The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-07-07
With THE BALKANS
WHY ROUMANIA WITHHELD ITS
AID FROM The ALLIES

fA2D 11VU1 i AL E1AAk4<D
WANTS LARGER BORDER!
Union of All Roumanions is the Pric'
Either Side Must Pay to Secure In
teryention Of Roumanians-Aus
tria and Russia Hold the Covetet
Territory.
At a time when the decision o
Roumsnia as to her role in the wa,
is anxiously awaited in all the Euro
pean chancelleries, these views O
Professor N. Basilesca, member o
the faculty If law in the Universit.
of Bucharest, and deputy in the Rou
manion parliament, expressed in {
letter to the Journal de Gencve, gail
special significance.
I'm order to give an account Of thu
part Of Roumania in this frightfu
war which is drenching the continent
in blood" says Professor Bas;lesco
''it is necessary to cosider Roumanis
in the light Of two hypothesis, equal
Iy possible: in alliance with the Ger
manic powers or with those Of the
Entent.
"The first course Oh action was die
tated to her by a political program o.
more than thirty years duration. Il
was advocated by the late Kins
Charles, and it is suggested now BY
NM. Carp, Majoresco and Rosetti
former presidents of the Council, and
is supported by an important fraction
of the press and public opinion
eff Roumania mad yielded to these
solicitations the aspect of things
would long since have been changed
She could have thrown into the bal.
ance, from the beginning of the war
a million bayonets; she could have
placed at the disposal of the central
powers her admirable system of fort
resses which bar the passage of the
Russians across her plains; she could
have menaced the left wing of the
Russian army and prevented the in
vasion of Bukowina and Hungary
and at the same time rendered pre-
carious the Russian advance across
Galicia.
"But the greatest danger Of the
Allies would have resulted from the
fact that, if Roumania had allied her
self with Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria
would have had to do the same
thing; for everybody knows that Bull
garia revolves in the same orbit as
Austri-hungary and Germany; that
she has received money from them
while the war has been in progress,
and that she would also have receiv-
ed arms and ammunition if Rou-
mania would lave let them pass
through her territory.
Through Roumania and Bulgaria
the central powers would have been
able to form a junction with Turkey;
they would have been able to send
her arms and mmunition in abund-
ance; they would have been able to
fortify the Dardanelles and render
them impregnable and to prevent def
initely the reinforcing of Russia with
arms and ammunition, Of which she
has imperious need to-day.
From the North Sea to the Per-
sian Gulf Germany and Austria-Hun-
gary would have been indisputably in
control of vast field of battle. They
would have been able to draw from
Bulgaria, and, above all,
from Asia Milor, an inexhaustlble
reservoir, the provisions which they
lack so sorely now. Serbia, taken
between two fires, would long since
have been wiped off the map, and
Italy, who was within an ace of an
understanding with the Germanlc
powers, would have preferred a sure
offer from Austria to the risks OF a
war of apparently unequal chances.
,"All these advantages the Aus
trians and Germans have been unable
to attain because Roumania has held
aloof from them.
"By the addition of the forces of
Roumania to those of the Entente
the circle Of fire and death would
have completely closed around the
central powers. They would have
had to cover a new frontier Of more
than 600 miles and to oppose ], 1,OOO,-
900 Roumanians who would have
hurled themselves through the Car
pathian passes with not less than the
same number of Austro-Germans.
Where would they have found them?
Attacked on the north by the
Russians, at the centre by the Rou-
manians, and in the south by the re-
constituted Serbian army, they GER
tainly could not make an effective re-
sistance. The advance upon Buda-
pest and Vienna would be a trlum-
phal march. The frightful war which
is desolating the world would be end
ed with one blow.
"Why, then, has Roumania not un-
sheathed her sword? Because, In
spite of the great services which she
has already rendered to the Entente,
in spite Of the important and decisive
role which she may yet play, ana the
immense services which she can still
render, she alone of the European
powers is seen discussing not simple
pretensions, but legitimate historic
rights.
"Roumania demands only a resti-
tutio in integrum. She is not amol-
tious for undue conquests. She rises
simply to deliver her brothers VINO
have always, since the time of Ira
ian, been united to her by the closest
ties. Twice before, under Stepnen
the Great and Michael the Brave, all
the Roumanians have been united IN
der one scepter.
"The vicissitudes of time. the over
whelming of the East by the Turks,
of Bulgaria, Serbia and Hun
gary, have not permitted them since
that time to consolidate their union
as a nation. The treachery and Vlo-
lence OF their neighbors, on the con-
trary, brought them new misfortunes.
In l777 Turkey ceded Bukowina-
in which to this day remains the
grave of the Moldivian prince, Ste
phen the Grear-to Austria, and IN
1912 she ceded to Russia Bessara bla,