The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1916-12-01


TiL|TSE1 t<LHL
~ UCHAkEST is Il city Of un-
- rest. Koumania lacks rcpoSe.
The wcSterner is immediately
confronted by these two fac
tors directly he energies from the
Indicate, although not adequately eX-
planning, the character of the Rou-
manian people, says a correspondent
of the Philadelphia Ledger, writing
before Roumania entered the war.
Bucharest is Il city Of spies. There
is an element in the character of the
Roumanian that admits of his becom-
ing an able exponent of espionage.
/ The Roumanian trusts nobody, and
consequently is not trusted, but it is
the manner in which he manages to
secure his ends that it is So interest
ing and often wonderful in its daring
and enterprise, two essentials in in
| telligence."
Honeycombed as Bucharest is with
nationalitieS, nothing escapes; and the
neutrality of the country has played
! an important part in the great war.
On the Calea Victoria representatives
Of almost every country in the world
may be found slowly prOmenading.
There one may find the Observant but
silent Jap and the dusky negro, the
brOnzed German or Austrian officer in
mufti, and the American from the oil
| fields, the Magyar of the plain and the
southern Slav, the volatile Frenchman
and the calm Scandinavian, the stOlid
Russian and the quantity CARRIED Turk,
all misgling and cOmmirgling with the
decorative uniforms of the ROumanian
army and presenting a patchwork OF
character, color and language.
Bucharest slumbers not nor does it
sleep; it is activity incarnate. Early
in the morning. long before the con-
tents Of the Minerva Universal or the
Dimineatza have been digeSted. the
principal thoroughfares are beset with
youths shouting the wares of the SEN
sational Dreptatea. Something has
fallen, some catastrophe Overtaken the
| central empires or the entente. The
Dreptatea appears to insure cOnverSa-
ton during the lunch: it is an aid to
Indigestion. Rest and repose are for
eign to Roumania.
Good Publicity Center.
Having all this in view, it is not
very wonderful that Germany, at the
! outbreak of war, immediately recog-
nized the value of Bucharest as q pub
licity center. Publicity, what crimes
have been committed in thy name.
| With that clever cunning one now
associates with TeutOnic newspaper
industry in the Balkans, Roumania has
been simply inundated with prompt in
formation concerning the failures of
the triple entente.
Instead of relying upon the effect
produced by mushroom newspapers
bearing topical names, the Germans
captured most of the established pa
pers, and with them a public ready
and receptive, instantly available.
The allies have neglected the press
factor in Roumania. Conformity with
their press enterprise the Germans
utilized to the full the opportunities
for espionage afforded by the Latin
island amid Slav sea-" The same
group of "agents" who negotiated
the sale or transfer of the newspapers
were responsible for the establishment
of the Teutonic spy system in Bucha-
rest.
Situated in Strada Cessna, near the
end of the Calea Victoria, in close
proximity to the German legation.
stands an Notwithstanding build
ing in quiet backwater of city re-
spectability. Here the sleuthhOunds of
intelligence deposit their news, where
it is submitted to minute examination
before being forwarded to Berlin; here
all instructions are given, and skulk-
ing along by the shade Of the high
wall may he seen from time to time
the disturbing figures Of diplomatic
life bent upon errands of international
import.
This much must be said for the "sys-
TEN" in bucharest; it carries on it's
work with fragrant Openness and ap-
/ parent unconcern.
Teutonic espionage in Bucharest has
one point in its favor; it is controlled
by one hand and from one center. In
stead Of having much tiresome over
tapping the Germans assumed control,
and Austrian, Turk and Bulgar We're
subordinated to the ubiquitous Teu-
ton.
1t has another feature that on the
face of It appears to be commendable.
There is very intimate connection
between the departments Of state, or,