Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1914-10-16
RUMAN|A KING DIES
GREAT RULER HAD ROMANTIC
cAREER-HELD ALOOF FROM
OTHER NATIONS
KING WAS GERMAN DESCENT
Country's Attitude Towards Present
Great War May Now Change
Many Subjects Slavs and Favor
Russia-He Left No Heir.

King Charles of Rumania died last
Saturday.
The attitude of Rumania toward the
great war has for some time been
complicated by reports of the serious
illness of the monarch. In many
quarters it was believed that this i'll
ness was merely feigned for the pur-
pose Of avoiding clashes with his ad-
visers. Charles was a HohenzoIlern.
related to the German royal family,
while many of his subjects are Slavs
and sympathy with Russia is reported
to be strong in Rumania His death
may break the deadlock which is re-
ported to have held Rumania neutral.
Rumania's First King.
Charles I, was Rumania's first king
The story Of his career spanning rs
years, is that of a German prince
elected to govern a Latin people, out
of which experience Rumanians or
those who have followed the fortunes
of that buffer state will recall much
that is stirring if not romantic.
Prince Charles was born a Hohen-
zollen, 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-Sig
haringn, who voluntarily resigned the
Hohenzollern regentship in favor of
the Prussian crown and subsequently
| laHDnn fpfc 80
1t was while Charles was serving, at
the age of 81 years, as an officer of
high rank in the Prussian guard, that
the Turkish provinces of Wallachia
and Molodavia united to call themsel-
YES Rumania, and casting their eyes
about Europe for a foreign prince to
govern them-since no native prince
had been successful-took the advice
of Napoleon III. and invited young
Charles to be their prince.
Queen Is Carmen SYLVIA"
At the age of 80, the young prince
paid court to Princess Elizabeth of
Wied. with whom he fell in love at
first sight when he met her in Co
logne, and the marriage was celebra-
ted on the banks of the Rhine In the
fall of 1869. The queen has since be-
come beloved among her people for
her devotion to good works and ia
nous throughout the world as a poet
with the pseudonym of Carmen Syl-
va"
A boy was born to the couple, but
he died at the age of six and they had
l., =
there arose the question of partici-
pating in the Turko-Russian war.
Prince Charles stood firm for neutral
ity but when the Russians were on
the point of being crushed at Plevna
and Grand Duke Nicholas sent his ia
nous call for help, the Rumanian
forces were led to battle and with
Charles at their head decisively de-
feated the great Turkish army.
The renown of Prince Charles
spread, and four years later, out of a
cannon he had captured at Plevna the
Rumanian people cast him an iron
crown. With consent of the powers
they placed it on his head in 1881.
Rumania held aloof from the common
Balkan war against the Turks, but was
stirred in her own behalf by Bulgarian
greed for territory, and after the wars
King Charles pressed his country
claim for $500 miles of territory as
compensation for the neutrality OF
Rumania had preserved, and started
an invasion of Bulgaria. The Bulgars
soon sued for peace and handed over
the coveted strip, extending about 100
miles inland.