Evening journal., 1921-07-21
ROMANCE OF A
BOUNDARY Line
Rumanians, Czechs Ex-
change II Border Cities
For Race Benefit
RACIAL MAP is
MORE LASTING


Csechoslovalxia have reached an
anicable agreement to exchange
eleven border villises2by way Of maxi
ing the racial boundary more nearly |
parallel the political delimitaton.
But the Imagination Immediately !
leaps to a picture of a Pittsburgh |
lawyer and the ghost OF Emperor
Trajan setting a precedent in friend
" adjustment OF boundary tangles.
or to the conclusion that the legal
practices of the sovereign State Of
Pennsylvania and the heritage of
Roman law left in Rumania can
covetail nicely when administered
with common sense.
with this introduction a bulletin
from the Washington. d. c., head
quarters of the National Geographic
Society continues:
1T may well be that newborn
Czcchoslovalda and expanded Ru-
mania have set an example in peace
making comparable to that of VIII
liam Penn with the American In
dams
The eastern panhandle OF Czecho-
slovalIia which touches Rumania is
that portion Of the republic peopled
by Ruthenians. who took their first
formal step toward their future au-
tonomy In Independence Hall in
Philadelphia, set up their govern
ment at Ushorod With a Pittsburgh
attorney as their first executive, and
began TO function with copy OF the
United States Constitution and our
Federal statutes as their rule of gov
ernfnental faith and practice.
(which is further interesting in
view of the fact that Ruthenia- OF
Husinia. as il is sometimes known, is
a part of the republic whose Decla-
ration OF independence was written
in a washington, d. c.. hotel and
cur1ailed somewhat so that II might
appear in full in a Boston, Mass,
newspaper.
Here is an example, with a ven
Qeance, of the far-nung geographi-
/cal ramifcations of American infiu-
ence. Now cross the border. in your
minds eye, and look at the event
from the Rumanian standpoint. An
other bit of geography becomes evil
dent.
I'm crossing note that boundaries
in Europe are not imaginary lines
as they are between the States OF
our country. The traveller will gel
his first realization OF this fact whef
he must spend hours to obtain pass
ports and more hours to have hi
baggage examined. Nor are pohuca
boundaries the only ones. The racia
boundaries in Europe are frequen
and so are the frontiers of Language
Al three are more nearly cotermin
Gus on the dividing line between Ru
mania and Czechoslovalia than
frequently the case
The Rumanian finds his countr
profted territorially by the peac
settlements, but he already realize
that his troubles are multiplied
Four nations bordered upon Ru
mania before the war-Russia. Aus
tria- Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaris
Rumania now finds itself in direc
contact with six neighbors-Russi
and Bulgaria. as OF yore, along wit
Poland. Ccecho-Slovakia. Hungar
and Jugo-Slavia- Therefore II ma
well be that her settlement OF the nr
boundary difficulty with a ne
neiehbor stands as an augury f'
Rumania-
"A political boundary in Europe
subject to sudden change and r
adjustment The racial and hngu
borders are more nearly permanen
which is why many schools now fo
low either a regional or racial ms
OF Europe In teaching the geograpl
of that continent OF this fact r
mania is a conspicuous examp
Accounted a part Of the Balkans.
racial map shows her to be amo
the Greco-Italians and she is {
easternmost outpost of the Roman
language group. A soft. basta
Latin is a famous characterizau
Of her speech.
''The long arm of Rome stretch
TO the land that now Is Rumal
when Trajan overran Dacia
uianted colonies north OF the Ds
ube and east of the Black Sea I
The surprising fact is the persev
ance Of the Roman racial strain
OF the LAIN toubue hoe1 - ~
teen centuries after the Rom'
withdrew and other races compile
~ surrounded the Vlachs, which
slavic for Romans. and the histo
name Of the Rumanians.
''Racially, the Rumanians
bounded by Ukrainians, Ruthena
Magyars, Southern Slavs, and b
earsans. Within their confines
islands Of Germans and Magys
When one lives among numer'
neishbors whose viewpoints, C
to1ns, derivatons. and ambitions
dinerent-which does not mean u
are necessarily inferior-one cit
succumbs, or learns TO live and
i've. And Rumania has done
most successfully.
These geographic facts may I
nish background that height
the interest OF an inconspicu
news dispatch and points to p
sibinly Of this bit Of the days M
being accounted history Of the n
row.