Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-28
Rumania a Potential Center
Of Disturbance, Says Press

What Is to be the future of Rumania?
This question is agitating not only
that turbulent country. but also the
whole world since the death of King
Ferdinand. The recent visit of Queen
Marie to this country brought the
little Balkan nation wildly to the at
tention of America. and editorial COM
ment is widespread on the life of the
late King, the possible future before
little King Michael, the dangers that
lie in regency, the potentialitieS in
the position and possible activities of
Carol and on the part Queen Marie
may play in the drama that will be
enacted in the next few years.
Says the Toledo Blade of the late
King: "It was Ferdinand's fate to
rule over the turbulent Balkan nation
during one of it's most trying periods.
The World War brought civil discord
in Rumania. Marie succeeded in keep
ing the nation out of the war at first
and then in putting it on the side of
the allies" This action was signifi-
cant, for. as the Cincinnati Times-Star
points out, though Ferdinand himself
was q "scion of the imperial Hohen-
zollern stock, he was loyal to the
allied cause in the World War, and
his country served the cause under
handicap with energy and fidelity"
The fact. that the couple came to the
throne "only few months after the
World War broke out" added. as the
Kansas City Post says, to Ferdinand's
"arduous task, that of ruling a Balkan
kingdom in the maelstrom of conflict
ing interests, fighting for Rumania's
entrance into the war;" As the Tulsa
Daily World pictures the situation,
"protege of the two most powerful
empires, he took the throne when
those two empires were about to clash
in struggle which shook the world
and changed the course of history"
This paper calls him really q con-
script king" as it relates how "he
was selected for political purposes,
and the clique which made him king
never relinquished it's hold. 1t is very
likely that Ferdinand never had
fully self-respecting hour or ever felt
that he was really a monarch" con-
cludeS this paper.
X SO
AS to the regency which comes into
power with the accession of little King
Michael to the throne-Prince Mich
olas, younger brother of Carol: Patri.
arch Miron, head of the Orthodox
Church, and Chief Justice Buzjudau-
the Wisconsin State Journal charac-
teriZes the three as follows: nicholas
is hardly more than a figurehead, the
patriarch and the chief Justice are
creatures of Bratiano." OF the last
the Journal says: For a generation
the Bratianos have been the power
behind the government in Rumania,
whatever the surface presented to the
public, members of the family taking
and leaving office and open respon-
sibility according to immediate polit-
ical exigencies, but constantly main
tanning their grip on the reins behind'I
the scene" For this reason the Jour-
nal sees nothing changed in Rumania |
so far"
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle also re.
CARDS the regents as only nominal"
and states that 1.-The real ruler will be |
Jan Bratiano," whom the Detroit |
News regards as a "strong admins |
traitor, commanding a huge majority |
In the new Parliament"
But, according to the opinion of the |
Philadelphia Inquirer, Bratiano is not |
the only power in RlImania, this pa |
per declaring that 1.-The dominant fig |
ures for some time to come are likely |
to be Queen Marie and NJ. Bratiano." |
and quarrel between whom ''would |
portend rough political weather in |
Rumania." In fact, as the Birming- |
ham News sees it, THE only point of
light in the whole proceeding is the |
presence Of the dramatic and virile |
Queen Marie" who, as the Cleveland |
News says, even when the King was |
alive. "overshadowed him completely" |
while the 'Bratiano family overshad-
owed them BOTH The reason the |
royal family retains a semblance of
prestige, according to the Rochester /
is because 1.-THE govern
Ing class finds in the monarchy the
support of it's own power" and this
paper wonders ''if the day will ever
come when Michael the First will gov
ern in his own right"
n +
& It Is predicted by the Charleston
Evening Post that little Michael twill
have about as much voice in the gov
eminent IS his grandfather had.
while the Harrisburg Telegraph con-