At the other end of the Sereth lines Mackensen's force
has also been checked. The Russians have recaptured the village of Vadeni, half-way between Braila and Galatz. The Germans have not yet crossed the Sereth at any point. It must be remembered that the German operations in Rumania should be judged by a special standard. Successes there which are not sweeping or decisive— such as the destruction of armies or the seizure of food and oil on a large scale—are hardly successes at all ; for while they do not lead to any military conclusion, they do use up a great deal of ammuni- tion and man-power. We must not estimate the progress of the war by anything that happens in Rumania. It is, for physical and mili- tary reasons, the one remaining playground of Germany, and if nothing terrible happens there we may retain complete composure. What is happening just now is certainly far from terrible for the Allies.
