held shortly
after, he showed a popular majority support of 120 seats in the
Popular Assembly, notwithstanding a determined opposition made by his
opponents. Before the Balkan wars the Greek Parliament had consisted
of 180 members, but by according representation to the districts in
Macedonia annexed after the wars the number was brought up to 316.
Venizelos and his policy in favor of the Allies were emphatically
indorsed by the Greek suffrage. Naturally this expression of the
people's voice was a smart blow at the king and his councillors. On
the other hand, they were encouraged by an unfavorable turn that was
now taking place in the military operations of the Allies.

The attack on the Dardanelles by the warships had been a decided
failure. Nor were the operations of the British troops on the
peninsula of Gallipoli meeting with any real success. The Austrians
and the Germans had driven the Russians back from the Carpathians and
had retaken Przemysl and Lemberg. In fact, the situation of the
Austro-German armies had now become so favorable that it was possible
for the Teutonic allies to make proposals to the Balkan States with a
fair chance of being listened to.

During July, 1915, Serbia was approached by Germany with an offer of a
separate peace, but Serbia would not even consider the terms.

On July 8 Austria delivered a note to Rumania, through the Austrian
Minister in Bucharest, Count Czernin, which contained two sets of
proposals. One was contingent upon the continued but "friendly"
neutrality of Rumania, the other on her active participation in the
war on the side of Austria-Hungary.

In the first proposal Rumania was promised all of Bukowina south of
the Seret River, better treatment of the Rumanian population of
Austrian territory, the establishment of a Rumanian university in
Brasso, large admissions of Rumanians into the public service of
Hungary, and greater liberty of administration to the Rumanian
churches in Austria.

The second proposal specified that Rumania should put five army corps
and two cavalry divisions at the disposal of the Austro-Hungarian
General Staff to operate against the Russians. In return Rumania
should receive all of Bukowina up to the Pruth River, territory along
the north bank of the Danube up to the Iron Gate, complete autonomy
for the Rumanians in Transylvania and all of Bessarabia that the
Rumanian troops should assist in conquering from the Russians.

Just a week after t