Tensas gazette., 1915-07-30
Four-Fifths of the People of Bal
kan Country Are Doomed
to Beggary.
NATION RUN FOR THE RICH
Uprising Of 1907, In Which $4,000
Peasants Were Slaughtered, Ac-
compIished littIe-PoIitical
Rights Only NominaI-War
Interrupts Reforms.
BY RAYMOND e. SWING.

Correspondent OF the Chicago News.
Bucharest. Roumania. - Roumafiia
was the scene in 1907 of peasant in
surrection, details of whose extent
and suppression may never be known.
Hundreds of dwellings were burned
by the peasants, many middlemen and
landowners were killed, and 1t is esti-
mated that $4,000 peasants were
slaughtered in the struggle to re-
establish order.
The governing classes Of Roumania
were willing that the world should be-
lieve that the peasants rebellion was
against the Jewish middlemen, but,
though Jews were attacked in the
uprising. the outrages in districts
where no Jews lived were as frequent
as in the regions where they were
numerous. The revolution was not
racial, 1t was economic. 1t was a re-
volt against degradation and starva-
ton. Eight years have elapsed since
the revolution, and as there is con-
siderable discussion just now of Rou-
mania's right to rule over Rouman-
ians residing in other countries. it is
pertinent to inquire into the causes
of the revolt and into the changes the
revolt brought about.
Four-Fifths Doomed to Beggary."
It was the liberal minister, Vasile
Lascar, who, in the days of the revo-
luton, announced to the chamber
that four-fifths of the Roumanian peas
antry suffer chronic hunger and are
condemned to beggary." Other in
formation concerning Roumanian con-
ditions is drawn also from Roumanian
sources, chiefly from articles written
in 1907 by M. Branestianu, editor Of
Adeverul, and brought up to date in
personal conversation with that able
and democratic journalist.
According to statistics given by M.
Branestianu, in 1905 the arabic land
of Roumania was so divided that $780,
939 peasants owned 46 per cent, while
5000 landowners had 81 per cent. or
the 5000 landowners, 2.O71 owned
nearly a million peasants. The sys-
tenn was almost IeuOdl.
Gifts Of Land Fall to Aid.
The government has tried to rem
edy this situation by giving away
crown lands, and though million hec-
tares "a hectere is about two and a
half acres) we're distributed, II de-
veloped that the peasants themselves
were in such state of degradation
that barely half administered what
land they owned, while still close to
half a million remained with no la. ID
whatsoever The problem was not
one to be settled by redistribution
alone. The real aim was to find some
solution by which conditions of labor
could be so improved that the peasant
would receive a living wage and be
so raised from helplessness that he
could do something when he at last
had land at his disposal.
The middleman system prevailing
In Moldavia, the northern province of
Roumania, was the cause of bitter
complaint from the peasantry. The
capitalist owning the land leased to
the middleman, the latter dealt with
the peasantry.
Sweatshop Applied to Farming.
Now in the last 20 years the area
OF cultivated land in Roumania had
steadily increased, as had the prices
obtained for farm products. The cap
italist increased the rates which the
middleman paid him, and the middle
man in turn had to wiring the increase
from the peasants. The same middle