The sun., 1916-09-03
UMANA, FIFTEENTH NATION IN WAR, A LAND OF CONTRAST

Her Ambition to Be
Dominating Power in
Balkans
, A LAND With no national history
~ AMI no national traditions:
- with a people claiming "a Latin
origin yet willingly ruled by II lfohen-
.ollern: with an army made up Of men
who express the hope that 'thc wider
ness may cat the flesh Of him who
devised eoldicry." yet fred with a pa
triotio fervor for tho defence OF their
country: with her capital one OF the
Gaysst Of Europe. thronged with spend
thrift absentee land owners. while her
peasantry live in hovels-this Is Ru-
mania. tho fifteenth state to enter the
European war.
- A schoolgirl who was asked by what
Rumania was bounded. replied. by
enemies" Tho politicians. of which a
F'rcnchman said Rumania's annual
output was ample TO supply all
Europe, would have answered. by
people Of her own race held cnthralled
by foreign governments" Rumania
has moro of these than n other
country Of southeastern Europe. They
number moro. in fact. than the popu-
lation within the boundaries OF her
kingdom. With the Same racial am
billions that actuate tho other Balkan
nations, she seeks to bring them under
her own standard. With such a prob
lem to undertake. with such a mass Of
politicians to placate and with such a
nation Of contradictions to reconcile
It 10 no great wonder that 1t has taken
Rumania two years to make up her
mind to enter the great struggle.
For these two years Bucharest. her
metropolis and capital. has been the
gayest city In Europe. For two years
she has revelled in her title Of the
paris Of the Balkans" Fol two years
she has enjoyed the ass!duous attcn-
/, tions of the rival Powers. For two
years she has been feted and courted
and her favors sought in every agree
ablo way that skilled diplomats could
devise. Now 1t is all over. With the
lot Of Rumania finally cast with that
Of tho Allies Bucharest finds herself
In the position OF a spoiled belle who
has married for love and future pros
poets, but who must now do her own
housework.
. Rumania has thoroughly enjoyed
ne ccurtehip period indeed, M other
Aoutrai nation has had 80 gay a time
OF watchful waiting as she. Russian
goid has flowed In In n steady stream.
while German and Austrian agents
have filled the country. making holt
day and spending money freely. The
hotels in Bucharest have been crowded
20 the doors. The restaurants. the
gambling casinos. the gay resorts OF
q, every kind. have been swamped with
,. business. Every form OF amusement
has been stimulated by the visitors in
the attempt to create public sentiment
No city Of Europe would take more
readily to this particular form OF
stimulation than Bucharest, whose Ru-
mAnian name. Bucureshti, means liter
:. any "Clty OF JOY" Always living up
% its namo TO the limit OF its re-
. sources. the developments in that par
.ticular line during the last two years
have been beyond its widest dreams.
Bucharest In a way Is Rumanla
There is no other large town to rival
Il either as a financial or governmental
centre. 1t Is the home OF the Ru-
manian royal family and the human.
ian Government. To know and un-
derstand its history, Its politicians and
the crowds that throng its streets, is 10
know the best and the worst of Ru-
mania. Its growth from n half wild,