Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13
BY LELAND STOWE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

~SO1AAAANA]1A OuAy 46.-0Ok41C bAAAS
before midnight on the night of June
6 an agitated young captain of infantry
dispatched courier at breakneck speed
to the Rumanian army headquarters.
The courier carried with him a note as
curious as 1t was remarkable. Flushed
and winded, the courier saluted and
handed his message to the general In
charge. The general scanned the paper
still scowling at this freakish Interrupt
ton OF late evenings relaxation. Then
his lips uncurled in broad smile.
Tell your captain" he said, that
understand perfectly-and that all goes
we'll"
The note which evoked this enigmatic
response read thus:
The Closed Question surrounded by
two regiments of infantry, is marching
toward Cotrocent Palace"
Prince Carol Returns.
This was the officially discreet way OF
saying that Carol Caraiman, former
Crown Prince of Rumania and for foul
years an exile, who had renounced his
rights to the throne of the HohenZol-
lern dynasty, had returned to Ru-
manian soil and was about to re-euter
the royal palace. The generals suave
smile was another way of saying that
the event was not as surprising to some
people in Rumania as it was soon to
prove to be to the world.
For more than four years the relation
OF Carol, first son of the late King
Ferdinand, to Rumania's royal affairs
had been regarded officially as termi-
mated. Since the act of Parliament of
January. 1925, wherein Carols right to
succession was constitutionally revoked
the status of the former Crown Prince
had been stamped as settled. Hence
there had grown up the habit, amonr
government and army officials within
the borders Of this Balkan kingdom,
of referring to Carol in course of con-
versation as 1.-The Closed Question"
Now the CLOSED Question" under es-
cort of the I'd and 9th Regiments of
ChaSseurs and en- route to Cotroceni
Palace, was wide open again. Within
the space of dramatic 16-hour flight
from Munich to Baneasa Flying Field,
on the outskirts Of Bucharest, the de-
ceptive cloak of comforting figure of
speech had been Snatched away. Small
wonder that the Rumanian general laid
down his elongated, gold-inlaid ciga-
rette holder and smiled.
Another Astonishing Message.
Thirty-six hours earlier an even more
astonishing message had come to Bu-
charest-this directly to the personal
suite Of Prince Nicholas, Regent of Ru-
mania and younger brother of Carol, in
the royal palace. On the other end of
the telephone was speaking a man who
for four years during the war had been
an Austrian army officer on the Rus
sian. Serbian and Italian frontS-Col.
Victor Precup of the Rumanian army.
a burly man with a granite jaw and
laughing eye and the quiet voice of a
m ha entrusted 1T,if1
All that he said in that eventful tele-
phone conversation with Prince Mich
olas is not known, but his first words
were these:
His majesty King Carol will arrive
IN Bucharest by airplane on Friday
night. shall keep you informed"
With these words, for the first time,
Nicholas was informed that the plot to
restore Carol upon Rumania's throne
had blossomed at last into action. With
in short period Prince Nicholas had
notified government officials, and espe-
clally Premier Julius Manu-, of the i'm
pending return of the prince to whom,
legally, every Rumanian frontier was
barred. There still remained more than
80 hours before the scheduled hour of
Carols return.
Secrecy Disregarded.
Perhaps this is the most amazing of
all the astonishing factors connected
with Carols return to power some few
weeks ago. So sure were those who ma
neuvered Carols coup d'etat of his re-
ception in Bucharest and of his success
full restoration that they calmly notified
Prince Nicholas and the Bucharest gov
eminent of the princes plans nearly a
day and half before his arrival. Even
the precaution of further secrecy was
discarded. 1t was as If Nicholas was
informed in order that he might pave
the way with the regency, with Manu-
and the government.
I heard this story seated at dinner II
the garden of the Luzanna Restaurant
just before left Bucharest, from the
lips Of one of the half-dozen persons In
Bucharest who are qualified to tell it
From the beginning he had been Gin the
know" He was not Dragging; simply
narrating events. And the events con-
nected with Carols return, when told
simply, are but the more surprising.
It has not been easy to report accu-
rately all that has happened in Ruma-
MIA since Carol stepped into Farman
airplane in Munich on the morning OF
June 6, disguised as secretary to Capt
Popp, Rumanian military attache in
Paris, end bearing the passport of
Nicholas Eugen, the attaches chauffeur
In fact, 1t has been almost impossible
Gossip and rumors and "doctored state
ments" were perhaps never more inevi-
table than during the overthrow of Ru-
mania's regency and the early weeks OF
the new regime Yet the element oil
drama has been heightened by that fact
and perhaps the incidents of Carols re-
turn should be resketched and filled in
for no other reason than for the sake
OF striking as closely as possible to the
truth. In the garden of the LuZanns
Restaurant this drama was unfolded
while mentally checked by informa-
ton gathered from many other sources
For obvious reasons the name of my in
formant cannot be revealed.
Carol Aided by His Brother.
'There were only four people in Blu.
charest," he said smiling, who were com.
p'etely informed of his majesty's plan tt
return. They were the ones who pre-
pared the way. Their names? Remem.
Der am not to be mentioned, but vii
tell you'
I Then he named them. Mihail Man
| oilescue, now minister of industry ant
commerce in the new Manu- cabinet
who once was tried for treason in con
nection with an earlier plot for Carol
return; Commandment Nicoara Of the Ru
manian army; Col. Victor Precup, als'
an army officer, and M. Atetelesanu, di
rector of the National Meteorological
Bureau. To these four, plus M. Tata
ranu and Capt. Popp of the Paris lega
ton, King Carol II owes his restoration
to the throne more than to any other
with the possible exception of Primo
Nicholas, who gladly aided the collaps
| of the regency for his brothers. sake.
The story of Carols flight to thron
has been told, but the precise incident
lows:
$50 a.m-Carol took OF from Mu
Mich with Capt. Popp.
i 12.1n nm-Eirsf forced landing nea