The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-26
RUMAN|AN CITY OF
 JASSY PROFOUNDLY
 AFFECTED BY WAR
From Quiet Municipality It Has Been Turned Into Bristling Capital
 of Nation

Jassy. Rumania, January 10-tCor.
 respondence of the Associated Press )
 Few cities in Europe have been more profoundly affected by the war than
 the little city of Jassy, now the pro-
 visional capital of Rumania. From d
 quiet, tranquil municipality with a
 population of less than 75,000, the
 place has suddenly grown to such pro-
 portions that the government authori-
 ties have found it difficult to pro-
 vide comfortable living quarters for
 the civil population, which now num- bers over 300,oO0.
 After the evacuation of Bucharest, this modest little city became almost over night the home of the King and Queen and the seat of the entire gov ernment. Here also are located the le- gations of all friendly foreign govern ments and the headquarters of the Rumanian army and of important di- visions of the Russian forces.
 Before the war Jassy was known chiefly as the ancient capital of the province of Meddavia, and as a city of interesting churches and historic as- sociations. It is now the center of all official, commercial and military ac- tivity in the unoccupied territory of Rumania. When Bucharest and the southern portion of the little Latin Kingdom were evacuated a large part of the population of that section sought refuge here Schools, colleges, churches, stores, barracks, and indeed any form of structure that afforded shelter had to be converted quickly into living quarters to provide for the great influx of homeless people who fled before the invading Germans. Provision had also to be made for the various departments of the govern ment and for the many branches of the army.
 To the American observer the city presents many features of uncommon interest Along the main streets are to be seen great throngs of Rumanian. Russian. French and Servian officers or soldiers in uniforms so varied in color and pattern that all strict stan dardS of uniformity seem to be sac rificed to utility and comfort Here and there an American Red Cross of ficer in his distinctive garb of yell low gives added color to the animated scene. Numberless military automo- piles, bearing generals, colonels or other officers on important missons, dash back and forth at feverish speed.
 Scores of motor lorries, laden with the materials of war, make their 1um- bering way through the streets with utter disregard to the comfort of pe- destrtans. Now and then a Red Cross motor ambulance, fresh from an err rand of mercy to the front stops in front of a hospital and discharges it's burden of sick and wounded. In few minutes it is off again to the rear line trenches to gather another batch of the country's crippled soldiers.
 Marching up a side street, under guard, is a large number of Austrian and German prisoners, just in from the front, some of them ragged, thin, unclean and dishevefed, but all ap- parently happy at being relieved from the hardships of war. Tn another sec tions of. the city, accompanied by sev-s era1 armed soldiers, is small com pany of deserters or slackers, most of them dejected and spiritless, with crowds of curious onlookers comment ing. derisively on the lack of courage which made them seek freedom from military service.
 At the railroad station long train Of cars enters, bearing hundreds of Rumanian Transylvanians captured by the Russians from the Austrians and now turned over to the Rumanian military authorities for service under the Rumanian flag. The men seem happy at the prospect of serving the country Of their nativity, but are conscious. of the grim fate that awaits them if taken prisoners by the Ger mans or Austrians. for if retaken by the Teutonic forces they will be sum- marily shot as traitors.
 Not far from the center of the city are the residences of the King and Queen, which in time of peace were the quarters of military companies. In keeping with the tendency of the times they are severly plain in all their appointments and surroundings and it is difficult for the visitors 70 realize that within the plain, rude walls are housed the sovereign heads of nation. The Queen may be seen almost any day setting out from the royal residence in nautomobile, un- and attended only by one of the ladies in waiting from the court The King likewise is a familiar fig- lire on the streets of Jassy. He usu- ally travels by motor, accompanied by one of his generals or military aides. The royal family is much loved by the people. and both he and the Queen mingle. among their subjects with spirit of democracy and catholicity that is deeply impressive to the vis- itor from other countries.
 In the poorer quarter of the provi- sional capital is a large public mar ket place where hundreds of farmers and peasants gather daily to dispose of their meager wares, Of most strik- ing interest, perhaps, is the fact that the ordinary method of paying for goods with money has given way in many cases to the primitive custom of barter and exchange: for in the pres-
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