Evening star., 1914-10-11

thus without shock would in fifteen
or twenty years acquire universal sui.
frage.
The conservatives opposed electoral
reform as well as the agrarian. II.
Jean Lahovary believes
Conservative large properties necss-
o.4 sary to the economical
oFPosi'Ao"' prosperity OF Roumania.
The liberals maintain that the conserv-
atives of today are the descendants Of
former 'Coyards.' who cannot recon.
cile themselves to the idea of social
evolution or the evolution in which
the liberals seek the elevation OF the
peasant
The liberals recall the terrible lessons
left by the agrarian revolutions Of
lsSS-lSs9. and again in 1907.
In March. 1907. in the district OF Boto.
chani the prefect. Vacesco. an anti.
Semitic, raised revolt among the
peasants against Jewish landholders.
But in two days the movement was
diverted and took the form of a gem
eral revolt of starving peasants against
all landed proprietors. The revolt was
finally crushed by the army. which was
summoned to the task, with the result
that there were 1900 peasants slain.
The liberal party in the interval sue.
ceeded the conservative ministry and
found itself obliged to crush the re.
volt. Nevertheless. the liberals cre-
ated popular banks. cooperative rural
banks and other bodies, with the view
of ameliorating the conditions. but
these measures proved insufficient. The
manifest need of the peasant was more
land. The PEASANTS situation was mis-
erable, inasmuch as he produced little
more even than was necessary Tor his
existence. There were 10000 people
suffering from pellagra in Moldavia.
pellagra being a disease developed only
by insufficient alimentation. The peas
were due to lack Of land cultivation.
and for this the government was re-
sponsible.
The Roumanian expedition of 1913.
composed of $4,000 peasants, disclosed
to them the fact that their fellow-men
in Bulgaria were far better or than
themselves 1t convinced the liberals.
moreover. of the urgent necessity OF
law of appropriation as the only
remedy.
The question of Roumanians in Tran
sylvania has begun to excite the imag-
ination of all Roumania. And this fs
comprehensive from the race point OF
view: 100000 Roumanians live south
of the Carpathians under the scepter
of Francis Joseph, 800, 900 are in Buko-
vina and 100000 in Transylvania.
The question of race operates i'm.
placably their union against the Mag
var in Transylvania.
Race Question Those who have land
hold II with jealous
1actoI. care. Those who have
none emigrate to America to find the
means of buying land in Pennsylvania
There are 100000 Roumanians actually
in the United States with this self-im-
posed mission. These send every year
to their families in Transylvania three
to four million dollars to purchase land
in Pennsylvania, by preference from
the Magyar. Hundreds of Roumanian
banks. very prosperous. facilitate these
operations and are literally cutting
the ground from under the feet OF the
Hungarian government.
No Roumanian general who speaks to
his troops fails to refer to the expedi-
to that which awaits the Roumanian
patriot and soldier in Pennsylvania It
is understood on the other hand among
Roumanian statesmen that no mention
ambitions in Transylvania. In the
month of March of this year the Liga
Culturale, Roumanian patriotic SO
ciety, assembled at Bucharest in great
meeting. The principal points of the
program were significant: First. the
future of Roumanianism in Hungary:
second Rouman mans of Hungary ana
insufficient concessions Of the HunHar-
ian government; third. protestation OF
the Roums nian nation against the oD-
preston Of Roumanians in Transylva.
MIA. This program shows to what point
the question of Transylvania dominates
the national life of Roumanians.
The confidence of the Roumanfan IN
his army is extreme. A Roumantan
r,ember of parliament recently said:
1--WE consider our soldier the very best.
Remember how he acted in 1878: he
saved the Russian army at Plevna- Do
not forget how resistless and tenacious
the Roumanians showed themselves
against Austria at Custozza. 1t was
the Roumanians from Bessarabia who
held out longest at the battle OF Mouk.
den."
Roumania, without distinction Of
party, desires to be the strongest OF
the Balkan states.
Military condition necessary to
rr her role as an equilib-
measuies. rum. NJ. Jean Bratinno.
president of the council and minister
of war. has already proposed a one
ndred-million-dollar expenditure for
material and increase of artillery. The
ordinary war budget has been raised
from s14.ss0.ooo in 1912. to $16.sso,ooo
in 1913, to $19.624.400 in 1914. The re-
suit of these efforts will be that Rou-
mania, which may actually mobilize