Omaha daily bee., 1918-02-03
New Capital of
R0uman10 CStu
WUr Romance


little city Of Jassy, now the provi
sional capital Of Rumania. From 1
qui.t, tranquil municipality with /;
population of less than 5000, place
has suddenly grown to such proper.
tons that the government authoritie.
have found it difficult to provide
comfortable living quarters for the
civil population, which now numbers
over 100000.
After the evacuation Of Bucharest
this modest little city became almos,
over night the home of the king and
queen and the seat Of the entire gov.
ernment. Here also are located the
legations Of all friendly foreign gov.
enrments and the headquarters oi
the Rurnanian army and Of import.
ant divisions Of the Russian forces
Before the war Jassy was known
chiefly as the ancient capital of the
province OF Moldavia, and as q city
OF interesting churches and historic
associations. 1t is now the center oi
all Official, commercial and military
activity 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, 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 fed before the invading Ger
mans. Provision had also to be made
for the various departments of the
government and for the many
branches os the army.
Throngs of Soldiers.
To the American observer the city
presents many features OF uncom-
mon interest. Along the man streets
are to be seen great throngs Of Ru-
nnanian, Russian, French and Serbian
officers or soldiers, in uniforms so
varied in color and pattern that all
strict standards of uniformity seem
to be sacrificed to utility and COM
fort. Here and there an American
Red Cross officer in his distinctive
garb OF yellow gves added colot to
the animated scene. Numberless
military automobiles bearing gen.
erals, colonies or other officers on
important missions, dash lack and
forth at feverish speed.
Scores of motor lorries, laden
witt, the materials OF war, make their
numbering way through the streets,
with utter disregard to the comfort
OF pedestrians. Now and then Red
Cross motor ambulance. fresh from
an errand OF mercy to the front,
stops in front OF a hospital and dis
charges its burden of sick and
wounded. In few minutes it is off
again to the rear-line trenches to
gather another batch Of the coun-
try's crippled soldiers. d - '... q
Prisoners and Deserters.
:, Marching up side street, under
guard, Is large number OF Austrian
and German prisoners, just in from
the front, some of them ragged, thin,
uncieau and disheveled, but all ap-
parently happy at being relieved
from the llardships Of war. In
another section OF the city, accom-
panied by several armed soldiers,
Is small company Of deserters or
slaekers, most of them detected and
spiritless, with crowds of curious on
lockers commenting 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
Roumanian Transylvanians captured
by the Russians from the Austrians
and now turned over the the Rou-
r1lanian military authorities for service
under the Roumanian fiag. 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 re-taken by
the Teutonic forces they wifi be sum-
marty shot as traitors.
Not far from the center Of the city
are the residences of the king aHd
queen, which in times OF peace were
the quarters Of military companies. In
keeping with the tendency of the
times, they are severely plain in all
their appointments and surroundings,
and it is difficult for Ithe visitor to
realize that within the plain, rude
walls are housed the sovereign heads
Of a nation. The queen may be seen
almost any day setting out from the
royal residence in an automobile; un.
guarded, and attended only by one Of
the ladies-in-waiting from the court.
The king likewise is familiar figure
on the streets of Jassy. He usually
travels by motor, accompanied by one
of his generals or military aides. The
.royal family is much loved by the peo-
pie, and both he and the queen mingle
among their subjects with spirit OF
democracy and catholicity that is
keeniy impressive to the visitor from
other countries.
Public Market Place.
In the poorer quarter Of the pro-
tisional capital is large public mar"
set-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 tor
goods with money has given way in
many cases to the primitive custom OF
barter and exchange; for in the pres
snt scarcity Of food in Roumania
money has come to have but little
value. At this market place may be
seen an itinerant merchant trading a
bushel of potatoes for quantity OF
wood, a peasant woman exchanging a
pound oA butter for package OF
sugar, OF farmer swapping a suck
ing pig for few pieces OF leather.