America. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1905-current, 1920-04-19
THE CREATION OF
GREATER R!tsa AMlA

Continued from page 81
nomic conditions were more lik,
those in Russia than were similar
conditions in the rest Of Europe
Sixty per cent Of the population
over seven years Of age could nci
ther read nor write. Suffrage was
exercised through an elaborate sy.
stem Of three electoral colleges
which kept the power in the hands
Iof large landowners and the small
educated element. The common pc.
!ople had no voice in the govern.
|mont. Conservatives and Liberals
with scarcely any distiction in
| their policies. controlled Parlia.
ment in the interest of very
small class. About half of the cul.
tivahlc land was in the hands Of fe-
wcr than forty-five thousand pro-
prietors. Forests and pasturage we
re even more monopolized.
The crushing defeat of Rumania
by the Central powers and the Rus
sian Revolution. calamities as they
seemed to be at the time, were real
~ blessings in disguise. There was
no hope for the Kingdom Of Rmma-
MIA, much less of realizing the Dire
am Of Greater Rumania, unless ra-
deal changes were made in the po-
litical ard economic organization
of the kingdom. The people had to
be given a big inducement to stand
by the dynasty and the Govern
ment. The Rumanians Of Hungary
would never cast. in their lot with
the mother country that had failed
to-. free them unless the land and
questions We're settled. Bes
sarabia was called by Petrograd to
share in the land redistribution of
new Russia. The R,lmanian Parlia-
ment at dassy voted the three re-
forms essential to the rchabiitati-
on Of Rumania. TO keep the'support
of their own people and Of the Gun
redeemed Rumanians, constitution
nal changes were made establishing
universal and equal suffrage and
breaking up estates Of over five
hundred hectares. To conciliate pu-
bile opinion outside of Rumania
citizenship was extended to native
born Jews. 'e.
In the acts Of union, Trahsylva-
mia. the Banat Of Tcmesvar, Buko-
wilma, and Bessarabia entered Grea-
ter Rumania on the basis Of uni.
versal suffrage, land distribution
and citizenship to Jews and racial
|minorities; bat they put the limit
of estates at one hundred hectares
and stipulated that they should
keep their local autonomy.
The population Of the new state
is nearly doubled. From about nj.
he millions, Rumania finds herself
with over sixteen millions. The adj
|dition of Bessarabia has brought
two million new. citizens whose pre-
ponderant Rumanian element had
never enjoyed political and econo.
mic conditions very different from
those that prevailed in the old king
dom. But the five million Ruma.
mans OF Hungary have had a radi-
cally different background. Taken
as a whole, they are far more adj
Evanccd than the Rumanians Of the
|kingdom. Having had to struggle
flor centuries against Magyarizati-
on, they have fought for hold on
the land aud for control Of indu-
stries. Their language, primary O.
dncation. and the church have beer
weapons essential to their separate
kexistence and the growth Of natio-
nal feeling. Hence it is that with u
Iniversal suffrage, which they alo.
me kouw how, to use, the Humani.
ans Of II,sngary become immediate.
| y the dominant element ii Grca.
lter Rumania. Their leaders do not
belong to the aristocraey, but come
directly from the soil. From the me
naent of their entry into the Par
Lliamcnt st Bucharest they; dispos
[sessed the old politicians, servant,
lot the landed aristocracy. Befor'
Tong they will remove the capita
EfFom tkc kingdom n TransyivaniA
probably To Kronstadt (Brasso) ].