The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-12-21
BY FRANK n. sIMoNDs.

Gndu buTISIluST nave QlSCuSSeu III
Forthcoming peace congress, will
particular reference to the mort
general questions to be considered
and settled and the dangers which
will have to be surmounted in deal
ing with principles. In the presen
article I shall try to describe certain
developments which have followed
closely upon the termination of tht
lighting and have in some respect!
lessened and in others increased the
practical problems which will fac'
the Versailles gathering. These
problems follow the rapid rise II
what we had learned to call Mittel'
europa OF several considerable ma
Eions.
Until the Bulgarian defeat served
as the first sign OF the crumbling OF
the whole edifice built by German
arms there stretched across Europe
from the Baltic to the Black and
Aegean seas, a great mass of terri
tory, dominated by German arms,
constituting a single unit, and con-
sisting of the territories OF Germany,
Austria Hungary, Bulgaria and Tur-
key, together with the conquered
lands of the Serbs and the Ruman-
fans. In this territory some 75,000,-
900 Germans, 10,000,000 Magyars and
5000, ,00Q Bulgars and Turks were
the masters; under their yoke were
upward of 100000 of subject races
Including at least 34,000,000 Slav-
Poles, Czecho- -Slavs and Jugo- -Slavs
and Ruthenians. Four million Latins,
Rumanians and Italians were also
included in this list OF the inferior
races"
- Was the dream of the nations in
arms against Germany Co liberate
these subject races, to erect in the
place of the Austro- Hungarian mon
archy not one, but several states,
which should have racial unity and
be capable of interposing an effec-
tive and permanent barrier to Ger
man expansion to the near east.
These states were to be for the fu-
ture the guarantees against a re-
turn of the German to his Mittel-
europa ambitions. Recognition by
the allies OF the aspirations of the
Rumanians, the Jugo-Slavs and the
CZecho- -Slovaks was a sure sign Of
what the future would hold in store
should Germany lose the war.
What was not clearly perceived
anywhere before the end OF the war
was the rapidity with which these
national reunions would take place
once the cement of German military
power was removed. Therefore,
what has taken place in the past two
months has surprised the world and
supplied one of the most marvellous
spectadles Of nation building and
map making in all European history.
Since the Austrian collapse we have
seen greater Rumania become q
solid and accomplished fact, Jugo-
Slavia spring into life and the
n&of fA 60 Ira
among the free nations of the world.
In the same period, but with less
definiteness, Poland has been rising
from her ruins.
With the rise of these several
states the whole situation in east
ern and southern Europe has under
gone a tremendous transformation.
And the changes seemed destined to
endure. The problem is no longer
whether there shall be a marked in
crease in the number Of European
nations, but what shah be the boun-
dartes of these new states. In a
word, the question has become not
one OF creating new states, but of
fixing the limits OF states which are
already In existence and assuming
the normal character of nations.
And in this article desire first of
all to set forth @ few statistics and
facts as to some OF the new nations,
and then briefly to indicate the
problems which remain to be set
tied at Versailles, the disputes be-
tween the several races and states
which have already caused bloodshed
and have assumed a threatening
aspect Exactly as the old Balkan
states, having escaped from Turkish
found themselves at once
against certain great pow
ers and against each other. the new
nations are standing on the brink of
similar dangers which are quite as
to world peace as the old
eastern question.
To begin at the beginning, the fall |
of Austria was followed promptly by
the realization Of all the Rumanian |
ambitions. In August, 1914. Ru-
mania was state of $500 square |
miles, holding a population of $780, |
900. On all sides, save the south and |
southeast, where its political and |
frontiers were identi-
cal, Rumania was surrounded by |
Austrian, Hungarian and Russian
territory inhabited by Rumanians. |
In 1917 Rumania entered the war on :
the allied side, seeking to nberate |
not less than six million brother |
Latins living in Bessarabia, Bukov-
ina, Transylvania and the Banat.
This policy Of national instinct, as
q celebrated Rumanian patriot defin-
ed it; led to immediate disaster and
was conquered and crush
ed; she lost all political and econ
omic independence, Hungary and
seized a portion OF her ter
ritory, and the sole consolation for
the Rumanians was the partial un-
lon with their country of Russian
Besarabia, union favored by the
Germans solely to give them control
of this Russian province under the
color of a Rumanian occupation.
But since Austria fell Rumania
has swiftly and almost completely
realized her program of 1917 First
of all. the union of Bessarabia with
Russia was made complete. Next,
Rumanian troops occupied the old |
aumanian lands taken by Bulgaria
Ind Austria Hungary. Thereafter
The Bukovina was seized and the To-
sal assembly of Transyivania pro-
sIaimed the union of the province
With Rumania. BY these several acts
here were added $4,000 square miles
Ind 100000 people to the Temesvar
De 1914. AS 1t now stands. the new I
Greater Rumania has an area of
leariy 96, ,O00square miles and a popu-
alton OF 13,500,000. Rumania has
.hus become nation with an area
sual to that of the mainland o: Italy
md holding population greater
han that OF Italy a century ago.
Nor is the work quite complete. In
yarious adjoining Hungarian dis
ricts the population is largely Ru
nan5an, and Rumanian patriots hope
q obtain at Versailles Endorsement
5f their claims upon most, IL not all,
1f the Banat of Teu1esvsar, a small
7artt0n or which should rfghtfully 90