The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-09-12

Correspondent
ROME, Aug. 12--(By Mail-W nat
happened in Roumania, when the little
Balkan country was forced TO accept
a German peace because OF the KITS
sian debacle, is still an untold tale.
When the story is written ii win rank
along with the tragedies OF Belgium.
of Serbia and of Montenegro, as one OF
the great chapters OF the war.
From the moment the central EN-.
pires forced upon their dimunitiye
! prey the terms OF German peace
Rumania has been as though shrouded
in q veil. Every effort has been made
by Germany and Austria to keep Ru-
mania from entering into communica-
/ ton with her former allies. The trag-
edy that is still being enacted in the
little country is hidden in mystery and
silence.
BY DR.. Benedotto Cimino. who d.
Irected an Italian hospital at Bucha-
rest from the beginning of the war 10
July, however, the curtain is drawn
aside for the first time, and there is
revealed the beginning of the Ruman-
ian tragedy and its present status.
Blocked up in Rumania by German
peace, it was only on July /, last that
Dr. Cimino succeeded in securing per-
mission to leave. His account OF what
took place in the little Balkan ally
during the time Germany and Austria
were inflicting their terms of peace.
and since then, Is not only graphic,
but OF the utmost historical interest
! Dr. Cimino's story is as follows:
81 arrived at Bucharest Oct. 80, 1916
and left on July 1. 1918.
People Kept In ignorance.
NO one can conceive what Ru-
mania is at the present time. The ig-
norance in which the Germans keep
the native population of all that is
happening in the rest Of the world
exceeds the Imagination. The defeats.
1.-THE disasters, the facts that are con-
trary TO the German interests are
completely unknown in Rumania.
while the Germans publish every day
a series of manufactured news and
falsehoods that a portion of the PUP
lie invariably believes in the end.
The royal family Is at Jassy, and
will remain there throughout the en-
tire period of the German-Austrian
occupation, Bucharest being peopled
by enemy officers.
After being Obliged TO abandon
Transatlantic, the Rumanian army re-
treated rapidly. and 1t was not long be
fore the evacuation OF the capital be-
came necessity. Enemy airplanes
bombarded Bucharest without ceasi1g
destroying many OF the most beauti-
full edifices and killing and woundinf
hundreds Of people.
The morning of November 81, the
beautiful Princess Cantacuzene, who
directed the hospital of which l was
the head entered the operation room
and asked whether I wished TO leave,
adding that there were still two trains
to leave Bucharest for Moldavia.
u replied I had come to Bucharest
to direct the hospital and that | de-
clined TO leave. While this dialog was
going on, the church bells-which
were later carried away by the con-
querers and melted into proiectiles-
rang out to announce the resumption
of the bombardment
Il shall never forget the impress
ions OF the hours that followed.
"a few hours before the Germans
entered Bucharest, the city was evsc-
uated by every one who was able 10
leave.
The next day the eXpulSions ana
arrests began. The first to be seized
were the government officials, depu-
ties. ministers. former ministers and
Influential persons generally.
THE enemy took possession OF the
city so quickly that few had even
TINE TO hide their most precious OBJ
jects.
More prussiar System"
"u-acr7 -ars1y7 was given a card to