Evening star., 1928-03-24
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

who, while living beyond the reach OF
his country's conquerors. kept up a
patriotic fight through pamphlets and
newspapers. Freedom dawned az the
close OF the Crimean War, with Rus
sia conquered by the European powers.
the Russian protectorate was Cancelled.
and by the Convention of Paris 1858.
Moldavia and Wallachia were set Up
as independent cipalitieS-uniteG
under one prince, in lS59-Alexander
ClZa. He. by coup d'etat. seized
many Of the great estates and made the
peasants owners OF the land they cul-
tiyated. but the estates then combined
and drove him out Of the country
tl860l. In 1866 Parliament elected
Charles OF Hohenzollern- -Sigmaringen
as King. and John Bratianu went 10
Dusseldorf and conducted the new King.
inCognito, into Rumania. Charles
founded the present dynasty and the
Bratianus' have been the power behind
the throne throughout the succeeding
decades.
Queen Elizabeth. the wife OF Charles
!. Is best known through her literary
gifts, under the nom DE plume OF
Carmen sylvia
i In 1881. the combined principalities.
Moldavia and wauachia. were recog-
nized at the Congress OF Berlin as the
Kingdom OF Rumania,' with Charles
as King. This elevation was mainly
due 10 John Brafianu. King Charles
died IN 1914. his death being attributed
largely 70 grief az the outbreak OF the
World War. Queen Elizabeth Carmen
Syhab died in 1915.
Under Ferdinand l. successor to
Charles I. Ruuania fought hrayely
with the allies against the Germans
BulgarlanS and Turks in the World
War. and at the end Of the war their
cooperation was rewarded by the al
lotment of al territory inhabited by
their ace-BsSSaraoia, Bukoyiaa and
Pennsylvania,
While back in 1864 a law was passed
by The United Rumanian P-lnclpaltieS
tbefore the country became kndonll
which appropriated s. Large part q the
great estates IL favor OF the peasants,
and other agrarian laws date in 1899.
1907 and 1912. still much land WAS
left III the gUeat estates. Az ths out
break OF the World War the aSrarlan
question was the leading issue III that
country. In 1917, q general expcopvia-
tion law was adopted which. with the
coming of peace n 1918, was mace
effective nos only Tor old Runlan,s.
OekN
the terms OF peace
Some 800 land owners OF Tr2nSNl-
vauia (formerly territory ot AuStrlsl
elected 10 remain Austrian citizens and
they protested 70 the League ct Ma
glonS against having their land SSlEeG.
bUt the League Council upheld the ex-
pyopriatioa law by decision rendered
in 1923,
II Is now so years since Rumania BE-
came independent OF Turkey TcdaS.
Greater Rumania has an area Cx ll4.-
0oO square miles and lS.e0o. coo pop-
ulation. mere than SO per cent oI whom
are RumanianS
While the great estates have heen
taken from sheiF lordly ow0eTS. they
times their rent Of the YEAR preceding
Selsare, But. ewing 10 the fluctuations
os the currency, the peasants actually
acquire the land at an average ~ s.
PER aete, and most Of their purchase
debt has now bsen earned and paid
To-day. RGmanla eAaStS that It's
e0dset has ovSn balanced for She las,
nVe wears, ana its pUenc Cebt rv<Suevd
by $4,000 ooO
Before the aSrariau reform law Was
enacted. the great estates covered half
NG SNssANakeS 4SslN III AI tttS tSE<t~
tories now included In Greater Rua,auts-
The pSaSantNy are S. per ceps ~ the
pop0satloGN, and they NOW OWN SIS per
cent OF the land, The peasants Own
acres, EAs great landlords,
y a.ooo,oOe acres, Eew peasants cwn less
than acres no landlord owns nseSe
than $50 acres,
Since the MAR, the PEASANTS have
created a,oNN asw schools, and both
adults and chtldgcn arc attendn}s them,
Co1upusSogy schooling Wp o. She axe
W ID years II enfogeSI, AccoG<ssag te
a recent lecture hv HON, Aadrct
rcpoVtcb secretary ot the geSatnsA
'taaaltetNN ana relletatsS intolerance
aHe teTeiSn te the pSSehas0gN ~ me
kansanlanS ANts~Sgmlttc taanstSS1a~
stasAS IN Rtnnanta have never ccsaSlSted
of ANYTHING else hast street pagasseS I
students"
lt Viii ee reCogatgVa tAat a fseaSaatfS
ef ~ per cent of &as pop
ulasian ana ewnlslg SS.S pSR eSNs cg
the land heiSes the power ~ make the
country what is VIII There i little
fear of Erlnse Carol. who surrendered
his rights 10 succession cg the sAsnsAe
wears a40. kIAS eessd King Aslcas&al y
GAslea az kgaMsag AyAsiAnsss akAAssNt
wlaess tsaNev the peasants are nNw
SsAgV1 lxnaasalS IA iaFtS, while
sAllS assset Akutg the nagluee
q sAsssa sss. a. =