Evening star., 1939-09-21
Eight Arrested;
Troops Called
To Prevent Coup
By LLOYD LEHRBAS,

Associated Press Foreign CORRESPONDENT
BUCHAREST, Sept. 2l.-Premier
Armand Calinescu was shot and
killed today by men officially identi-
fled as Iron Guardists and troops
were called up at once to precent
q coup.
Eight of the alleged assassins ano
accomplices have been arrested. The
troops were called to surround their
cells and public buildings.
The assassination of Calinescu-
known as Rumania's strong man
for his suppression Of the outlaWed
pro-Nazi Iron Guard organization
was attributed to conflicting ma
tional interests arising from the
European war.
1t came as German and Russian
troops approached the Rumanlan
frontier in their occupation OF
Poland. Rumania got one-seventh
of her territory from Russia in
the World War settlement.
Government Convenes.
The Rumanian government con-
vened Immediately to take necessary
measures to meet the crisis in Ru-
manias position in internal and
international affairs resulting from
the killing.
The British-French allies and
Germany were engaged in a bitter
struggle, each side attempting to
influence Rumanias S policy to their
advantage. Calinescu had been
known as an advocate of political
and economic cooperation with
Britain and France.
Rumania s oil, needed by Germany S
mechanical army and her air force,
was the major prize.
(Some Budapest sources said
they believed a long-expected re-
volt of the Iron Guard had come.
The Rumanian Legation in Bel
grade said after vain attempts to
telephone Bucharest that it
looked as if the Iron Guard al
ready was in charge.)
On Way to Royal Palace.
The Premier was driving in his
.car on Bucharest's main street, on
his way to the royal palace, when
he was shot. His car was suddenly
blocked, repeatedly by three other
machines The three cars converged
on that of the Premier while peas
ant cart blocked the road ahead.
One car drew alongside. Masked
men jumped out and opened fire
with submachine guns Calinescu
slumped in his seat. Bullets had
riddled his chest and abdomen from
side to side He was killed in
stantly. The shots we're fired at
2:16 pm, Bucharest time CHS am,
e S. t..
While the asSaSSinS were carrying
out their assignment another band
of armed, masked men seized the
Bucharest radio station, shooting
and wounding the announcer and
interrupting the scheduled pro-
gram. Then one of them announced
that Calinescu had been killed in
q revolt.
Meanwhile, Rumanian authorities
quickly clamped on rigid censor
ship until the facts were established.
On Budapest the Rumanian
Legation reported that the
Bucharest radio station shut
down at 2:10 pm, after some
minutes of wild, confused shout
ing" which could be heard over
the microphone The legation
said in mid-afternoon it had
been unable to reach the Bucha-
rest foreign ministry by tele-
phone up to that time)
Calinescu's campaign against the
Iron Guard came to a head in the
fall of 1888 and since then police
have announced discovery of half
dozen revenge plots against him
He became head of the government
March 7, 1899, succeeding the late
DR.. Miron Cristea, patriarch of the
Rumanlan church.
On June II police said Iron
Guardists planned to assassinate
Calinescu and King Carol with hand
grenades at race track
Calinescu was minister of interior
in charge of police on November 80,
1888, when Corneliu Zelea Codreanu,
Iron Guard leader and so-called
Little Hitler" of Rumania, was shot
dead by guards while attempting to
escape" during a transfer from one
prison to another, according to the
official version.
ID Aides Also Slain
Besides Codreanu, his IA chief
aides also were shot. At that time
there were reports that Iron Guard
lists had taken an oath to assasslnate
Calinescu in revenge.
Despite the frequent reported dis
(See CALINESCU, Page ABB