7 OCTOBER 1916, Page 1

On Thursday week in the Reichstag the German Chancellor once

more reviewed the war. The Allies can have little fault to find with the speech, for it was from beginning to end a cry of desperation. The Chancellor, after a reference to the Italian declaration of war against Germany, went on to deal with Rumania. He asserted that the late King of Rumania ardently desired to remilin neutral and died of " mental excitement caused by the consciousness that Rumania had betrayed her allies." Rumania had but one motive— to enrich herself by joining the side which she thought would win the war. But up to the last moment before declaring war Rumania had continued to assure Germany that she would not fight. Inci- dentally, of course, the admission of the Chancellor that Rumania shaped her policy solely on military events is a proof of what was thought of the prospects of the war by an extremely competent observer—for it will not be pretended even by the Germans that Rumania is less than that.