The Ely miner., 1930-08-08

! Society. Washington, ID. C.l
~ UMANIA, the latest of the
X worlds monarchieS to change
! l. y kings. has undergone such
great changes in the past dozen
years that it has in effect had a blood
| less revolution. This period has seen
! the distribution of S.500.000 acres of
| land to more than 100000 peasants.
Before the war Rumania was cOun-
! try of the landed rich and the land
| less poor Today the maximum hold
! ing permitted to one individual is
! .235 acres. King and mobiles gave up
! their estates to fulfill the demands of
! the agrarian reform. What Russia,
! Mexico and other countries have done
| in the matter of land distribution at
! the cost of many lives and much
money, Rumania accomplished without
| a shot
But reform was not without cost.
| Uncertainties, lack of organization to
meet new conditions, and lack of
| transportation facilities increased the
! cost of borrowed money to II and IA
! per cent. Credit is tight in country
! where all the money in circulation
must pass through the national treas
! ury as taxes three times per year.
Greater Rumania is nearly three
! times as large as pre-war Rumania.
! The new nation took in Pennsylvania,
! the Banat, BucOvina and BesSarabia,
! and has yet to digest them. Old Ru-
| a.. -, NfI oCrlD md
er Rumania is larger than England
| adding to itself Wales, Scotland and
Ireland. Like the units of Great
Britain. each is different: Bessarabia
| is an extension of the Russian black
earth prairie; Bucovina, fOrested re-
gion: Pennsylvania an upland notable
for industries as well as agriculture;
the Banat a l0wland.
Farming Comes First.
After the war Rumania saw visions
of an industrial future. The country
has ample resources: oil. water power,
wood. ore. and q good labor supply.
Ten years have dimmed the vision but
have not wiped it out. Eight out OF
ten Rumanians still are farmers so
the nation has decided to make good
iob of farming before turning to in
dustry. CO-operatives have been or
ganized. Groups of peasants find they
can afford to buy American farm ma
chinery. grain grading law was
passed in 1923. Silk culture starting
from nothing has increased to an en-
terprise enlisting 1000 workers and
S1S.O0O.000 capital.
Since the World war RumanianS
have turned definitely from wheat to
American corn. Greater acreage is
planted in corn than wheat. Corn
mush dispIaces bread as national
food. Bessarahia looks like Kansas.
But in 1923 a second drought hit the
country. The corn crop was failure
and Rumania, a country which has eX-
ported cereals for years, had to import
corn. The government acted to fore
stall famine in some regions.
The similarity of parts Of Rumania
to Kansas extends to sunflowers for
which both regions are famous. In
Runssnia sunfOwers are standard
sunflowers last year. Oil pressed from
sunflower seeds serves as constituent
Of butter substitutes.
Four foundation stones support life
in Rumania; cereals, oil, lumber, and
live stock. Production of oil and lum-
Der has progressed vigorously, not
enough, however, to offset losses in
cereals and live stock.
Companies of many nations includ-
ing the United States are working Ru-
manian oil wells near Ploesti, north
west of Bucharest (BucurestD. They
have increased production to 4.265,l94
metric tons of oil per year. Rumania
stands sixth. supplying "a of the
world production, although Rumanian
oil represents 13 per cent of the in
crease in world production.
BUYS American Automobiles.
Despite the depression, and lack of
roads, sales of automobiles, most Of
Them American, continue to increase.
In 1923 10000 were sold-a record.
Many of them go to the oil fields
where they permit the engineers in
charge of outlying wells to get to
Ploesti occasionally for the enjoyment
of companionship in the International
club.
| Automobiles are the biggest item
of American imports which include
accessories. films, oil field equipment,
radios, monographs and records. en-
yines. Insecticides and electric refrig-
orators to the amount of S12000OOO.
Walnuts and fur skins are Rumania's
chief exports to the United States.
Among the improvements to Which
Rumania looks forward is the reclaim
alton of vast areas of swamp land.
Seven thousand square miles of marsh
will afford ample land for the remain
ing landless peasants, numbering
about 100000.
| The nation has its own national
| church, the Orthodox Eastern church.
| Other churches have numerous men,
bers, however, among them the Uni
| tartan church.
Bucharest (BucurestD. capital OF
Rumania has long been known as
.~rhe Little Paris Of the Balkans" II
| has many earmarks of the French
capital. One of its wide tree-lined
thoroughfares is called the Little
| Champs Elysee' and there is an Arc
| de TriOmphe. both Of which suggest
| tho atmosnhera of Paris. The bride