Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-18

VI AAIOi oSIiA6 CllCS LII IklSlOIlC
associations. 1t is now the center of
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,
churches, stores, barracks and indeed
my 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
represents many features of uncom-
mon interest. Along the main streets
are to be seen great throngs of Ru-
manian, Russian. French and Serbian
officers or soldiers. in uniforms so
varied in color and pattern h a all
strict standards of uniformity seem to
be sacrificed to utility and comfort.
here and there an American Red
Cross officer in his distinctive garb of
yellow gives added color to the ami
mated scene. Numberless military
automobiles. bearing generals. col
onels or other officers on important
missions, dash back and forth at
feverish speed.
Scores of motor lorries, laden with
the materials of war, make their lum-
bering way through the streets. with
utter disregard to the comfort of pe-
d~estrians. Now n then a Red Cross
motor AMBULANCE. fresh from an er-
rand of mercy to the front. stops in
front of a hospital and discharges it's
burden of sick and wounded. In a 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 Austri-
an and German prisoners, just in from
the front, some of them ragged, thin.
unclean and d~isheveled, but all appar-
emily happy at being relieved from
the hardships of war. In another sec
ton of the city. accompanied by sew
eral armed soldiers. is a small COM
pany of deserters or slackers. most
OF them detected and spiritless, with
crowds of curious onlookers COM
menting derisively on the lack of
courage which made them seek free
dom from military service.
/ AT the railroad station a long train
OF cars enters. bearing hundreds of
Rumanian Transylvanians captured
ny n Russians from the Austrians
and now turned over to the Ruma-
man military authorities for service
Under the Rumanian flag. The men
seem happy at the prospect of serv-
ing the country of their nativity, but
are conscious of the grim fate that
awaits them if taken prisoners by the
Germans or Austrians; for if re-taken
by the Teutonic forces they will be
summary shot as traitors.
Not far from the center of the CITY
are ne residences of the king and
queen. which in times of peace w,..u
the quarters of military companies.
In Keeping with the tendency of trn
times, they are severely plain in all
their appointments and surroundings,
and 1t is difficult for the 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, I'M
guarded. and attended only by one of
lhe !adleS-in-waiting from the court.
The king likewise is a familiar figure
on the streets of Jassy. He usually
travels by motor, accompanied BY one
OF his generals or military aides. The
roNa! family is much loved by the
people. and both he n the queen
mlngle among their subjects with a
spirit of democracy and catholicity
that is deeply impressive to the visitor
from other countries.
q N'~ p''' tuhI ol lnR pro-
vlslonal capital is a large public mar
ket-place where hundreds of farmers
ana peasants gather daily to dispoSe
or their meager wares. OF most st :ik-
ing interest perhaps is the fact that
the ordinary method of paying for
GOODS with money has given away in
many cases to the primitive custom
of barter and exchange; for in the
present scarcity of food in Rumania
money has come to have but little
value. at this market-place NAV be
seen an lt%inerant merchant trading q
pushel OF potatoes for a quantity of
WOOD, a peasant woman exchanging
d pouho OF butter for a package of
sugar, or a farmer swapping a suck
ing ~ for a few pieces of leather.
While the city has MANY nictnr-
esque aspects. it is not without its
scenes of sorrow and depression. Max
ing it's way slowly along a narrow
street is a shabby. dilapidated, box
like vehicle, sc small that it resembles
a toy wagon, which the natives gen.
orally call a hearse. and which is
hearing to final repose the body Of
one of the late residents of the c;tv
Drawn by a single horse, pitifully de
creplt and lame, the hearse is follow
ca by a young man on foot. Then. in
I'LL LII, comes a crude gray-cart. on
Wh1ch is seated a p~atriarchal figure
pent with the weight Of years.
The spectator inquiries the details
OF the snmber spectacle and is in.
formed that a young woman has fall.
en- a victim Of typhus-that terrible
scourge which has claimed so many
thousands of Rumania's population.
II a the young man in the rear witt
W head was the young woman's
nance and that the old man on the
wagon, who is too feeble to walk !.
me last OF the family of the deceased
scores of military officers and sol.
dlers bare their heads and stand il
silent attention while the little nro.