Evening star., 1914-04-19
RUSSO -R0UMANIAN ALLIANCE

mics OF the BuIgarians. Hungary con-
tains 2.1ooOo0 Servians. neighbors or
3.e0on Seryians who .nhahit the ancieue
Kingdom OF Servia. also other ServianS.
relatives and friends OF The Sery ans: Il
is likewise IN Austria proper. in Croatia.
in Lalmatia and in Bosnia II Herzecovina.
Besides the reciprocal friendship OF tie
Emperor Francis Joseph and OF kir-S
Carol and the situation of Rouran'.l
with rega rd to the triple alliance had ="
rather should have had. as coroIlar'- IL"
obligation for Aus,ria-Hungary 10 favor
Roumanian interests
The exterior Austro- Hungarian policy IN
all that concerned the Balkanic states
and the Danubia-.
Austro-H Hungarian kingdom contains
Policy. On son'.,'',ee9 a.s .ors
quently irrecon cilable elements. Ii is not
possible that one or the other should nor
be sacrificed. 1t was these conditions
that caused Austria-Hungary in the be
ginning of the Balkanic crisis TO play dou-
BILE. Ostensibly her diplomatic action was
employed in favor of Rouman!a, while in
an underhand way she defended Bulgaria
The evident proof of that policy is shown
| in Austria Hungarys demand for the ie-
vision of the treaty of Bucharest.
! Roumanans We're profoundly discon
| tented over the manner In which the COZ
| ference at ST. Petersburg had consideres
| their interests. The government, AWAY
restrained by Austria Hungary. would NOT
have decided upon any energetic acron.
! it appeared even to be satisfied with 'he
acquisition of Silistria: but the people de-
cidetilv differently. When the war hroh"
b. N11f He'd
A able manifestation occurred before Inc
palace of the king to the cry of: DOW
| with Austria" and il was this cry thF
| decided the government to order mooih-
| cation,
cent popular movement. the Mobilization
| of the Roumanian army. Is wen remem
| bered In five days 6oo.op men We're
ready to march; after ano,her i've uaS a.,
that army, animated by the highest en-
| thusiasm crossed. the Danube on
| bridge of boats 800 meters long, con
strlcted in seven hours. After nFe o'nef
days Gen. Moustatza,. with his diSisioh ,i
| of cavalry was at the gates OF soma
| That lightninglike coup disconcerted the
Bulgarians. who had no other aiterna-
| tive than to sue for peace, which was
concluded in November. 1918 That peace
1 constituted a grave check to Austria
! Hungary 1t increased the importance OF
| Roumania. Servia and Greece at the eN-
pense OF Bulgaria. which was the
protege OF the Austrian empire bu,-
garia was not only diminished in terri
tory. but suffered also in prestige which
| she had gained in her campaign against
/ the Turks.
Roumania notably had given proof OF
| superior military power which placed nef
very high in the esteem of all Europe oy
! the decisive aid she had given to the re-
| establishment OF peace
Although this result was welcomed ny
all Europe Austria Hungary had the
courage to deny that she had been beaten
and attempted to have the treaty OF
bucharest revised in favor OF Bulsaria.
These efforts failed and the failure served
to open the ewes finally of those who
clung to the idea of Hungary 8
support of Roumania-
| Roumania definitely separated herself
from Austro-Hungarian influence and
ileaned toward the triple entente. Rou-
mania owed the confirmation of her sue
cess to the support of France and Russia
who rejected and caused to be rejected
by Europe the demand for the revision
Of the treaty of Bucharest.
Russia approached Roumania. it will he
recalled, during the Balkanic war. The
car appointed King Carol
Russia and marshal in the Russian
| armies. recognizing thus
hounaAld. by an official mission the
the Roumanian army. had rendered the
Russians in 1877. Besides. Russia pun
ished Bulgaria for her Austro-Hungarian
sympathies by permitting the passage OF
Roumanian armies into Bulgaria over
Russian territory so that one was con-
fronted by an unusual spectacle-Rus- s.
slams who permitted Roumanians to at
tack a Slav people which was supported
bv the Austrian empire. That anomaly
is explained naturally by Austria's at
titude toward Bulgaria-an attitude thai
inspired Bulgarians to turn their eyes
rather toward Vienna and Budapest
than toward St Petersburg. The atti-
tude of Austria-Hungary is explained in
turn by the necessities of her policy. es-
pecialIy toward Roumania. 1t is clear
that the question of the Roumanians in
Hungary is the key to Austria-Hunsary .
apparently illogical policy. The question
is not local, but one which must be met
by Europe.
| In the light OF these circumstances it is
not strange that Roumania should gravf-
tate toward the triple entente. But to-
day it is not the king nor his ministers
who decide the destinies of government
but the people. Roumania herself Is
proof of the assertion in the popular man
Hesitation at the time of the mohiliza =
ton in 1913. Popular opinion in Rou-
mania on Austro-Hungarian intentions Is
quite conclusive and all the protestations
Imaginable may not change that opinion.
4 Austria Hungary. and. above all. Hun
! gary has a vital interest in the ABSORB
| ton of the four million Roumanians in
| habiting Hungary. The Roumanian peo-
| pl. of the kingdom of Roumania can only
/ consider such a perspective as their owr
4 death warrant. That Hungary Will no.
| renounce her policy of absorption is man
1 ifest Therefore the conflict between th'A
/ empire and the kingdom is irremediah'e
i Austria Hungary, Notwithstanding her
4 check in the Balkans, persists IN her pol
1 ley of interference. At this moment tn"
! cabinet of Vienna would force Greece T.
/ negotiate with it under pretext of plac=
4 ing in accord the preliminaries of the
i treaty of London with certain sdpulA
I tions of the treaty of Berlin-a circui-
1 tous way OF calling in question the treat
| of Bucharest and the possibility or re
4 vision at least SO far as Austrias inter
1 ests are concerned in the territories an
! nexed to Greece.
! Austria Hungary, it appears. has com
| municated a note to the cabinet at Atfi-
! ems demanding that a certain regime sila
be established at Salonikf in favor OF Aus
| trian- Hungarian interests-demdnds tn+
constitute an attempt to place Salonlh'
under the economical dependence OF Aus
| ria-Hungary.
| The Austro- Hungarian pretention
| the more battling that it was Austria thar
! violated the treaty of Berlin by the sum
mary annexation of Bosnia-HerZesoTins4
and when that violation WAS consurn-
mated she absolutely refused that the
| Of Berlin and regulate the new situation
| oraa tad hy force nj Austrian arms