77
different camps of concentration, most of them lacking sufficient shelter, rava
ged by diseases brought for the greater part by the Russian armies, the Go
vernment and the General Staff watched sleeplessy over the reorganization of
the fighting unities, assisted also by the allied military missions, and more
especially the French one.
The difficulties of reforming the army were increased on the one hand,
by the transports which arrived very slowly by Archangel, and on the other
hand by the Russian army, in which the dissolving germ of the revolution and
of disorder had begun to appear. In such a situation the Roumanian troops,
had no. effective assistance to expect from their Russian ally.
In the summer of 1917, the Roumanian troops had to confront, on the
one hand a most powerful offensive prepared by the Central Powers, and on
the other hand had to struggle against the complete falling off of the Russian
which rendered the operations of the enemy much easier.
Neither the propaganda carried on parallel with the German offensive, could
shake for a moment, the faith of the troops in their strength, nor the be
lief that their leaders would lead them to victory. In the struggles of Mara^ti
and of Mar&§e§ti, the Central Powers suffered a final infringement without
any hope of gaining a succes on the Roumanian front, which remained fixed
definitively till the end of the war, though the Russians had abandoned the fray
The allies influenced .by the Russian suggestion, urged us to evacuate
and to reform our army in Russia (Kerson) but the Roumanians proved to be
better judges of the reality of the situation, and they maintained the line of Iront
from Galatz to §arul Dornei, although some of the a lies considered the thing
almost impossible.
The Roumanian Government decided to carry on the struggle to the end,
and gave order for assuring the Treasure of the National Bank as well as all
the other artistical riches and objects of price which the Banks and Institutions
had brought to lassy. This provisional assurance had to be finally effectuated
by sending the Treasure to a safe place in Russia. As, with all the assertions
of the Russian provisional Government, that by the fall of I zarism the founda
tion of the State would suffer no change, the Roumanian Government still he
sitated, the representatives of the allied Powers, assured il that it might carry,
without fear. The treasure to Russia, as she was still our ally. In this \\a\
the treasure and all the riches of Roumanian Art and all moveable stock and
objects of price were sent to Moskow and the customary protocols were signed
(An: 15).
After the struggles at Marasesti the Russian defection having had dange
rous consequences, the Roumanian Government was obliged to proceed with the
greatest prudence to disarm and to send towards the frontier appioxi-
matlvely a million meu which had consumed the last reserves ol food in Rou-
mania.
The military operations after the struggles ot Marasesti having ente red
a period of calm, the Central Powers which had done all that was in their