Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-10-15
RUMANIA'S
KING DEAD

Petrograd, Oct. II. (via London).- |
King Charles of Rumania is e
Amsterdam (via London), Oct. 10
A telegram received here from Vienna
says that Eing Charles Of Rumania
died this morning.
Charles l was Rumania's first king.
The story of his career, spanning 70
years, is that of a German prince ele-
waited to govern a Latin people. out OF
which experience Rumanians or those
who have ollowed the fortunes of that
buffer state will recall much that is
stirring, if not romantic.
Prince Charles was born a Hohen-
Zollern. an older branch of the family
than that of Emperor William of Ger
many, but none the less proud of its
blood. He was the son of Prince
Charles Anthony of Hohenzollern-Sis-
maringen, who voluntarily resigned the
HohenZollern regentship in favor of the
Prussian crown and subsequently be-
came prime minister of Prussia.
1t was while Charles was serving.
at the age of II years, as an officer of
high rank in the Prussian guard. that
the Turkish provinces of Wallachia and
Moldavia united to call themselves Ru-
mania and, casting their eyes about
Europe for a foreign prince to govern
them-since no native prince had been
su~ccessful-took the advice of Napoleon
III and invited young Charles to be
their prince.
With Austria at that time preparing
to fight Prussia. young Charles de-
parture for Rumania was such a per-
ilous undertaking that he made it Sc
| cretly. He disguised himself as a Rus
| sian merchant, bound for Odessa, and
| sailed down the Danube. jumping
ashore on Rumanian territory on May
20. 1866, and made his way to the pal
ace at Bucharest, where he was pro-
claimed prince three days later. Napo-
Law TIT hnl fN1l hin, fhnf rnthinp yyyaC
more difficult than to govern a Latin
race. The young prince soon found that
he had been we'll advised in this re-
spect. He was homesick and beset
with innumerable difficulties, growing
out of the fact that the country was
struggling with a new constitution that
gave the people an unaccustomed lib
erty and that he made no secret OF
his purpose to plant among them the
civilization of Germany. though he sin
cerely desired to become the best Ru-
manian of them all. His great con-
fidence, in the virtue of H~ohenzollern
blood, brought him energy and patience
which later won the hearts of his peo-
pie.
In the meantime, at the age of 80,
the young prince paid court to Princess
Elizabeth of WED, with whom he fell
in love at first sight when he met her
in Cologne, and the marriage was cele-
brated on the banks of the Rhine, in
the fall of 1869. The queen has since
become beloved among her people, for
her devotion to good works and famous
throughout the world as a poet. with
the %pseudonym of Carmen Sylvia"
A boy was born to the couple, but he
died at the age of 6 and they had no
further children. In 1876, when there
arose the question of participating in
the Turko-Russian war. Prince Charles
stood firm for neutrality, but when the
Russians We're on the point of being
crushed at Plevna and Grand Duke
Nicholas sent his famous call for help
the Rumanian forces We're led to battle
and with Charles at their head decisive
ly defeated the great Turkish army
The renown of Prince Charles spread
and four years later, out of a cannon HI
captured at PleVna, the Rumanlan PEG.
pie case him an iron crown. With con
sent c. the powers they placed it or
his head in 1881. From this time OF
King Charles was universally acknow
lodged the leader of his adopted peo'
pie n the kingdom of Runlania be
came u factor in international politics
She nelG aloff from the common Balkan
war against the Turks, but was stirred
in her own behalf by Bulgarian greco
for territory, and after the wars kins
Charles pressed his country's claim TO
$500 miles of territory as compensa
ton for the neutrality Rumania hat
preserved, and started an invasion O
Bulgaria. The Bulgars soon sued TO
peace and handed over the coveted stril
extending about 100 miles inland.
by ourselves Atone are the word
which ornament the iron crown Kin
Charles has worn. He was never a part,
to International alliances, although
groups represented in both the tripl
alliance and the trinnle entente hav
been said to be counting Ru1nania
support.
, The bill of particulars as to the coun
try when Prince Charles entere
Rumania was discouraging in every de
, tail. That which he hands over to hi
successor, whom he adopted in the per
son of his nephew, Prince Ferdinand
, is one which includes an efficient arm
> of nearly 800 900 when war footing
agriculture developed along moder
lines Oil production on a vast seal
railways spread widely. foreign com
: merce developed to a degree which ex
ceeds that of all the other Balkan state
put together, and a national credit thu
! needs no special guarantees.
;, The one blot on the escutchoon re
Gently has been an alleged widesprea
persecution of the Jews, of whom thel
= are some 100000 scattered among IL
y 1000, 900 inhabitants Of the country.