IF ROUMANIA COMES IN.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 197, 4 August 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

IF ROUMANIA COMES IN.

A SPLENDID ARMY READY FOR THE FRAY.

Roumania has the finest army on the cont nent outside the armies actually engaged :n fighting. She can put between 600,000 and 700,000 troops in the field, all well trained and all born fighters, like most of the men in the Balkans.

Roumania has the advantage over all the other Balkan States of not having l>e.?n seriously engaged in the disastrous wars of 1911 and 1912. All me iiine that Bulgaria, Servia, Greece, and 1 urkey were smashing themselves against one another, Roumania stood out, waiting. The result was that when she did move her troops in the last Balkan war they were so overwhelming that the other Balkan States had to give in, for they were exhausted while Roumania was fresh.

There is compulsory service in the great Balkan State, all men from twen-ty-one to forty-two being called on to s-rve. Their uniforms are a mixture <>t Russian, Italian, and French. Uoforo the war the soldiers were armed with Krupp guns, but it is very unlikely that they will use these guns if they fight now. A'ready, indeed, thev have come to an agreement with Russia to supply them with munitions.

Roumania has a Navy which will prove very useful to her if she goes to war with Austria, for the ships are constructed for fighting on the Danube, which puns ithrough Roumaitfa and Austria.