Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-30
ROUMANIA OF TODAY
A YOUNG NATION SUFFERING
FROM "SWELLED HEAD" :
Life in Its Capital City Where the Use
Of the English Language is
Gone Forever.

| Bucharest Cor London Express.
I have reached here on my way to join
| the Turks, among whom I shall be before
this letter appears in print.
A few days ago I sent the following tele-
gram to London, the subject being some
| maneuvers which I had been invited to at
tend: Officers gave me magnificent re-
ception. Lunch. Health of kings of Eng
| land and Roumania enthusiastically drunk
1t was suppressed by the censor, but with
unexpected consideration my money was
returned A friend in the government serv-
| Ice made inquiries, and elected the truth.
English Is not spoken here; the day of the
| language is gone forever. A callow youth
in the censor's office translates English tel
! egrams with the aid of dictionary. He
looked up the word drunk" His rendition
| is that the two kings are habitually and en-
Enthusiastically drunk. The censor's pencil
| did the rest. An explanation followed, and
the assurance that in future might send
anything liked.
In the war office in Bucharest everybody
! Is In glaring fancy dresslike uniforms, from
the minister down to the boy who sticks on
the postage stamps.
| 1t Is a white building long modest but
not uncouth; low because of the frequent
earthquakes. A handsome marble stair
! case, pretentious vestibule, with dirty
"AiIuo"o dHO Three pdneS broken, ana an
evll-smelling ante room-for the Rouman-
ian stands in holy terror of fresh air.
good-lookfng lieutenant takes my mes
sage. He is n fawn-colored gunner uni
form, with corSets and built-up shoulders
visible to the naked eye Finally, after
much whispering, wild gesticulation, writ
ing OF little notes as hurriedly torn I'D as
penned, anxious running to and fro, an in
tefVleW with grave, courteous, gray
bearded general wearing the Pleyna medal
Inc object of my call was permission to
visit the Notifications Of Bucharest the
PRIDE OF Roumania. built by the world
famed Belgian, Brialmont.
In the Ante Room.
Let me dwell for moment on the people
who waited with truly eastern patience in
the ante room.
A peasant girl from the wilds of interior
Wallachia. in her magnificent Sunday gar
| ment, the national costume and the national
female ambition, for the garment is so ex-
pensive Qace and embroidery being hand
made) that the ordinary woman has but
one in lifetime. THE daughter of a SER
geant major asking for part of her fathers
pay"
A group of picturesque, dirty, evil-smell-
ing gypsies-a man and three women-bare-
footed, with eyes aike burning coal. Come
to buy dispensation for the son from serv-
ice."
Wallachian peasant, old, tottering.
bent, careworn and toilworn, in rags, but
with the Plevna medal. Come for his pen
siQn.' And finally, any number Of nom
commissioned officers and privateS, as
clerks, doorkeepers and messengers; mostly
as regards dress and uniform, in a state of
dirt and dilapidation.
This is country of contrasts. The street
architecture is magnificent; even the pri-
vate houses are pretentious palaces of, it
must be added considerable architectural
beauty and taste. Half Of them are empty
and many are decaying. The people of
Bucharest have overbuilt themselves, and
rents have gone down alarmingly A thr-
ty-roomed house, which in kensington
would cost $500 per annum. in Mayfair
f1,5OO, can be had here for ESQ.
OF the inhabited houses many have only a
few rooms furnished Money is scarce,
credit is low and the Roumanian will sacri-
fice his soul for outward show. At the back
of those palaces are gypsy novels, in which,
in England, a decent-minded pig would de-
cline to dwell.
A Typical Contrast.
The streets are lighted with electricity
and electric trans of the most modern type
carry you from quarter to quarter; but the
town is undrained; only the liquid refuse is
carried away; the solid matter is periodi-
cally carted off. The lamps and the trans
are to impress the stranger; the drainage is
DelOW STOuHu anu lnVtSlDle ana Oh no I'M
portance.
The same street car which has just car
ried you through a boulevard with magnifi-
cent public buildings, such as you see in no
other capital of the world turns a corner
and you pass through a suburb inhabited
by Wallachians, Servians, Bulgars gyp-
sizes. the poverty, dirt. squalor and misery
of which defy description.
The officer is a glorified demi-god,
clanking~his sword. gorgeous and self
satisfied. The private has five baniS Gone
half-penny) a day and is forbidden the
principal streets by reason of his dirt
and ShabbinesS.
Look at the list of current prices, and
note the difference between those of
home produce and those of imported ar
ticles or government monopoly produce
tions. Home produce: Eggs, 10 to II
penny; tomatoes, 80 a penny; a chicken,
I'd to 3d.. a leg of mutton, Is. Sd. to Is.
Cd; large bottle of excellent Rouma-
Man wine, If. nobody drinks anything
gala occasions). Imported articles: En-
glish biscuits, Id each; English jam or
marmalade, several francs per tin; tiny
bottle of French scent ST. Monopoly: A
box of safety matches, Id, such sell in
England at I'd. per dozen; cigarettes, 10
sinking denominations, If.
Reckless Extravaganza.
Roumania has suffered from swollen
head ever since she became a kingdom.
Fondly imagining herself to be great
power, she has tried to rival Austria,
France and Germany and has spent
money recklessly. She is now retrench-
ing with almost equal violence.
The one person who can save. the ma
ton from financial or military collapse
is the splendid man whom a kindly Prov
idence has given her as king. Win the
people allow him the power and free
hand? That is the way of salvation, but
at present they do not see it,
Carol of Roumania, formerly Karl of
Hohenzollern, is knight without fear or
reproach. During a long life never the
breath of a scandal has tainted his name.
He has all the sterling interruption and
honesty OF the best-class German, and
experience has given him the cunning of
an eastern statesman. He has smelt pow
der in grim earnest and has heard the
swish of the bullets pass his ears. He
knows sorrow and the tears of human
things His only child is dead, and the
heir presumptive is not popular.
Butt am told on authority which I
cannot doubt-his greatest grief is the
horrible low standard Of morality which
obtains throughout the country, includ-
ing the best and wealthiest classes.
Meanwhile Roumania is arming quietly,
Sacretlv without noise or fuss. War q in