South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-07-04
RUMANIA NOW HAS
10 NATIONALITIES
Indians Now Sit Together
With Turks on New
Parliament Board.

BUCHAREST, July 3.-Rumania,
with the addition OF the provinces
Of Bessarabfa, Bubovina, Transyl-
vania, the Banat and Dobrudja, is
now a country Of at least 10 distinct
nationalities. In its parliament are
seen peasants with white kirtle and
embroidered vests and leggings re-
mindful OF the red Indian, sitting
together with red fezzed Turks.
1t is especially in the DObrudja
that these different nationalities
Josue together" said Queen Marie
OF Rumania. Together with Ru-
manians. live peacefully side by side,
Bulgarians, Turks. Tartars, Rus
slams, and in places even Germans.
Visits Villages.
Il have been 10 a village in the
Dodrudja which was part Rumanian,
part Russian. part German and part
Turkish / went from one side to
another, visiting many a cottage, en-
tering each church, ending my round
In the tiny mosque hung with faded
carpets. and there in a crowd OF
lowly Turks 1 listened TO their
curious service, of which l under
stood naught. A woman who is not
yelled has no right 10 enter the
holy precinct; but a royal name
opens many a door, and many
severe rule is broken in the Joy Of
receiving so unusual a guest.
ION a burning summers day 1
came 10 a tiny town almost entirely
inhabited by Turks. l was distribut-
ing money among the poor and for
saken, and had been moving from
place TO place. Now it was the
turn of the Mussulman population,
therefore, | visited the most wretch
ed quarters, my hands filled with
many a coin.
Object of Visit.
such was their JOY at my com
ing that the real object of my visit
was almost forgotten. 1 found my
self surrounded by a swarm of ex-
cited women in strange attire, pratt
Ting a language 1 could not under
stand.
They called me Sultana, and each
one wanted to touch me; they fin
gered my clothes, patted me on the
back, one old bag even chucked me
under the chin They drew me
with them from hut to hut, from
court to court. 1 found myself
separated from my cOmpa mons,
wandering in a world I had never
known. In a labyrinth of tiny mud
built huts, of ridiculOusly small
gardens, of hidden little courts, they
dragged me with them, making me
enter their novels, put my hand on
their children and sit down.
Women Not Yelled
THE poorer Mussulman women
are not really yelled They wear
wide cotton trousers, and over these
a sort of mantle which they hold
together under the nose. The shape
of these nantes gives them that in
describable line, so agreeable to the
eye. and which alone belongs TO the
east Also the colOrs they choose
are always harmonious; they are
toned down TO their surroundings
by sun and dust They wear strange
dull blues and mauves-even their
blacks are not really black, but
have taken rusty tints that mingle
pleasantly with the mud-colOred en-
virOnment in which they dwell.
when attired for longer eXcur-
sions their garb is generally black,
with a snOw-white cloth on their
heads, wrapped in such manner that
il conceals the entire face, except
the eyes. Indescribably picturesque
and mysterious are these dusky fig
ures, generally carrying a heavy staff
in their hands; there is something
biblical about them, something that
takes one back TO far-away times"