America. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1905-current, 1920-04-19

in the extreme northwestern COR
ner Of Bulgaria. When the Serbi-
ans advance their claim to a por-
tion Of the banat, disregarding the
natural river boundaries, the Ru-
manians counter with the state
ment that there are more Ruma-
mans in Serbia, in territory CONT
guous to Rumania, than there will
be Serbians in Rumania, if the en-
tire banat is awarded to Rumania.
To an impartial observer the Ru-
manians have the better of the ar
gument. The Thesis and the Danu-
be are natural frontiers. In the te-
ritorial readjustment it is true that
a quarter Of a million Serbians arc
put under Rumania. But the Ru-
manians, on their side, promise not
to claim their brothers Of blood
in Serbia. Either the Danube is a
boundary or it is not. If it is not,
the cthnOgraphical argument cuts
both ways. One cannot say that the
motive of the Conference Of Paris
is to settle the question with strict
regard to ethnography. If so, how
explain the decision that placed
three million border Germans in
Czccho- -Slovakia, three million T.
krainians to exchange the Austrian
for the Polish yoke, and nearly a
million Jugo-Slavs and Austrian
Germans to become italian sub
jects against their will? There the
stratcgical or natural frontier was
the argument that prevailed. The
Danube is certainly one of the
best frontiers that God has made
III this part of the world, especial
ly advantageous for the Serbians.
as the bank opposite the Banat of
Temcsvar is high.
The river from which the banat
takes its name and the canals and
railway reach the Danube and the
Thesis through the territory the
peace conference proposes to a.
ward to Serbia. In the hinterland
OF the banat are some of the richest
iron and coal regions of the old
Kingdom of Hungary. The Ruma-
mans "see red" on the banat que
stlon. The Supreme Council is not
acting as real friend to Serbia or
with regard for the peace of the
Balkans. The short sighted diplo-
macy of the big four has applied to
Rumania exactly the opposite prin-
ciple it applies to Italy in settling
frontier questions with Serbia. Hca
ven knows that the problem is diff
cult. The Rumanians are not un-
reasonable and do not look for a
perfect settlement Of frontier que
st!ons; but they, as well as Italy.
have their secret treaty with the
Entente powers as the price of in
against the Central en-
pircs. All they ask is equally fair
treatment.
The most serious quarrel between
Rumania and the Supreme Council
has been over the method in which
the Treaty of St.-Gcrmain was
drawn up and certain OF its stipu-
latlons regarding protection of mi
norlties and economic privileges.
Writers who have taken their cue
from the statesmen of the great po-
wcrs, including those of our own
country, have presented to the pu-
bile IA persistently unfair and de-
naturcd explanation of Rumania S
on these questions. Presi-
dent Wilson S speech at the NEE
ting OF the council Oh May 81.
which has how been made public
by the Rrmanian Government, pro-
YES that Mr.. Wilson was LAYING
down the law to Premier Bratiann
concerning matters of which he
knew absolutely nothing. This is
the most charitable thing we can
say concerning our chief delegate.
President Wilson was on the
wrong track. He had not studied
the Congress of Berlin, its relati-
,ns with Rumanians, and its after
nath in Rumania. But Premier
Bratianu, in common with all in
,clligent Rumanians, knew all a.
)out dictated treaties, minoritics,
economic clauses, and what Ruma-
lia owed to her bencfactors and
protectors. In 1873 Bismark had
the box to sing the same