Evening star., 1914-10-11
THE EVOLUTION OF R0UMANIA

Next to Servia, Roumania holds a
situation Of the greatest political and
military interest in
The Balkan the Balkans. for Rou-
r:,:l- mania is the acknowl-
edged equilibrium of
the Balkan states The military inter-
vention against Bulgaria in 1913 was
a turning point in Roumania's history.
The acquisition of the greater part of
the Bulgarian Quadrilateral was the
elimination of her desires for expan-
sion. and this consummation creates
for Roumania obligations which are
confessed.
A dispatch from Bucharest, published
in the Journal des Debats. reports that
when King Charles requested the cabi-
net to order mobilization of the army.
a minister member replied: I'VE are
quite willing. sire. If it is against Aus
tria." Whereupon King Charles said: Il
gave my word to Emperor William,
and q Hohensollern keeps his word. .
M. Bratiano, president of the council.
interposed: The country, sire, knows
no Hohenzollern. 1t knows only the
King Of Roumania, who does not have
to give his word to any one whatso-
ever"
The king. according to a later dis
patch. would summon a special session
Of the council. but that the president
of the council. the conservative and
democratic leader. decided to ask the
king not to hold the meeting. for there
was no need for Roumania to change
her policy of neutrality"
Before the Balkanic crisis Roumania
was content to have King Charles di-
rect the exterior policy Of the state. but
there IL something changed in Rou-
mania now.
The Roumanian expedition which won
the quadrilateral was accomplished
amid the greatest en-
koumanlan thusiasm. The mobiliz-
Expedition. u so-July was 3, 'Fqssa ns1s' June 1a
fifteen days 1915 Roumanians were
modified, crossed the Danube, and the
heads of their columns arrived within
ten kilometers of Sofia. While it is
true that the Roumanian army was not
engaged in battle, yet it marched fifty
kilometers a day and at night before it
bivouacked it danced the national
dance, the ''hora," while waiting for
the soup it had outmarched.
At Belgrade the Roumanian soldier
gave proof of his high state of disci-
pline. No excesses were committed,
and everything requisitioned was paid
SHL L.. 81
diers in battle. but 5000 fell victims to
cholera. The expedition cost $4,000.
600, $2O,00O.OOO being for reauisitions.
The requisitions were a major part of
the famous quadrilateral-Roust
Silistria. Choumla. Varna. about S.340
square kilometers of the best lands OF
3O2. 900 inhabitants OF these 10000
were Turks, 125, 900 Bulgarians. $4,000
Greeks and Armenians and 5000 Rou-
manians.
The banks of the Danube, except at
Corabia. are difficult. being much lower
on the Roumanian side than the Bulga-
rian. 1t was there the Roumanian
army crossed the river in July, 1913
but the passage was unobstructed then
because the Bulgarians were not con-
fronted by Servians and Greeks.
Roumania now holds both banks of
the Danube and other important strategic
points-Turtucaia, in face of Oltenttz; ST.
listria, which is the key to all the routes
penetrating Bulgaria: finally Dobritch:
city of 10000 inha bitants southeast of
the Quadrilateral whose heights may
be easily fortified.
The Danube need no longer consti-
tute barrier for Roumania, for be-
hind the screen formed by the Turtu-
Gaia. Silistria. Dobritch she may mo-
bilize in entire security and penetrate
Bulgaria without difficulty. She may
do SO. besides, conformably to article .
of the treaty of Bucharest, which stip-
TT is formally understood that Bull
garia will dismantle, not later than
two years, the works of existing forti-
hcations. and will not construct others
at Roustchouk to Choumla in the inter-
mediate country and in the zone of
twenty kilometers around Baltchik."
That clause benefits still more the
Roumanian situation. Turtucaia in ef-
feet is less than fifty kilometers to the
east of Roustchouk. That Bulgarian
city can thus be taken in the rear by
the Roumanians. who are certain not
to be stopped by fortified obstacles
Since several years Roumania has en-
tered upon a period of expansion. In
1860 Roumania count
Roumanlan ed 3,917,540 souls. The
census of December.
AP""'Ao"' 1902. raised these fig
ures to 7,24S.0o0. With the 10000 in
the Doubroudia. Roumania has $780,
900. The increase of the population is
rapid. In 1912 it reached 14s,00O, or
1000, 900 Inhabitants every seven years.
The population is peasant in the pro-
portion of SIS. The Roumanian is a
wonderful producer of wheat and corn.
The increase of commerce is consider
able, but it must be remarked that
commerce and industry are completely
in the hands of strangers. At Buch-
Arrest there were 10000 Austro- Hun
garians.
Roumania is one of the rare states OF
Europe whose budget presents very ap-
preciable surpluses. which from 1901 to
1911 and 1912 have run from six to
one hundred and ten million dollars
annually. Now that Roumania must
support military expenditures the
surplus will disappear.
In Roumania the Interior policy IS
quite simple. There are three great
parties: Conservatives.
and liberals
Public opinion is yet i'll a primitive
state The government maintains 160,-
600 functionaries. Political parties are
formed 'on the principle not to oppose
the election of distinguished adver-
saries, and this unusual, courteous