Evening star., 1928-05-26
AMERICAN IDEALS
URGED IN RUMAN|A
Manu- Says His Country Must
Be Observation-Disclosures
Free SerfS.
BY ROSE G. FIELD.

A new leader has arisen in Rumania.
new in the sense that America knows
nothing about him. Rumania has long
heard his name. Today he is spoken Of
everywhere as the next prime minister.
Members OF the Liberal party. the
late Jon Bratianu's party. speak OF
Juliu Maniu with fear and respect
Members of his own party. the Ma
tionalist- Peasant, look to Juliu Manu-
to perform the miracle Of rehabilitating
that strange, remote little country,
standing at the line where Orient and
Occident meet and separate.
Juliu Manu- had been described to
me in so many different ways that l
hardly knew what to expect when l
was informed that an interview with
him had been arranged for me.
Shows Great Reserve.
He Is strong, he is SILENT he is
powerful, he Is dreamer he is aus
! tere, he is implacable, he is brilliant,
he is an idealist."
All these things and more had been
told me. When 1 entered his bare lit
tie Office In the home of friend, not
very far from the Royal Palace, he was
not yet there.
He came In a few minutes later and
1
MANU-. the man In whom IS per cent OF
Rumanlas population is placing all its
hopes and faith. He Is SO simple, so
unaffected. so reserved. / had oppor-
tunity to study him closely while ne
was talking with Lugosianu, his friend
and political lieutenant.
Maniu was neatly dressed In a dark
suit. There was no color to relieve the
somber neutrality OF his attire. do
not believe MANU- ever laughs. he
spoke in low voice. in Rumanian, ask
ing his question quickly but deliberately
and waiting for his reply without eager
ness or impatience.
His expression did not change when
he heard his lieutenant's news. /
could not tell whether he was pleased
or displeased There was something
about him reminiscent OF Ebert II.
Gary. who would listen In silence while
his associates outlined plans OF world
wide Importance. In size and appear
ance. also, Maniu somewhat resembles
Americas late steel magnate. He is
slight and wears moustache.
When he was through with Lugosi-
anu, Maniu turned to me, and although
the cares of a troubled nation are upon
his shoulders, he talked without hurry
and without division of attention. The
thing ne said last is the thing that re-
mains nppermost in my mind.
Must BE Americanized"
"Rumania must be Americanized,'
He explained what he meant by
going back 10 1918, the close OF the
war.
Before that" he said, 1.-The Ru-
manian peasant lived under what might
: IH. IaA oil
! a few great landowners and vast
hordes of peasants, Most of the land
lords lived outside OF Rumania, and
the proceeds of the peasants toll were
sent them by financial managers.
Absentee landlordism, In other words.
The peasant suffered his lot meekly:
he had always been accustomed to IT,;
he knew no better and demanded no
better"
In Maniu's eyes then there was a
look OF suffering One gathered that
he had wrestled with the sleeping con-
sciousness of Rnmanian serfdom.
The peasant was called to the front
during the war" MANU- continued, in
the same low voice "The war did more
for him than years of preaching.
When he came back he was not the
same. He had seen the way other
people lived: he had talked with peo-
pie Of other countries.
Something in him that had been
slumbering came to life. He became
interested In the why and wherefore of
politics and he wasn't satisfied with
things as he found them at home.
Shortly after his return Russia had its
revolution, and that added fuel TO the
unrest Of his mind"
MANU- paused. He was relivinR
events. He was revaluing characters
one character especially.
Jon Bratianu, leader of the Liberal