New-York tribune., 1897-07-23
PTNANIA TO TIE FORE.

A new and serious complication In the East.
ern Question Is revealed. 1t Is announced that
an understanding, amounting almost to an all
ance. has been formed between Rumania ana
Turkey, in which Rumania has the backing or
one OF the great Powers. Upon Its race thls
seems surprising but when examined cIoseiy
the report may be found to bear the marks OF
credibility and of probability. The understand
ing Is. of course for joint action only in case OF
a Russian attack upon Rumania, or Russian
advance upon COnstantinOple overland. In sucn
contingency it would be measure OF ordinary
prudence on Rumania's part. With implacaDle
menace on the one hand, and scarcely restrained
hostility on the other, the Danubian Kingdom
can afford to take no chances. Rumania has
few interests in common with Turkey. But
when an attack upon the latter Involves spolla-
ton of the former, the former Is by the stress
of that very fact forced to make common cause
with the latter.
Two things have prompted Rumania to this
| course. One Is the massng Of Russian troops
| in Bessarabia, with the rnmored intention or
| marching down the Black Sea coast to the Bos-
porus. For Russia to reach COnstantinople by
| land 1t Is necessary for her to cross Rumania
| She did so in 1877, with Rumana's permission.
She endeavOred at that time to establish
| precedent, under which she might thus traverse
Rumanian territory at will at any time. But
| great Rumanian statesman answered sternly
| that that should never be- and since that time
Rumanie has been a hated barrier in Russias
| southward path 1t Is remembered that at the
| close Of the war Of 1S77-'7S the Russians set mp
| n statue of the Car on their bank OF the Dan
ube. with face turned and hand pointing south
ward. That Is constant index Of Russlas
intention and of her menace against Rumania
as well as against Turkey.
| The other cause Of Rumana's uneasiness Is
| TO be found in the attitude Of Bulgaria. which
| country Is at the point OF declaring war against
| her. Of that story the beginning Is long way
| back. Russia as is well known, desires to make
| the Black Sea n Russian lake by gaining pos
session of all its shores and to control the Dan
| ube by thus owning It's mouths. She already
owns the whole northern shore. Turkey owns
| the south and the west Is divided between Ru-
| mania and Bulgaria At the end Of the war Of
| IS77-'7S Russia increased her holding of the
coast by persuadng Rumana TO give her Bes-
sarabia in return for getting the DObrudscha
ceded TO Rumanla by Turkey. That shrewd
move also brought Russia down to the Ka
mouth OF the Danube. But there was an ul-
| terror object in the deal. Russia knew that the
| Dobrudscha was largely inhabited by Bulgars
and was claimed by Bulgaria as a part Of her
territory. Bulgaria did not acquesce, and has
never acquiesccd in Rumanla's acquisition Of
| II. On the contrary. she has persistently kept
| her claim to it in evidence and now at the in
| stance of Russia and with Russia's backing. she
is threatening TO enforce that claim by war.
| 1t Is a very pretty trick. First Russia gets
possesson of Rumanlas old coast by giving
| her another in exchange for 1t. Then she seeks
| 10 gain possession Of the latter by putting for
ward one Of her proteges as claimant OF It,.
| II the trick works. Rumania will be an inland
State. and Russia will control the mouths Of
the Danube and the Black Sea coast down to
| within hundred miles Of the BospOrus. But
| the chances are that ii will not work. A grow
| ing. progressive kingdom. with several hundred
thousand of the finest soldiers in the world,
and with the most strongly fortified city In
the world for It's capital, Is not so easily to be
brushed aside. Nor is such highway of COM
mcrce as the Danube 10 be made the spoil Of
| a buccaneerng raid There Is no nation more
| Interested in keeping that river open and free
| than Austrla Hungary Is, ana so II may well
be that In standing on guard and making n
quasi-aance with Turkey ltnmania has indeed
the backing of one of the great Powers. Is
| there not already close alliance between her
and Austria Hungary? The last move has not
yet been made in the great Balkan game. But
whea !! = -: lG1:1 tia, saved Russian Rrms