Evening star., 1928-05-26

psrty. was In control" he resumed
Jon Bratianu was a brilliant man. He
was not unaware OF the unrest. He did
a tremendous thing. He came out with
two stupendous reforms He, or rather
the government whose head he was.
appropriated the large landowners.
paving them a nominal price Tor their
possessions and dividing the land
among the peasants. And he gnyc the
peasant the franchise.
Step Ahead for Peasant.
Land and the franchise, the two
things the peasant had vaguely dream
ed Of fighting for And here they were
given to him. You can imagine what
that meant"
Maniu's dark eyes stared into space,
imagining for me the things ne thought
might not understand. Inarticulate
peasants made articulate. Serfs throw
ing off their bondage. men gaining the
majesty OF manhood, Of hearths un-
Sullied by the voice OF an overload. l
could see only the dim outlines of the
vision MANU- was seeing so clearly.
His eyes turned to me again.
THE Joy of the peasant was not Of
long duration, however, he went on.
ITO till the soil and prosper the peas
ant needs implements, money for seed
and cultivation, proper transportation
service. He needs a good domestic
and foreign market for his production,
he needs a country that is prosperous
and respected by its neighbors.
None of these things he had.
Wherever he turned he was blocked.
The country governed by the Liberal
party was I'm a ruinous state Currency
was unstable and almost worthless. He
could get no credit to improve his land.
Banks and individuals were charg-
ing 25 to so per cent loan rates
Railroad service was bad. Foreign
money which could build UP the
country feared coming into land
where conditions were so precarious.
Other nations we're taking the Ru-
manian's export markets from him.
All this is still unchanged today.
"NOr was the peasant unaware or the
fact that favored few in the immedi-
ate political circle of Bratianu were
dividing the wealth of the land, get
ting vast concessions and forming pri-
vate monopolies that excluded foreign
money and foreign development OF
national resources
Manu- bent forward a little.
your own Henry Ford" he said.
asked permission to build plant at
Constanza. 1t would have been won
derful thing for our people-money
employment, industrial expansion
things we need so badly. But after
his men made study of conditions
here the project was dropped Ford
didn't dare invest his MONEY in land
which offered no protection of his
rights and property. He had no con-
f1dence in the government, and we
| understood why"
Vote Was Controlled.
Manius voice never shows bitterness
or rancor. No matter what he says. it
is held in control. The things MANU-
says may move you deeply. but you feel
that 1t Is his mind which is at work
not his emotions. He wants you to
see clearly. to appreciate facts. He
wants your mind, your sense of Justice,
| to react. Before he had chance TO
continue I put question.
| In the face of these conditions you
| describe, why didn't the peasant use
| his vote to change the existing regime?"
| A shadow passed over Maniu's face.
| Il am coming to that. It's logical
/ question for an American to ask. The
| peasant did turn to his vote as a means
of escaping this new net of slavery.
And he found new cause for unhappi-
ness. lie had the vote, but he could
not use it freely The polls were guard
| ed by the Liberal party.
You know what false elections are
and can be You have had them in
America. No matter how the peasants
voted the Bratianu government was
returned We managed at the last cleo
| ton to get SIS Deputies out of $50 ana
| "a Senators out of 200. 1t often meant
actual physical fighting at the polls to
| get these.
1.-The peasant. ignorant as the Bra