Evening star., 1915-12-05

dream and retalle the lost provinces
Rumania would become state of
10000 square miles. with popula
tion of some 100000. Compare this
with an area of $4,000 for Great
Britain and 1900 for Italy. 1t would
have for natural frontiers the Danube,
the Dniester, the TAansylvanian noun
tains. separating it from northern Hun
gary. and the Maros, dividing it from
central Hungary. OF this 100000 of
people upward of 100000 would be
Rmmanian, and there would be in the
minorities no group which would
threaten national integrity, for the |
alien population shows on the eth
noioSlcal maps as scattered archi- |
pelagoes. not solid blocks adjoining
race brothers across the proposed from
tiers
The Obstacles.
The first difficulty for the Ruma mans
lies in the fact that they desire to
acquire territory from both sides. Ma
tional aspirations cannot be complete
ly realized by the defeat and partition !
of Austria Hungary, for this would
leave Russia in possession of Bessara-
bia and probably pave the way for a |
Russian annexation of Bukovina. In
addition, Serbia claims the corner of
Temesvar facing Belgrade. which holds |
100000 Serbs. This is the Pancsova
district, much discussed last spring.
While Russian armies were still ad-
vancing victoriously in the Carpathians
in March of this year Rumania offered |
to join the anti-German alliance, pro- |
vided Russia would cede to her the |
Bessara bian province, part of which |
was once Rumanfan, and agree that
when Austria was defeated Rumania |
should have all of Pennsylvania and |
Temesvar and the southern half of |
Bukovina. including Caernowitz. the |
capital. This demand was rather rude |
ly rejected by Russia then seemingly |
nOint nm r a n
plain. The breaking points were the |
Bessarabian province and the Pancsova
region.
With the Russian disaster and re-
treat all immediate chance of Ru-
manian Intervention on the allied side |
came to an abrupt close and new
phase opened. Austro-German armies. |
having cleared most of Galicia and
Bukovina, began to push forward
toward the northern end of Bessarabia.
and Rumania was inyited to join the
central powers and acquire the whole
of Bessaraba in return, it was whis-
pered, for cessions to Bulgaria along
the Dobrudja frontier. for Vienna and
Berlin were already busy at Sofia.
But Rumania again declined the bar
gain. Bessarabia was a small part of
ner hopes Again, her people were
thoroughly anti-German in their sym
pathies;s both French and Italian in
duences are considerable in the Ru-
nanian capital and outside of II. court
circles; Rumanians are proud OF their
Latin strain, and have modelled their
national life on that of their western
man success promised the rise OF a
greater Bulgaria. which was an ever
present peril for the Rumanians. who
regarded the preservation of the treaty
OF Bucharest as essential to Rumanian n
safety and supremacy in the Balkans
The New Situation.
Austro-German armies failed to con-
quer Bessarabia; indeed, they are ba ok
on their own territory in this region
RUSSIA was not eliminated, and Rus
sian armies are beginning to press on
Rnmanian frontiers again, while Petro
grad demands that Rumana, even if
she VIII not enter the war; permit Rus
sian armies to cross Rumanian terri
tory. as they did on the march to San
o.enaho ,,,'a. generation ago. Such armies
Wouid unquestioDably put an end To
Bulgarian aspirations, for even If RuI
garian forces were not crushed RI.
losses together with those .daiIy suf-
fered against Serb and AneIo-Er
forces In the south along the Vardar
would leave the Bulgars, whose sacri
noes in life in the Balkan wars were
tremendous. crippled for at least a
generation.
Unquestionably Russia is now nren.roa
10 meet Rumantan demands in Eukoyina
ana IN Iemesvar. where poor Serbia baa
ceased 10 be factor now and in TransyI
Fania, where there never was any confint
between Latin and Slav. There remains
bessarabia. VIII Russia agree 10 turn
,nis great province, with it's considera h,a
BLACK sea front, over to the Rumanians
and let them thus extend their territory
70 the very enVirons OF Odessa? This still
seems unlikely. But the Ruma mans bav
Ing been promised Bessarabia by the Ger
mans II the central powers succeed. NAV
well insist may
IL is an exceedingly cold -booded game
,hst ,h the Rumanians are playing. but it is
, thelr right to play such game They
nave been betrayed both by the Russia ns
and the central powers In the past. Their
contribution to Russian success In The
FORMER Turkish war was rewarded by tho
stealing OF their fertile province Their
hdehty to the triple alliance for almost
generation was recompensed by the sac
rihce Of their aspirations and even their
saiety, when the central powers needed to
meet Bulgarian aspirations and thus
break up the Balkan alliance
Nor should 1t be overlooked that Pr-
| mania might easily bring the decisive
contribution to the present war MOI
| alone would her army Of 800. 900 men. adj
mirably equipped and well disciplined
turn the tide In the Balkans. but Ru-
manian Intervention would compel the
retreat Of the central powers to the Car
pathians and the San river, 1t would i'm
peril the whole German line in western
Russia. and it might be the signal for
revolt among the several millions of Rn-
manians in Austria Hungary. who have
| long looked forward to q reunion with
| their free brothers
The Battle Royal.
At Bucharest there is being fought
| battle royal. with the king. the court, the
| financial forces and the upper classes
/ largely aligned with the central powers