The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-21

Forgery has played so important a role
in the shaping OF modern history that
no one need feel surprised TO find that
a fraudulent use Of the name of the Old
World Queen, who is known in literature
as Carmen sylvia, has been largely ac-
c0untable for the recent sanguinary dis
turbances in disturbances that
necessitated the mobilization of an entire
army corps, and the destruction of sew
eraI small towns and villages by artillery
FIRE. The rioters were peasants who had
been led by the foreign anarchists re-
sponslblc for the organization and direc-
ton of the uprisings. to believe that the
crown had resolved to distribute the
lands OF the absentee territorial aris-
tocracy among the rural workers. They
We're strengthened in this conviction by
the circulation of leaflets and pamphlets
protesting 10 have been written and sent
by Queen Elizabeth. calling upon the
masses TO rouse themselves from their
apathy to become conscious Of their
strength, and 70 take possession Of that
which belonged TO them by right and
by the decree of the crown
It seems that these documents were
spread broadcast throughout the length
and breadth of the kingdom. and that
the statements therein contained received
such ready credence that when the peas
ants We're taken TO task for rebelling they
Indignantly denied that they We're in d
state of insurrection, declaring that they
We're merely complying with the directions
Of their Queen. Ia most other countries
it would have been impossible for an
archists or political conspirators TO make
such a fraudulent use of the name Of
the Queen But Carmen sylvia IS known
both in her husbands dominiOns and
abroad as most prolific writer She
has published plays ana poems. novels
and short stories, fairy tales and philsn-
throplc appeals, by the thousand, and has
done more than any one else to compile,
publish, and circulate the old folklore
of Roumania II is likewise known
throughout the kingdom that she has on
more than one occasion found herself
in fragrant opposition to the government
notably at the time when she was anxious
10 marry her maid of honor Helen Vaca-
rescu 10 the croWnprince. So that the
rural population may be wei excused
for accepting as authentic the literature
circulated in her name inviting them TO
take possession of the lands. driving out
therefrom all those who attempted to
oppose the execution of what they We're
led 10 believe were the wishes of the
crown.
While i'm this instance the troubles re
sulting from the forgery Of Queen Eliza
beth's name ana writing have been con-
fined TO Roumania. where the principal
sufferers namely, the territorial aristoc-
racy, deserve small pity, being the most
useless, dissolute and spendthrift OF any
of the nobility castles of the Old World.
there have been other forgerles of the
same kind which have had the effect
OF entirely Transforming the international
relations of Europe in modern times, and,
curi0usly enough, the name of the Queen
Elizabeth also figures therein. Thus, If
some twenty years ago Germany and
Russia came to the very brink OF war,
and If Alexander III suddenly deter
mined upon breaking away from the
Three Emperor Alliance, and upon estab-
fishing in lieu thereof an understanding
with France, il was wholly due 10 the
influence Of some forged letters upon the
Muscovite ruler. The latter, when he lefy
St. Petersburg for Copenhagen, in 1887,
fully intended to visit his great-uncle
Kaiser Wilhelm during the latter's pres
ence at Stettin for the great Autumn
manoeuvres OF the German army. and
for this object gave special instructions
that his Prussian uniform should be iu-
Cluded in his luggage. In fact, all ar
rangemenjs FOR the Cars visit to StettiH
had been concluded. and apartments had
already been specially furnished and pre-
pared in the old castle of Stettin for him
and rooms retained at two of the leading
hotels for the Russian foreign minister
De Gicrs. and for Prince Bismarck, then
German Chancellor. At the very last mo-
ment however. in fact. after the depart
ure 81 the Kaiser for the Old Pomerauian
capital. the Car suddenly declared that
he would Oh no account go 10 Stetun 10
meet his aged and imperial relative.
The affront was all the greater for the
fact that Stettin is but d few hours distant
from Copenhagen. and not only the public
bun even the official world, were for a
time utterly at a loss to comprehend the
meaning of so pointed an act of dis
courtesy.
Subsequently ii became known that
Alexander III, when on the point of en-
barking on board his yacht for Stettin,
received from Bucharest two most i'm
pOrtant documents which. on the face
bore satisfactory evidence that the inuen-
does which had been made about Prince
Bismarck in the Cars presence at Copen-
hagen were correct, and that the iron
chancellor. while publicly blaming Prince
Ferdinand of Coburgs assumption Of the
Bulgarian throne, was secretly supporting
and encouraging il, in defiance of his
professions TO the Russian government
The documents in question consisted OF
a letter in the handwriting of Prince
Ferdinand of Bulgaria, addressed to tbs
Countess of Flanders, wife of the late
Count of Flanders, only brother OF King
LeapOld OF Belgium. In this missivC
Ferdinand stated that he would never
have dared TO go so far IN his Bulgarian
adventure had he NOT received the mos
satisfactory information from Berlin
through a confidential note written Il
him by Prince Reuss, the German Am
bassador AZ Vienna. explaining the secTet
views of Prince Bismarck This note
which Prince Ferdinand was understood
10 have inclOsed in his letter TO The
Countess of Flanders. stated that al
though Germany could not at the time
give official support 10 his enterprise
which must be a question OF persona
initiative, yet 1t must not be assumed
from that that the Berlin government
would refuse to give unofficial support e
the undertaking. II added; However
unfav0rable or hostile the acts of Ger
many towards your highness may appeal
I'm the meanwhile the sentiments secreil1