Evening star., 1924-05-15
SOIL OF BESSARABIA
is PROVEN TEMPTING
Province in Southeast Europe Is
Zone of Contention Between
Russia and Rumania.

Bessarabia, Alsace and Lorraine of
southeast Europe, continues to be n
bone of contention between Russia
.. ard Rumania. Russla's recent de-
mand for a plebiscite in the princi-
pality was refused by Rumania.
only a close observer can tell the
difference between rural Ohio and In
diana and the farm lands OF Bessa-
rabia," says bulletin of the National
Geographic Society from it's head
quarters here.
"Tasseled Indian corn, from seed
brought from America, rustles in the
breeze, while ripples play over seas OF
yellow wheat Earth black as Illl-
nois 'gumbo' lies beneath ones feet
when land like this brings from
5000 to $500 an acre in the United
States it is clear why both Russia ana
Rumania, after five years discussion
punctuated with armed threats, still
make counter-clains to Bessarabia.
"Geologically Bessarabia is allied
TO Russia, including as it does, the
tail end of the black earth belt of
Russian prairies. But even Russian
census figures state that more than
half Bessarabia's population is Ru-
manian.
I'm feudal days there arose IN what
now is Rumania the house of BaS-
sarah. One OF the princes is said to
have established Moldavia. which,
with Wallachia, established by an
make up pre-war Rumania- Bessarabla
takes its name from the family. This
point of history is not forgotten in
Rumania's 'frridenta' program. Rus
sia reminds the world that Bessarabia
had been q Russian principality for
more than hundred years, up to the
transfer during the days OF the revo-
luton. and that it is monument to
RusSia'S power in stemming the Turk
tide in the Balkans
10 Slu
1900 years old, 65 years old or 6
years old. Bessa rabia was the out
Post of the Roman dominion, Dacia,
which, in the time of Trajan. COM
mania Only Wallachia and Moldavia
We're included in the familiar Ru-
nanian boot which made up the
autonomous Rumania carved out or
Turkey in Europe in 1883: lnoe-
pendent Greater Rumania, six years
old, was born when the Versailles
treaty reallotted Transylvania and
Rucoyina: Bessarabia was annexed
after repeated requests from the
principality's peasant council, which
first attempted to establish republic.
"Rumania's three ages are the key
to the condition of Bessarabia, which
has the air of being part of one OF
the oldest nations of Europe and yet
bears the marks of the green pioneer
stage of Nebraska in overland mail
=.
BeSSarabian peasant is sufficient unto
himself. He builds his own house
from materials at hand. his fields sup
ply wheat and corn. his stock sup
plies his meat and his fax the fiber
which his wife and daughter spin,
weave and dye. His private still
brews corn whisky or "tsuica," a fra
grant plum brandy. Only recently
have aniline dyes replaced natural
herb dyes for the brilliant peasant
costumes. Independence is prime
virtue in a country which has only
$50 miles of railroad and only sixty
miles of improved highway!
The household obeyS the pioneer
rule that everybody works. From the
child who drives the geese to the
pond to the patriarch who closes the
gate after the oxen, each has his
duties Schools command Scant at
tention where there is work for
every hand, and therefore only 40 per
cent of BeSSarabian men and only 5
per cent of the women are literate.
The pioneer influence is further
shown in Bucharest, where nearly
every house has land around it, un-
like the walI-to-wa1I style of many
European capitals.
The American tourist in Bessara-
bia at Easter time would be surprised
TO find the peasants coloring Easter
eggs. He would be impressed by the
superior color and decoration the
Moldavians obtain, for they use no
paper patterns. depending alone on
their own ingenuity for designs. SO
remarkably original is much of their
work that designs and colors have
been used for motifs by great textile
concerns.