Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-13
SMALL NATIONS
WITH YANKEE
HELP UNbEATEN
Confidence Of Roumanians Is
Renewed and They Are
Ready to ''Carry On"
War to the End.

VI lHS NOuilldHldH 4NdllOlIdl GOulllll
at Paris, who fought all through the
invasion of Pennsylvania and the
heart-breaking retreat TO the River
Screth, is in America on a mission
to win the consent of congress for
the organization of the Roumanian
legion to fight under the American
high command. In an interview with
a Baltimore Sun reporter he has told
the tragic story of Roumania's par
.ticipation in the war.
"The Roumanian nation will car
ty on to the end" he said. mot one
OF the small nations is beaten so
long as the United States is in the
war. No matter how unhappy its
plight. not one of them is disheart-
ened.
Enormity of Roumania's Suffering.
True, Roumania lies for the mo-
ment PROSTATE. She is betrayed,
broken, bleeding, devastated. |
wonder if you have, in the United
States, any notion of the enormity
of Roumania's sufferings. Imagine,
II you can, what it would mean to
you if all the railroads, bridges, fac
tories and shops in the United
States, from the Atlantic seaboard
to Ell Paso, had been destroyed by
an invader, if your country had lost
in one year 100000 people. and if
in part of your territory ruled by
the oppressor, 100000 of your broth
ers and parents had been condemned
to death and shot and hanged! Does
this give you some understanding OF
the situation of the Roumanian ma
ton today"
Lieutenant Stoica was with the
Roumanian forces which deserted
from Pennsylvania, because they re-
fused to fight for their Austrian OPP
pressors. He saw the whole OF the
brief Roumanian campaign. The
Russians, then deep in the Hun
garian Bukowina, were to strike when
the Roumanians struck. The allied
army at Saloniki was to advance
against lHC bulSdl D
Russia promised 100000 reinforce
ments to the Rouma1ians, and the
rapid forwarding of large supplies
sent to it by the allies. Roumania
was to strike for the mountain
passes and to unlock the Hungarian
plain for q common Roumanian-
Russian advance into the heart of
central Europe. But what happen
edi
Country Becomes He'll of Misery.
The Russians held up Roumania's
supplies. Stuermer's government
sent 10000 men instead of the
promised 100000. 1t was not pos
sible to begin a sustained offensive
from Saloniki And Brusiloff's
Russians failed to bulge an inch,
although at the height of the
Roumanian invasion the troops of
the little kingdom actually stood
behind the Austrian forces that were
guarding the passes of the Car
pathians against the Russians. 1t
was a cruel disappointment.
Fooled in the moment of their
triumph all along the line, exposed
on the Pennsylvania plain to flank
attacks by the Bulgars and Ger
mans in the south and by the Mag
vars and Germans in the north, the
Roumanians, abandoned to the over
whelming enemy forces, began their
retreat. Back over the mountain
passes they were forced, stubborn
ly fighting. They blew up the
bridges, the railroads, the tunnels,
and dismantled the factories.
Great reservoirs of petroleum
which had been stored in Roumania,
pending peace or an opening of the
Dardanelles, we're burned, and all
the fair countryside assumed
sooty, scorched appearance. While
the oil was burning, the smoke was
so dense that it was impossible to
read, even at noontime. Every
thing which the Roumanians left,
the swarming enemy ruthlessly and
thoroughly destroyed. Thus, one
OF the most prosperous and happy
lands in the Balkans was turned in
to a hell of misery.
when we reached the Sereth
line" said Lieutenant Stoica, I'VE
sent to Russia to learn the where
abouts of our supplies. More than
1s0,000,000 francs worth OF war sup
plies destined for our armies were
destroyed in Archangel.
Tragedy Was Complete.
"Then, with the coming of the
bolshevist regime, the Russian
armies deserted. The Germans ad-
vanced to Kiev then south to Odes-
sa, and completely surrounded Rou-
mania and its army. The tragedy
was complete, There was lack of
ammunition and medical supplies.
The land was torn with disease.
There was no way to get fresh sup
plies from our allies, and Roumania
was forced to accept the bitter peace
dictated by Germany.
But when the news came that
America had entered the war, the
Roumanians went wild with delight.
They renewed their faith and their
confidence. and today every Rou-
manian beyond the reach of the
central powers is determined to
carry on until new and enduring
world peace is won.
"The other day a member of the
Roumanian Parliament that was
elected under the pressure of the
central powers arose and exclaimed:
III until today there were a few
pro-Germans among us, from now
on there is not single one. When
Roumania is once more placed in
communication with the allies, her
soldiers will march again against
HE common enemy"
Russian Peasants Are