Evening star., 1941-09-11
Rumanians' Unrest
Laid 10 WEAKNESS
OF Foreign War
Despair Over Losses in
Russia Declared
TO Be Nationwide
BY DAVID Nj. NICHOL,
Foreisn Correspondent of The Star {

BY DAVID NJ. NICHOL,
Foreisn Correspondent of The Star and
Chicago Daily News.
BERN, Sept. 1l.-Unrest no less
ominous than In Norway prevails
In Rumania where the people are
reported to be visibly weary of
foreign war" in behalf of Europe's
Nazi masters.
There Is nationwide despair over
Rumanian losses in the conflict with
Russia and a protest to the pro-
Nazi government of Premier Gen.
Ion Antonescu recently led to the
arrest of followers of Opposition
Leader DR.. Juliu MANU-.
Conditions in Rumania are de-
picted in the National Zeitung of
Basel. Its Balkan expert, recount
ing Rumanias series of struggles
beginning with the revolt between
the Iron Guard and King Carol,
says:
above all else, the Rumanian
people are tired"
There are three reasons, he says,
for the daily increasing dissatis-
faction in the tortured Balkan
country. First, he says, the Ru-
manian people early learned to dis
count the victory" pronouncements
of their government and realized
that it was to be a long and difi-
cult war.
Rumanians In Odessa Fight.
Second, he declares, they dis
covered quickly how great their
losses were and how they would
continue. BY August ], he says,
citing reliable estimates" Rumania
had lost 10000 dead and 100 900
wounded while 400 field hospitals
were being built to care for the
daily arrival of casualty trains.
Since then Rumanian troops have
been hurled into the terrific fighting
around the Black Sea fortress of
Odessa. Dispatches from Moscow
declare that the Rumanians lost
10000 casualties in the first 10 days
of September and that eight of the
is divisions reported in the battle
no longer exist as organized units.
The Rumanian people are begin
ming to ask, the National Zeitung
continues, if these losses are justified
for the recapture of Bessarabia and
Bucovina when it means the recap
ture of ruins instead of fertile land.
Bombings of Bucharest, while they
have not caused great damage. have
contributed to shattering the civilian
morale, the newspaper says.
The third and crucial turning
point in Rumania's attitude toward
the war, the paper goes on. was its
Transformation from a war of lib
GRAFTON for the provinces taken by
the Russians to an outright imper-
ialistic struggle, or worse, a mercen-
ary job of fighting for foreign in
terests.
Demand Much of Ukraine.
Rumania's government, the paper
says, tried to steam up war enthu-
siasrn with slogans about the recap
ture of Bessarabia and Bucovina
Once this territory had been re-
gained, however, the rulers were
forced to find new catchwords, which
the paper says have evoked little
response. The controlled press be-
gan to speak of mot the Dniester
bu the Bug and to clamor for the
incorporation of a large portion Of
the Ukraine, to which it gave the
euphonious name Transnistra. This,
the account says, has been discov-
cred suddenly to be "old Rumanian
soil and its population primarily
Rumanian, although long cut of
from their fatherland."
The newspaper Porunca Vremii
spoke this week of a nation of so, =
100000" in a century. Rumania's s
present population is about 90
100000.
tCopyrisht, 1s41. by Chicago Daily News.)