were burying in their
gardens. confioent that one day they
would come back to their homes.
Famine stalked everywhere chill.
dren went barefoot through the snow. 8
covered streets; everyone was guant
ana emaciated. In the army, however.
the rood supply was still fairly good,
and most of the soldiers were we'll
cad and we'll housed. Meat was
served to the troops two on three
times week, and even In the front
line the soldiers had excellent duF~
outs with straw mattresses and wooIeti
blankets. The dug-outs were warm
and comfortable even on the coolest
days.
The soldiers everywhere greeted thA
queen with the utmost enthusiasm
and affection. There could be no
doubt that she was idolized by the
rank and file of the whole army. and
her intense interest In their N,lfaret
was shown on every mile of the three
Gays Journey Every Rumanian Off
Ger carried photograph of the queen
ana many OF these bore her personal
signature, Thousands of the private
soldiers also carried her picture n
the same pocket with their sacred
ikons and crucifix,
Red Cross Helpful.
The queen carried with her on her
Journey a large quantity Of supplies OF J
various kinds, given to her by the
american Red Cross for distribution
Ihese included garments for the wo-
men and children in the villages. con-
densed milk and food for the sick. and
cigarettes or small comforts for tha
soldiers. The queen insisted on per-
sonally presenting every article. ana
sne mad word OF cheer and encour-
agement to go with each gift.
In the villages the queen showed
entire disregard for the dangers OF In
iection. Houses where typhus victims
lay Ill. she entered without hesita-
,ion, despite the protests and expostu-
lauons of the local prefect and OF her
own physician, who accompanied her.
otten sne insisted on sitting down by.
the bedside Of a stricken peasa nt wo-
man or child and ministering person
ally to the patient.
1t was wonderful to see how sha
eluded and overcame the careful AR
rangements of the local prefects for
shepherding her through their dis.
tricts. II was natural that each pre-
rect should he anxious to persuade the
queen that conditions in his turisdic-
tion were better than the average. and
with this end In view. he had usually
arranged for calls at six or seven of
the best hotNes In the village. But the
queen would waive this program aside
and, pointing to some miesrabIo how
ell. would say. IN looks to me AZ IL
the people In that house needed help.
Let us go there" .Ts
Queen Hcartens Men.
Owing to the arnistice, no fighting
activities Of any kind were in evidenc6
But the troops were keen and willinx.
and as they were reviewed by the
queen they renewed their oath .of a.
fegiance with real ana enthusia4flf
that left no doubt a. to tieir logAl(1.
Nowhere did the army show any dux
sire Tor peace. The genaRolsop6 hixhs
or staff offiosrs n theis tAlha WA