The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-02-03
RuMANIA ANNExES LANDS
SHE'LL ASK AT PEACE TABLE
She'll Go 10 Conference
With Possession OF Tran
sylvania and BesSarabia

Special 20 Tn. Star by ~. y. Al
PARIS, France. Feb a.--Grcatcr
Rumania will include TranEyivania
and Bessarahla.
/, viii have an AREA OF 100. 900
square miles and a population Of
1900. 900.
Bessarabla. cut off from Russia
by the new ukranian republic. Ru.
mania already has taken over. Her
possession sho Ii clnehing by march.
Ing an army thru tn aid In the fight
against the poishcvih in Russia
TranHyivanIa has been formally
annexed to Rumania- Possession
IL nine points OF tho law Is n say.
ms accepted by tho new nations OF
central Europe and the Balkans.
and the RumAnianE are likely 20 APP
pear Rt the peace congress with cs1.
dcneea OF possession OF both Bcss.
arabia and TranEylvanla.
The Rumansans are a Latin race
They claim descent from Romans
left In tho plains OF tho Danube by
TrRjan. who won these regions in
tho second century.
At any rate. the Rumanlans.
coming down from the mountains
speaking "a language mos; like the
ancient Latin OF all modern tongues.
multiplied and spread out. They
survived Turkish rule OF four cen.
turtles. and won ancw their freedom.
They withstood Russian aggrcs.
alons. tho Losing Bcssarahia- In re-
turn. they had received the Do
brudja To protect its southern
sea port. Constanza. they took n wide
strip Of territory from Bulgaria.
which may be returned by the con
s,ress OF nations, for Il has little
Rumanlan population.
Rumania. "a il stands today. has
an area OF nearly $1,000 square
miles and a population OF 7,50o.o 900.
OF which more than so per cent IS
Rumnnian.
Transylvania, which has just
formally offered Itself 10 Rnnania
and been accepted, adds nearly 49,.
600 square miles 10 this. and n pop.
ulation OF 5000 900. OF which ~ per
cent is Rumanian. tho rest mostly
MaRyars or Germans.
Rcssarahia has nearly 10000
square miles and population of
2. 500. 900. OF which nearly 80 per cent
ia Rumanian, the rest Russians. Ger.
mans. Bulgars. Greeks. Serbs. Tar.
tnra and Cossacks.
Besides these regions tho small
Austrian province OF Bukowina Is de-
sired by tho Rumanians. and Is %
per cent Rumanian in population.
Given ali this. Rumania would
have n population OF nearly $4,000.
600 in region OF 100000 square
miles. much of II the richest soil in
Europe; richer. even. than that of
the Ukraine.
But for tho easy-going nature OF
its people. who show little aptitude
for business. IL might become one of
the greatest powers. There Is a
Rumanian aristocracy. and tho low
est classes in Rumania are natives.
But there Is no extensive Rumanlan
middle class. Jews, Germans and
Austrians carry on tho commerce of
tho country and foster its economic
dovelopment-and exploitation.
Rumania fought on the side OF the
allies TIL forced out OF the war. After
Bulgaria's withdrawal from support
OF the central powers. and as peace
came. Rumania got back into the
game. There will be no nation at
the peace conference OF the allies to
protest her claims 70 either Tran
sylvania or Bessarahia. and. with
Hungary defeated and Russia disor-
ganized. Rumania Is likely TO got
what she wants.