Evening star., 1924-06-06
IN TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

upon Russian territory in seeking to
reclaim from the Russian domain the
rich province of Bessarabia, immedi-
ately after the downfall of the car
in 1917, while the soviets were in con-
fusion. Reconstructed Russia had
been forced to give up Finland, Po-
land, Lithuania and Iatvia, so why
not also Bessarabia? 1t was not Rus
sian in population and had not al
ways belonged to Russia, but had
been given her by the Sultan of Tur-
key. 1t was the price of peace be-
tween Turkey and Russia in 1912, in
anticipation of invasion of Turkey by
Napoleon. But Bessarabia had re-
mained Rumanian ethnologically
throughout the century. in spite of
strenuous efforts to Russianize the
people.
Soon after the beginning of the
world war the Rumanian population
Of Bessarabia Numbering. according
to Russian censuses. from At per cent
in 1897 to sc per cent of the total
population in 1870 began agitating
for an independent Bessarabia- or at
least local autonomy as a Russian
province. When the bolsheyiks came
INTO power in 1917, they threatened
to set up a soviet in BeSsarabla,
whereupon the Rumanians OF that
province formed national council"
"a representative constituent assem-
bly,, elected by the people, which, In
December, 1917, issued declaration
of independence, and n week later
asked Rumania to send in troops to
drive out Russian brigands and pre-
serve order.
Later came the Russian plot to in
duce Rumania to enter the war and
be sacrificed to the central powers, as
above related. At the Versailles con-
that self determination" should gov
ern in assigning territory. Conse-
quently, Bessarabia, with it's two
thirds of the population OF Rumania,
was given to Rumania- Russia has
never acquiesced in that ASSIGNMENT,
but Italy, Great Britain and France
have ratified it. The United States
took no part in it, having no EN-
tangling alliances"
=
In the assigning of mandates by
the Versailles peace conference, the
United States was offered a mandate
over Constantinople, as well as over
Armenia and Turkey, all of which
was refused. In the course Of the
war the British navy had made a
desperate and unsuccessful attempt
to capture Constantinople. That port
has long been recognized as the key
to the near east, and, according to
the Rumanian minister, Prince Bibes-
co, if the British effort to capture it
had succeeded the war would have
ended two years earlier, for it would
have released the grain of Russia to
the markets of the allies, stopped the
financial collapse of the cZar's gov
ernment, prevented the bolshevik
treachery and driven a wedge be-
tween Germany and Turkey. So
highly is Constantinople appreciated
by Russia that it is known as Gear
agrad''-the dream of the Russian
czars from time immemorial.
Rumania assumes that the supposed
aggression of Russia upon Bessara bia
would not end with that province. 1t
would be but a step in a grand
maneuver to connect Russia with
Slavic Bulgaria and ultimately to
capture "Czarograd" from the tradi-
tional enemy, Turkey. 1t would also
involve a slice from Greece. The plan
could never culminate except through
another general Balkan upheaval,
certain to involve the great powers
as we'll as the little entente.
There is no official confirmation by
our State Department of the disturb
ing reports.
Copyright, 1924. by Paul V. collins)