STRENGTH OF ROUMANIA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1606, 5 September 1916, Page 4

STRENGTH OF ROUMANIA.

THE MILITARY FORCES,

UNIVERSAL SERVICE,

A WELL- FORTIFIED STATE. the Roumanian mobilisation, which closed the second Balkan V ar in 1913, by compelling Bulgaria, to ask for peace, drew 000,000 me* to the colours. The peace establishment of the Roumanian army in 1914, just before the outbreak of the European War, was officially stated at 130,000 officers and men, and the field army was estimated at 300,000 men, but having had over two years of preparation Roumania, with her population of nearly 8,000,000, may be able to .surpass her mobilisation of 1913. It is generally believed that Roumania lias made good use of the past two years to increase the efficiency of what was the most formidable fighting machine in the Balkans. Some months ago the strength of the infantry was increased by 80 battalions; considerable additions were made to the artillery; several of the Stale railway lines were doubled and provided with additional sidings; and Slate warehouses were erected to take the grain which caiir not be exported to Western Europe, owing to the closing of the Dardanelles. Roumania had to create great munitions establishments. Her factories and arsenals have for months been running night and day to create the implements and supplies formerly furnished by the Krupps and the Skodas. Train loads of guns and munitions are reported to have been constantly arriving on the frontier from Russia.

At the present time military service is compulsory and universal. By h law passed in 1910 the period of. liability was increased, and now service begins at 21. Prior to joining the colours, young men between the ages of 19 and 21 receive a, certain amount of military training in their homes. As in other countries, certain classes are totally exempt from liability, whilst others are allowed to serve for one year with the colours, or to obtain other concessions which are the x’esult of some form of higher education. As Roumania is short of suitable horses for the cavalry, men who can produce a horse, or the value of one, are still allowed to enlist in the “Sehimbul,” or semi-per-manent cavalry. A Roumanian passes his 21 years in the three following sections of the army: — ACTIVE ARMY AND RESERVE. (1) Seven years in the active army. Of this the infantrymen are wto years with the colours and five

years with the first line reserve. Men of the other branches of the service are three years with the colours and four with the reserve.

(2) Ten years in the reserve or second line.

(3) Four years in the militia. This force also contains a contingent of men in excess of the number required for active military service, a contingent who now receive a certain amount of military training during their first two years’ liability.

The Roumanian army is organised in five army corps and two cavalry divisions. Each corps contains two infantry divisions and a reserve division, one cavalry brigade, one battalion of pioneers, and the usual details. An infantry division consists of two brigades of infantry, each of two (three battalion) regiments, one battalion of rifles, one brigade of' field artillery (two regiments, each of four sixgun batteries), three batteries of howitzers, three squadrons of cavalry, and certain details. A cavalry division is made up of two brigades, each composed of two regiments and two battei-ies of horse artillevv.

' Every hattailon of infantry is made up of three companies and a depot company, besides a machinegun section, composed of two guns. The infantry is armed with a Manulieher magazine rille. The horse and field artillery are armed with the Krupp gun, having a calibre of 75 millimetres. The weapon possessed by the field artillery is the 1904 model, and by the horse artillery the 1908 model. Mountain batteries and field howitzer batteries are armed with the Selmieder weapon, tire former taking the same ammunition as the field gun. During the last few years the Roumanians have, too, devoted a considerable amount of attention to aerial warfare, and to the equipment of their army with wireless telegraphy and with field telephones. ROUMANIAN FORTIFICATIONS.

When compared with other Balkan countries, Roumania may be said to be a strongly-fortified State. Bucharest is an entrenched camp, defended by a girdle of forts running round a circle, which has a radius of about six miles from the centre of the capital. The forts, the construction of which was be-

gun in 1885 and completed in 189(5, number 18, besides 18 intermediate works. These works, which were built with the idea of enabling them to resist modern high explosives, are connected by a circular railway, a military road, and telegraph lines, Avhieh run round the capital. The defences, which are commanded by the Governor of Bucharest, are well defended with modern guns. In addition to the fortifications of the capital, a strong line of forts, some 45 miles in length, runs from Galatz to Focsani. The towns of Galatz, Namaloasa, /md Focsani have also been entrenched, with a view to covering the several roads which run through them to Bucharest. Cernavoda, the point at winch the great railway spans the Danube, has been defended by strong bridge-head fortifications, built in 1900. There can .be little doubt, too, that adequate measures must have been taken to enable the Roumanians to defend Silistria, and their newly-acquired territory in that district, in case of attack by an armV advancing from the south.