Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-19
When King Carol Dared

Even when left" the man from Rumania
replied, the feeling was anything but neu-
trail. You see, after all, we are Latins-sons
of the Quirites Our sympathies are with
France and Italy. In spite of our German
Kings the culture of court and country has
always been Latin. But as a matter of fact
public opinion does not count much i'm Ru-
mania. II was the King-od King Carol
who made the last war He did not even ask
the advice of Parliament. The troops were
across the frontier-over the Danube-before
the chambers We're called together for the
first time. He kept the Senators and Depu-
ties in session until they had passed the war
measures he wanted; then he sent them
nome But doubt If his successor would
dare to take such summary measures. We
have gained little in democracy In the last
two years And these Kings-especially the
German Kings of the Balkans-are more
circumspect today"
Would the people refuse to follow him If
King Ferdinand declared for the German
Austria Turkish sde?"
There is not even a chance that Rumania
should take any side save that of the Allies"
the Rumanian explained.
SIS there no feeling against Russia? ?"
why should there be? In fact it is to
Russia that we owe our independence In
aiding Russia to beat the Turks we gained
our own freedom from Turkish vassaIage at
the battle of Plevna. And this independence
was guaranteed US by the treaty--a momen-
tous scrap of paper-signed at Berlin in 1878
by Germany England, Austria, France Italy
Russia and Turkey. We are grateful to Rus
STA. To her we owe our national existence
And we are grateful to France, who has
given us her art, literature and science. OF
this you may be sure Rumana will never
draw the sword against the Allies"
And for them?"
'I think we will have to go in. The action
of Albania-and that means Turkey. the
eternal enemy-is making it necessary"
Having said these things the Rumanian
(dld l mention the fact that he is dis
tlnguished publicist?) talked of the food
problem
'It Is only by way OF Rumanla that food
can be got into Austria and Hungary and
Germany. That fact explains the tremen-
dous pressure which has been brought TO.
bear upon us-why Germany has sought so
earnestly for our neutrality, at least It is
probably true that we have been letting Bull
garia send through supplies. And I know
that troops and ammunition for the Turks
have been sent through both Rumania and
Bulgaria. So far as Rumania is concerned
this has been stopped. What remains is the
important fact that we are the great grain
country of the southeast of Europe OF
course, Bulgaria is rich. but remember Bull
garta is a land OF small peasant proprietors.
Each peasant has his little field. So the
crops are handled In a primitive manner, In
our country there are great estates of tens
of thousands of acres-helds such as you
have ln your great Northwest, You have
seen how We plow these great fields"
Yea. I had seem two locomotives go out;
they are about 500 yards apart; and be-
tween them Is stretched steel eabls which
hauis the huge ave-shssr plough that shut
ties across the field This sort OF z plough
costs nearly $4,000 but i piows about
three acres an hour. The ioeomotiyes By the
way, burn straw.
Well As you know, We have wheat. And
IN country such as ours the mobilization
Of half million men makes no differences.
We set the orops II 5usE the same. Some e
TIE younger men have gone . var: thar Is