Evening star., 1938-01-01
RUMAN|ANA AFFAIRS
DISTURBING PARIS
Strong Movements Toward
a T0talitarian State Have
French Worried.
BY PERTINAX,

PARIS, Jan. (N.A.NA.).-The
French government is deeply disturbed
about the turn taken by Rumanian
affairs. Warm kilograms have been
exchanged by President Lebrun and
King Carol, but they are not to be
taken at face value.
Ine hard fact remains that the new
national Christian premier. Octavian
Goga, has made short work within four
days OF civic and political freedom.
that he has struck deadly blow at
the independence Of the press, that he
will not be able to call a halt and that
while the old political parties adverse
to dictatorship will turn for help to-
ward Paris and London, he will call
Berlin and Rome to his assistance.
1t may be that King Carol does not
intend to go so far, but having been
defeated in the elections of Dec. 20
by the National Peasants party. he
mas sold a pass to the Racists on the
assumption that Goga, leader Of the
moderate faction and representative
OF the vested interests, would curb the
extremists. But Goga feels that the
extremists, known as the Iron Guards.
are hot on his heels and would them
selves seize Office If he recoiled too
long from Transforming Rumania into
totalitarian state.
Temporary Brakes.
There are brakes that for a while
may check the movement. For in
stance, Gen. Antonesco only agreed
to become war minister on the formal
condition that nothing would be
changed in Rumania's cooperation
with the Western powers. He has
strength OF character. Two years ago
ne refused to speak to Nine. MaRda
Lupescu. whom he met at a dinner
party. However, in the long run he
can be expected to be carried away
and overwhelmed.
King Carol, too, will not be able tn
hold his own as the months roll by.
For seven years he has been able TO
assert personal power and rule the
country to his own pleasure as he
played against each other the consti-
tutlonal parties, the National Peas
ants and the Liberals, and within each
OF them the leaders.
len days ago he lost prestige in
the general elections when all the
constitutional elements united in dis
gust to bring him to book and placed
his puppet ministers in the minority
With the Racists he will experience
similar fate unless meanwhile the
OLD parties succeed in stirring up
major part of the people and compel
nim to surrender or abdicate. a possi-
olllty which is not to be ruled out,
Would Be Serious.
But why does Carol strive 50 In
tensely for personal power? The an
s"er Is that he does not want to dis
miss Nine. Lupescu and he knows
that on no other term can he sooth
the National Peasants.
Rumania is small country, but in
the present juncture her internal
crisis means lot to European peace
war didn't break out in 1887 because
the high command of the Reichswehr
tolo chancellor Hitler on many oc-
caslons that Germanys slender re-
sources couldn't sustain a long war
Tne Danubian states have within
their borders most of those vital raw
materials and foodstuf1s which both
totantarlan states need, and it would
De most serious DEVELOPMENT were
Rumanla in the near future. through
commercial agreement of some kind
TO hand over to Germany her oil.
wheat and other cereals. The OIL
garches in Poland and Yugoslavia
would be encouraged to tighten their
rule to an imitation Of that of Hitler
and Mussolini and trample down pop
ular feeling. All the assurances given
lately to Foreign Minister Yvon Del
DOS would be quickly forgotten and
Austria, as we'll as Czechoslovakia.
would be left in total isolation.
oCCpyrisht. 1888. by the North America.
Newspaper Alliance, Inc.)