Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-15
Tangled Politics in Warning Europe

Tangled Politics
Despite Rumania's conclusion 70
peace with the German alliance, fol
lowing her second betrayal at tn
hands Of Russia when the Bolshevis
armies collapsed last fall. her condi
ton and future continue to excite con
siderable interest in enemy countries
By the terms of the treaty a noun
famous strip along Rumania's north
ern frontier, together with a corner o
territory at the extreme western emf
or the country, was annexed to Hun
gary; and the Dobrudja, the striI
along the Black sea coast, was giver
over to>the central powers to be dis
posed of at their pleasure. To tn.
Bulgartans, who had played a large
part In the defeat of Rumania, thu
Dobrudja seemed to be a Legitimate
part of their plumber. A small strir
along its southern border had beer
taken away from them by the Ru.
manians in 1913. and Bulgarian i'm.
perialists expected not only to regair
this, but the whole of the Dobrudja
with the valuable port Of Contanza
although both Turks and Greeks are
more numerous in the population
than either Bulgars or Rumanians
But Immediately upon the conclusion
OF peace Turkish newspapers began tc
make a demand for the Dobrudja
basing their arguments partly ON the
ground OF the character of the popu-
lation and partly on the theory that
as the Constant1nople ''Tanin" put it
The Turk Of today thinks and feels
as a European. Accordingly he intends
also to have the rights of a Euro
pean." This claim aroused g. eme
dous storm in the Bulgarian press
and for a time the tension between
Bulgaria and Turkey was quite mark
ed. Eventually it was a%lleviated by q
pressure from Germany and Austria,
but Bulgarian indignation was SO great
that Premier Radoslavon was forced
to resign.
While the northern part Of the Do
brudja is still under joint control of
the our allies, Bulgaria got the south
ern part, but not without certain con-
cessions. According to a Budapest re-
port, the form of the transaction was
that h Bobrudja was regarded as a
prize of the whole alliance, and conse-
quently Germany, AUSTRIA Hungary
Turkey and Bulgaria divided it in pro
portion to the number of troops each
had contributed to the Rumanian war,
The other three powers, however,
promptly coded their portions of the
southern part Of the territory to Bull
garia for certain considerations. In the
case OF Germany and Austria-Hungary
tnese were OF an economic nature. per.
tanning chiefly to control of the Bull
ear1an railroads. But Turkey demand
ed and received-at least according ia
the last reported state Of the neeotia-
tions-territorial compensation. Rul.
garia coded back to her q strip Of ter
ritory near Adrianople which Turkey
had given up to Bulgaria at the time
the latter nation Joined the German.
Austrtan-Turkish alliance in 1915.
Meanwhile Germany and Austris
had intended to placate Rumanta by
allowing her to annex Bessarabia AZ
compensation. This, the most south.
westerly government Of Russia, had
belonged to Rumania, with few and
snort exceptions, up to the congress.
OF Berlin In 1873, when It was taken
by Russia Most Of the population Il
Rumanian, though there are consider.
able minorities Of Jews and Ukrain.
ians. with small Bulgarian, German
Greek and Turkish settlements alonn
the coast. Through Bessarabia IN
Bolsheviki had directed an attack or
Rumania-last winter, but this broke
down, n when Rumania completed
the annexation Of the district THU
spring 1t seems to have been in har.
mony with the wishes Of the major.
ity OF n population. But this com.
pensation" or 'aggrandizement" 81
Rumania dissatisfied tho imperialist,
among her enemies. The Echo de Bul.
garie. s~emt-official organ Of the Bull.
gaf1an government, put in q claim Il
part Of Bessarabia for Bulgaria on thu
ground OF the Bulgarian colony there,
observing at tho same time that to, Al.
low .Rumania ito set out Of the va,
with an enormous increase Of territor,
would be q reward Of treason and {
fidelity"
Similar vievs we're expressed in Pal
German circles, a.. for example, by ,
writer IN the Berlin Tagliche Rund.
schau. who declared that the Ruman.
lians Mere not at all favorably djspos
cd toward the Germans In spite Of tn
lesson which had been taught 70 them
ana that any apparent concessions Il
Germany that might be made Wer,
only to set rid Of the German trodpl
and oGIcials stiIl IN the country
sEyena g yrotes while the &c
lcupsttol15dSS1ali In fofcs,sadsmobilissx
tMc1davtan front ase rreets1 IN ths
streets sOf Bucharest Win tumultuouI
spsak d 1hs provisionai charactsr s
ithis paa1e, ~ long ~ En91and m
1fAnc4gefea1ktu fighting. Il si0s1rankls
{16npttG11 sf&Ak th9t0 JIao No 0khes
10y ~ esef 1dso k the a0Sr{naa 6ccupa,