Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-15
|CAROL LAUDED FOR DISPLAY OF TACT, POISE
AND DIPLOMACY IN FIRST UTTERANCES AFTER
BEING ACCLAIMED NEW RULER OF KINGDOM
Former "PIay Boy" Prince
Surprises Observers by Dis
play of Good JUDGMENT.
SAYS RETURN OWN IDEA
Domestic Difficulties Seen - -
Greatest Problem Facing
New Rumanian King.

New Rumanian King.
This is the third of series of sir
articles describing the eUentS leading
to and subsequently, developing in
the restoration OF Carol on the
throne OF RumdniG. The fourth mill
appear tomorrow.
BY LELAND STOWE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
BUCHAREST. July 15.-What sort Of
a beginning has Carol IL the former
exiled prince. who Is the first man ir
history to fly to throne. made as
King of Rumania? What are the first
impressions cleaned from observing hin
in the trying days during the opening
of his regime? Has Carol himself
changed or is he still the play boy OF
European royalty, merely adorned with
the crowns and trappings Of Balkan
monarchial glamour?
Before launching into an analysis OF
! the difficulties confronting Rumania's
| new King and before considering the
domestic tangle which is one of his
chief anXietieS these questions should
be answered. They should be studied
both out of fairness to Carol and out
of the desire to understand his situa-
ton. Likewise, they must be given at
tention because Carol, the man of to-
day, offers the key to Carol, the King
of today and probably of tomorrow.
Carols Speech Surprises.
There is an element of surprise in
| Carols character and conduct as re-
vealed during the first 10 high-pressure
days OF his reign. remember my first
surprise upon reading the complete text
of King Carols acceptance speech when
arrived in Bucharest the afternoon
after he had been proclaimed King. 1t
was not the sort of speech one might
have expected from the man who had
been called Europes most prodigal
prince. Two days later the newspaper
correspondents of score of nations as
sembled in the royal palace for an in
terview perhaps unprecedented in Eu-
ropean history were afforded further
cause for lively cogitation. We had been
treated to an exhibition of tact. diplo-
macy and poiSe wildly in contrast to
the picture of the man painted during
the days of his exile.
Carol had been painted as irresponsi-
bic. He talked like a man glad to ac-
cept responsibilities. Carol had been
regarded as impulSive and lacking in
direction. Here he carried himself like
man who knew his own mind and
had distinct detectives in view. The
popular conception of Carol had made
him appear as a dilettante, and, having
been put down as a dilettante, it had
been assumed he knew little of the
serious business of diplomacy and in
ternational relations.
Critics More Respectful.
Here was a Carol who showed de-
cided tact, who knew exactly how much
or how little to say. Even those who
had been most inclined to be critical
of Carol came away with a revised and
more respectful opinion of the man.
Perhaps the popular conception of
Carol Of Rumania would have to be
revised. At least, it was surprising
and interesting revelation
If you were TO return for a moment
to the scene in that austere library in
the left wing of the royal palace, you
would glimpse new Carol, whom the
world in general has not known. With
sensible disregard for outworn royal
precedence, the King had granted an
audience to some forty newspaper men,
of perhaps one-third as many nation
alties. His majesty stepped forward,
clad in a mussy naval uniform, in
which he had been working for days,
bowed a tri1e awkwardly, then shot a
keen glance at men who would notice
the slightest slip he might make. He
realized this fully, but he did not hest
tate
Only IS minutes before we had SUBJ
mitted any questions we wished to ask
in writing. In that interval Carol had
read them, sorted them out, classified
them. Now. without further prepara-
ton, he set about answering verbally
questions, some of which were deli
cately stuffed with dynamite. Some
times the King exhibited directness,
sometimes adroitness; sometimes he
was suave, sometimes he skated on
thin ice-but there was no hesitancy.
Asked about his attitude toward Italy,
Carol stated:
Personally, have always admired
Italy. I am a classic and lover OF the
Renaissance. Where has the Renais-
sance imbedded itself more Immortality
than in Italy?"
What a gracefully clever manner of
avoiding any mention of Mussolini's
Fascist regime. AS a friend of France.
as King of one of Frances allies, Carol
sensed the necessity of making no po-
litical commitment of himself in re-
gard to Italy. A much safer thing to
sing the glories of the Renaissance.
This was but a passing incident. yet
an eloquent one. An olo-tlme YANKEE
such as Mark Twain'S would have
mumbled to himself, Hes nobody's
fool, this new King.
Again Carol took pains concisely to
speak a good word to foreign capital.
He knew full we'll Rumania's pressing
need for capital with which to mod
ernie her railroads, her telegraph, her
farming equipment. Hence he said:
You may assure foreign financial cir
cles of all my solicitude. am con-
WINGED that the development OF my
country's great riches and its economic
restoration require the collaboration OF
foreign capital" Later on, to the
query as to who was chiefly response.
BILE for his return to Rumania. caro-!
gave this healthily energetic retort, y
myself decided to return"
Here was vigor, tact and shrewdness
Here Carol II emerged as man DE-
termined to play his role as KING
| Somehow, this audience was in strange
contrast to the widespread conception
of Carol as a vacillating play-bo
prince. Perhaps he had been all O
that. At any rate, he did not talk liK'
one now.
Florid Speech Fills Need.