The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-07
WIT IS oOIN0 ON IN EUROPE

| known yet Of tho results Of IgnntcfTs miss on
| ~ Vienna, OF the ctfoct produced by Lord Sails
| bury's circular ut n. Pctcrshurg or Of the ao-
tual stops taken by Bismarck in his reported Of
| forts TO bring about an understanding between
! Russia and Austria. The secrecy Of these trans
| actions Ia firing tho mnssee and cooling their
warlikc impeuosiiy. There Ia accordingly less
danger OF n sudden outbreak Of war. and more
probability that the d pIomntic negotiations may
drag along for many weeks TO come.
Tho most dim cult point TO settle will prove
to be the question OF Bcesarabia. The Czar
seoms TO hnvo made up his mind that his VIC
tories over Turkey shall whitewash the military
memory OF his father and restore all the losses
RUSSIA suffered at the close Of tho war Of 1851
IS. He Ia an obstnate man. and n resolution Of
this kind on his part does not promise any easy
solution OF the question. He has openly de-
clared that he shall CONSIDER all opposition to
the recession OF that province "as n personal
insult" To all who know the natural dispo-
sition OF Alexander III. and his relation to
his subjects. declaration OF this kind means
that. while he may yield on many other points Of
the treaty OF San Stofano. he will fight TO the Bit
ter end for this point. This being so. IL becomes
interesting TO know the arguments adduced for
and against Bessarabias remuneration to
Russia.
The disputed territory Is but part Of the
province OF Bessarabia, OF which Kichencff IL
the capital. 1t il piece of barren. desolnto
land inhabited by Bulgarians and Jews. gov
crned In the north by Russian and in the south
by Roumanan officials Since the free
navigation OF the Danube has become
principle OF international law. and since
the development Of tho European rail-
road system has caused the cereals pro-
duced by the Danubian region to be sent north
ward by rail. the commercial importance of
southern Bessarabia has almost completely
vanished. Tho whole value of the territory is
purely strategical. as forming a gate for the
Russian army into Turkish territory. But with
the establishment OF new Bulgarian princi-
palty even this utility Of southern Bcssarabia
Will disappear. Tho recovery Of it will be
merely n qualification OF the Cars amour
propre
The coveted territory consists Of some 2i0
square miles Of fiat. swampy. and sandy land.
which has never produced anything except
maize. hares, and groyhounds. It was wrestcd
from Turkey by the battles Of Kagou and Is
mail. and by the peace treaties Of Adrianople
and Bucharest II any agricultural progress has
been made at all in that country II IL entirely
due to German colonists tMennonites). to whom
the Russian Government granted specinl prv-
leges for settling there. As far us affinity Of tho
races goes. the 10000 Bulgarians inhabitng
that country. being almost pure Slavonians. are
| certainly nearer to the Russians than to either
| the Moldavans or the Wallachans. This terri
,orv ,vns tol,o, iron, nua.in II, 1874 at, tho su,,
| ,,os,ion 80 CO., nj all ,,oo .o,oxoa ~,
| =, ,h "a, ,,ros,r, p,,r,a,,, h,,, ., ,to ,.i,iii,
| ~ Nold,yia which vras tbon dis,irc, iron, I'm,
q, waunchia ,ho ,,r,or Io,n,o,, Tho ,,, ,,ri,,ci
| palitcs having been accomplished only in 1861.
| Moldavia no longer existing as a separate
| state. the Russian Government argues that the
orn Rassarabia VIVA annoxod 10 Il faIls 10 IN,
cround md ,ha, tho nncion, riob,s M Russia
in this torri,,rv revive Tho nre,ume,, ~ ,hc
Roumoninn ,;ovcrnmen, is hint thnv wore alIins
- pnssi, ,h,, i'm M, Is,, ,,.a, ,ho,. ,o,,,I, h,
tho al. ~ tho pussi,,s tho, ,ho, Inv, ,,o,,ri
ouv hclnod ,hsn, orI ,b.t T., r,h ,h,,, ~ n
nroyincc il n sbohl,. return ar s,,ch ofr,r,s and
sacrifices ON thoir mart othis Prince Gort.
chakoir replies. "You have TONIGHT NOT IN mid
lis but for tho snko of obtaining vour independ-
cnce. II YOU had not sided with us we would
have considered your territory as nm integral
part of the Turkish empire. and would have on =
tered il by force. War would have then begun
in Roumania instead Of beginning in Bulraria.
and Won would have had the whole of your conn
try dosolntod You went with rs not ont of
friendship. hut because YOU saw that YOU would
be halter of You now lnye vour independ-
ence. We shall have our old province. BY way
of comucnsation we give You the Doprudla."
This is the exact position Of the question. On
the part Of the Czar. the demand for Bcssarabia
is "A pure caprice. The resistance to this de.
mand on the part of Roumnnia is a piece of
folly. for Russia is suro to get IT, sooncror later.
Charles l.. the rcisning Prince Of Roumania.
seems 10 understand this. and does not show
any great hostility to Kussia's demand. The
resistance is carried on exclusively 10y the Par.
lament Of Bucharest. 1t is very likely that the
solution Of this question. as Of the whole East
ern imbroglio. will be dictated from Berlin.
Prince Charles being member Of the House of
Hohenzoern. and practically a vassal of the
German Empire.
| The ruler of ROumania IL a man Al years
| ~ o,,o o,l 80, 80, p.i,,. E,,l 20 II .,.a,..t
~ "@V' "h" " Sun vi llh'' h"il VI ii"hoH""i-
| lern- Sigmarineen. formerly Governor of the
| 49, I -, ~ =,
hhehlsh provinces ana Nestphhlla. lie was
| educated I'm Dresden md Berlin and cntared
ga "'Ne.'N" "i" Nv ''' ~" '''''"'
the Russian artillery with the rank OF sub
hc"''h"Hl III 1901 iHIcc ol loui years la''l hc
undertook an extensive tourney through Europe
-, -, - - ~
ana Africa, ana on ms return graduated AT the
I-uiversftv of Rom md in 1854 wont throuch