Evening star., 1939-02-26
Rumania, in Germany's Path
To East, Waits for Nazi Drive
Carol Knows Only Trouble in Western Europe
Can Save His Kingdom From Fight
For Life in Next Is Months
Bv Constantine BrOvn.

archy and establish a totalitarian form
of government with headquarters in
Berlin. At Codreanu's trial a secretary
of the German Legation in Bucharest
was so compromised that he could not
be saved by his Minister. He>was re-
called in exchange for a Rumanian
promise that his name would not be
made public after the secret trial held
before a military court.
No Longer Playboy.
Carol, at one time the playboy OF Eu-
rope, is completely changed person.
He now applies the same energy-for-
merly dissipated in having good time
to ruling his country with an iron hand.
Work has become his passion. He is as
much dictator as is Mussolini or Hitler.
His rubber stamp cabinet officers are
often in despair. The King has the un-
pleasant habit of working late at night
and frequently he will phone a cabinet
minister to come and explain matters to
him at or 4 o'clock in the morning.
OF course, things are changing slowly
in his country which for so many years
has been hot bed of corruption. When
salaries of officials are low and the cost
of living is high. corruption cannot be
stamped out by turn of the hand But
there has been a marked improvement
in that respect. Brides are still accepted
but not on the same scale as in the days
OF the constitutional monarchy. The
peasantry, the backbone of the country,
is less exploited than it was some years
ago and good deal is being done to i'm
prove their social and cultural status.
Carol knows that ultimately he will have
to rely on that peasantry in his fight for
. the political independence of his nation
The execution of Codreanu and his
followers shortly after Carols interview
with Hitler last October has placed the
Rumanlan monarch in the position of
Hltlers public enemy number /. There
have been at least two official attempts
at his life since he told Hitler that he
will not sell Rumana's political inde-
pendence to the Reich.
Less Chance Than Czechs.
SoAOA hllO"o tlldt lllc lIulldllldIl IN
has even less chance than the Czecho-
Slovak army had to oppose the German
divisions. Like the other countries which
have no common borders with the West
ern European states, the Rumanian army
lacks modern war equipment. France
and Great Britain even if they wanted
to provide their former ally with war
material, could not do so because they
need everything their factories are pro-
ducing. Their only possible source of
supply is the United States But they
have little exchange with which to make
purchases in this country. Rumania's
natural wealth is being sold mainly to
the totalltarian states and is paid for in
manufactured products of which arma-
ments form only small percentage.
We in the United States cannot use
Rumania's oil or wheat or cattle. The
TACT than Rumania. at the bidding of
France and Great Britain, reneged on its
war debts to the United States placed
that country in the same position as
other defaulters. The johnson Act pre-
vents them from purchasing war ma
terial on credit. The arms factory at
Reshita in Pennsylvania produces an
insufficient quantity of arms to wage war
against power like Germany.
Rumania is surrounded by countries
which, with the exception of Yugoslavia
harbor territorial claims against her bor-
ders. The Hungarians have been prom
ised by Berlin a substantial slice of
Pennsylvania if they play the German
game in 1910. The same bait has been
dangled before Bulgaria.
Surrounded by Enemies.
AS matter of fact. the irredentist
movement in Bulgaria has reached such
proportions that the nationalists almost
got out of hand and forced King Boris
to peg his claims on the Dobroudja last
December. The Rumanian government
was compelled to send two additional
divisions to the southern border as a
warning to the Bulgarian nationalists.
Surrounded on three sides by enemies.
Carol is looking toward France and Great
Britain, though anticipating no actual
support. Last October, whep he visited
AOAAAOAA anu l al Ao' 1lC "do dANAoCOT W
go to Berlin. But the conditions of sale
and assistance there did not suit him.
Hitler demanded political as we'll as
economic surrender. And Carol answered
Hitler indirectly by executing his hench-
men in Rumania and by dissolving all
political parties which could have offered
their services to the Berlin cause.
Carol turns hopefully, however, toward
the western states to curb Hitlers appe-
tite. He knows that his country is too
inviting morsel both from the political
and economic point of view not to tempt
Der Fuehrer. But he also realizes that
France and Great Britain will not hesi-
tate to give Hitler free hand in the
Danubian Basin-they have already done
so economically-if he will come to terms.
But Rumania with western support
might prove the block on which Hitler
may stumble in the event of an inter-
national confagration. It will be swal-
lowed in two gulps if France and Great
Brita'" give up altogether.
(Copyrisht 1900