The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-07

corn and OIL even though we had saved
the Galician oil-fields at Drohobycz
from the Russians.
Since the field-marshal and 1 had
assumed the supreme command. we had
made one great step forward. but
second was still to be taken. 1t meant
the continued holding of the fronts,
and, If we were to survive, victory
over Rumania We faced a future
fraught with new anxieties.
HARD TO FIND NEW TROOPS
The second step to which we had to
make up our minds in the middle Of
october was extremely serious.
1t was difficult to strike at the Ru-
manians through the frontier noun
tains or across the Danube; still more
difficult to provide new troops for the
continuation of the operations.
OF course, we had given prolonged
consideration to the question of how
to continue the operations against
Rumania. The most profitable opera
ton would be the simultaneous ad-
vance of both army groups, with their
inner wings on Galatz Cat the junction
of the Sereth and Danube rivers), or
rather, If Mackensen's army could push
up to the mouth of the Danube below
Galatz while the Archduke Charles
army group pressed forward to the
Sereth above Galatz, taking care to
secure their inner flanks.
The result of this would be the ami
hilatlon of the bulk of the Rumanian
army in Wallachia and the occupation
of an area rich in just those warlike
resources which we lacked Toll and
grain). This splendid idea had occur
red to the minds of the commanders on
the spot, as well as my own.
(The Rumania of that time was
shaped like an ankle and foot with
protduding heel. The scheme was for
Mackensen to take the heel and Charles
to cut across the ankle, thus trapping
all the Rumanians in the fooD.
AUSTRIANS FAIL T OADVANCE
In view of the passive resistance,
varied with violent attacks, which the
Archduke Charles army group met with
in the frontier mountains from Orsova
to the Bukovina (the whole mountain
frontier), it was soon apparent that the
Goth and the Austrian LIST armies had
come to standstill A continuation
of the attack here was no longer pos
sible.
Other plans had to be adopted for the
entire operations. Field Marshal Won
Mackensen had to beat the enemy in
the Dobrudja with the help of the Ger
man division which was coming up,
tUOQSn SAO" ~ lOllOm MIN up WlNn pol I
of his forces, and the rest effect a
crossing of the Danube south of Bucha-
rest. The 9Th army OF Archduke
Charles army group was to cross the
Pennsylvania Alps into Wallachia. Both
armies were then to defeat the enemy
and try to effect their junction.
1t was not certain whether Field
Marshal Won Mackensen would cross the
Danube near Tutrakan, Rustchuk or
Sistova and whether General Won Fall
kenhayn, with his main concentration
near Orsova- would invade Wallachia
by way of the Szurdok or Red Tower
passes In any case, the troops which
had opposed the Rumanians up to now
no longer sufficed The Rumanian
army was strong; help was to be ex-
pected from Russia. OF course, both
army groups would have every avail
able man ready for the invasion of
Wal1achia.
HAD TO CROSS MOUNTAINS
1 would willingly have reinforced
Field Marshal Mackensen with any
thing that could be spared. so as to
ka his front the center of gravity