The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-22
KINGS WITHOUT
COUNTRIES
FERDINAND, CAR OF RUMaNIA.
G. KAY SPENCER.

FERDINAND, GEAR OF RUMANIA.
Dacia. the name. recalls to the
Latin vision OF the Roman world
and Dacia. It's colony. When the EN-
peror Trajan wished to chastise a.
royal offender he was hrevetted king
CT Qacia--in modern parlance, Ru-
mania.
Rumania still Is. and the crown,
as OF yore, still is potent with the
curse of the Roman leige. The latest
victim of Rumanian suzerainty liz Fer
dinand, the king, of the house OF Ho-
henzollern- Sigmaringen.
Time was when Bucharest. the
Paris of the East. was the Mecca for
brilliant officers and gay night life.
Statesmen. neophytes in the game,
learned the ropes easiest In this Bal
kan capital OF many diversions
Demi- :nondaines fiourished through
laisons with the youngsters of the
court. State secrets and guarded in
formation changed hands under the
heavy influence of painted women and
somnolent wines. The society of the
court permeated the capital city But
the life OF the set was wife OF Ferdi-
nand. the Crown Princess Marie, the
daughter of Alfred. Duke OF Sake
Coburg and Gotha.
At the inception OF the great war
a pressure Immediately began to man
ifest Itself in Bucharest as the en-
voys. intriguers and spellbtnders of
the opposing belligerents congregated
to influence the country to their re-
spective sides.
King Carol 7. on October 10, 1914.
peacefully breathed his last at Sinaia
in the shades of the Carpathians.
Ferdinand, his nephew. imm ediately
assembled to the throne The family
of Ferdinand had already endeared
themselves to the Rumanian prole-
tariat, but I'll feeling soon began to
APPEAR as the new king stekdfastly
refused to make war on his royal
kinsman. Attilla, once known as Will
helm, kaiser OF Germany. The peo-
pie, latins and pro-ally, clamored for
war on the side of France and the
&c eral staff persistently demanded
war on the central empires. Ana. In
truth, the strategical situation seemed
to warrant a declaration of war at
the time.
Hungarian Pennsylvania appeared
TO lie at the mercy of determined
conqueror and this territory is popu-
lated by Rumanians in the ratio of
two to one. Bulgaria. too, must not
be allowed to conquer, for there stood
bitter animosity between the two
Kingdoms, the outgrowth OF the Ru.
man'an land grab Immediately after
the Balkan wars. when Bulga ia
fought for her spoils against the en-
| tire Balkan alliance.
II was in the early summer of 1915
that Ferdinand was Influenced by his
staff to enter the conflict The die
was cast and. on August 81. 1916
simultaneously with the Italian advent
D. into the struggle.
! Immediately began a reshiftfng OF
/ Balkan forces. AS the opposing pow
ers settled down to the grind OF q
desperate campaEn there was unfold
ed what Will probably stand as tn,
most brilliant strategy OF the worlt
[ war. From the most unexpected an,
ispossible sources the Germans gath
cred fully equipped arrnies Won F-al
| kenhayn, former chief of the Deuts
che grosser general staff, took com
| mand in person. A series of astound
ing defeats began to crush the Russo
Rumanian forces.
Synchroniztng with the aggressfv
German action. the allied entent
powers presented bitter spectacle o
impotency. The cry went out fror
the Rumanian high command for al
the Kingdom was being stranglcd /
the famous German "nugcra cksr" tae
tics. No aid was forthcoming
Thus the Rumanian tragedy wa
begun. In two months the campaign
were practically terminated. All tha
was needed was the coup de grace
and that could be administered at tn
enemy's leisure. At Jessy, the tenn
porary capital. the king and quee
found Themselves the most incense
ouential bits OF humanity In all tn
: uproar and confusion of debacle.