File No. 763.72/1330
The Minister in Roumania, Servia, and Bulgaria ( Vopicka ) to the Secretary of State
Bucharest , November 30, 1914.
[Received December 22.]
Servian Series]
No. 35]
Sir: I have the honor to report that the situation in Servia is gloomy. For nearly four months the Servian army was successful in fighting the Austro-Hungarian forces but about ten days ago it was short of munition and some of these sent by other powers were not fit for their rifles, and I am told that that was one of the reasons for vacating Valjevo. The second reason in my opinion is a superior force of three army corps of Austrian and German soldiers which had just recently been sent on the Servian front.
Four days ago the Russians succeeded in forwarding over the Danube River enough ammunition to Servia for some time to come.
Our consular agent in Belgrade reports the transfer of Austrian prisoners from Belgrade to other points in Servia which action would indicate that there might be a danger for Servians to lose Belgrade.
The main difficulty for the Servians is that they can not use their whole army against the Austrians, as it is necessary for them to keep at least 50,000 soldiers on the Bulgarian frontier to protect the parts of Macedonia now called the new Servia.
The Russian Minister here told me that his Government was sounding Servia, whether she would give up part of Macedonia to Bulgaria and that way help the Triple Entente to get Bulgaria in line and relieve Servia, but his Government met with flat refusal. Servia was not willing to lose any part of her territory, especially part of Macedonia, which country is considered one of the richest territories of the Balkan Peninsula.
The Servians are by no means downhearted, on the contrary they believe in ultimate victory.
Servia has between 10,000 and 15,000 Austrian war prisoners and she claims that Austria-Hungary has less than that amount of her own and I believe this statement to be true.
Sometime ago I made a personal appeal to the American Red Cross for relief for Servia. I now repeat it because Servia is exhausted and needs it more than any other country probably except Belgium. The Servian Government is very thankful for the help and sympathy expressed and given by the American people.
I have [etc.]