On land, oil constantly influenced the thoughts of generals. The great and lengthy Russian offensive against Lemberg in Galicia aimed at cutting off Germany and Austria from recourse to the oil fields of that region. The long drawn out diplomatic embroglio with regard to Roumania all centred around the oil fields of that country. Germany was determined that Roumania should be forced into the war, either as an ally or an enemy; for in either case it would give her a pretext to seize the oil fields. In the end a British military mission destroyed the wells to prevent their utilization by the German invaders. In the operations of Turkey against Russia the oil wells of Baku were the objective. The early British operations in Mesopotamia were chiefly intended as a precautionary measure for the protection of oil fields of which the Persian Gulf is the outlet. Citations such as these from the history of the war on all fronts could be multiplied to show how closely the petroleum question was interlocked with belligerent action. It is admitted by candid historians that at the outset of the war the British Government did not appear sufficiently to appreciate the grave importance of petroleum products in the prosecution of war. The conflict had not been in progress for more than a few months, however, when the disruption of the European fields and the obstacles to obtaining regular supplies from the far East caused grave alarm both in London and Paris. It was then that the friendship of the American people for the Allied cause made itself felt in practical form. Had American oil interests then proved hostile or indifferent; had the Government of this country yielded to Germanic pressure and placed an embargo on oil shipments, the cause of the Allies would have been doomed. In 1917 it was admitted in the British House of Commons that adequate supplies of petroleum products were quite as essential as men and munitions. This was almost an understatement, because without the aid of petroleum the necessary maximum of effort in other respects would have been impossible.