The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1943-11-14
BY WEsTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORk.-A few nights ago radio ora
Gle minated that Carol, the twice abdicated
king OF Rumania, now sojourning in Mexico
City was of mind to come to the United
States, that he had engaged specialist in
such matters to make propaganda among us
preparatory to this move and that, in some
underlined way, there was something sinister
if not downright dastardly about all this
The next day, l received phone call from
Mr.. Russell Brdwell, a press-agent or public
relatons man, In fine, a propaganda with a
Hollywood background who desired an inter
view which has now taken place Mr.. Bird
well spoke earnestly for hour and left
with me number Of typewriter documents
and request that, if I saw King Carol So
present him to my clientele as a statesman
not superannuated payhoy, the author of
many fine social and political reforms dur
ing his second term of 10 years on the throne
lover of freedom and justice, and the ideal
man to rally the suoiugated and betrayed
people of his kingdom in the role of ruler
in exile, preferably with headquarters in the
U. S. A.
For a number of reasons, including the
fact that royal intrigue and international po
litical propaganda are out of my line, I am
unable to assist Mr.. Birdweli in his mission.
but l think you might be interested in hear
ing how such operations are conducted
IL NOlIlPiy Will Jul ldWs. il. Di1tA"S llau
to register with the Department of Justice
as an agent OF foreign principal and the
copies of the propaganda releases which he
left with me contain declaration that the
same have been filed there too.
They are very complimentary 10 Carol, pre-
senting him in a new light to public which
has read of him only as a hell-raising royal
rake and they deny reports which, Incidental
ly 1 never saw, that he took 40 million dol
1o,o Nf fI1n
with him when he left home for Spain, where
he was detained six months, en- route to
Havana and then Mexico City. On the con-
trary, Mr. Birdweu writes, the king got away
with less than million, lives IN most
rented dwelling with three bedrooms, ana two
baths but no closets, thus having to store his
baggage on the porch has one maid servant
has not lost enormously at poker nor ever
played poker any whatever and did not buy
an interest in night club in Mexico City
On the truth or relevancy of any OF these
matters l cannot pass judgment but DO get
the irony of situation in which european
king resorts to the same softenlng fnethod
that in the past has been employed by such
lesser dignitaries as consul the monk Primo
Camera and the French industrial speeo-up
engineer whose name for the moment can
remember, who should. TradltlonaAy the
United States has waived all ordinary tor
malities at the immigration ana customs SID
tions for visiting European rnonarchs' 1hclud-
ing a number of current guests ana one, the
Duke of Windsor who, like Carol is EX. Carol
however, met nothing but delays IN his re-
quests for permission to come aboard ana SO
with the knowledge of our government ne
hires an American press-agent to discover his
virtues with the purpose that puonc OPINION
here will press our Department OF otate TO
let him in and give him the status OF gov.
eminent in exile and an honorable member OIL
the visiting company Of anti-NaZls:
| Is it then that he is undesirable because
he was a rounder even, II you insist a
bounder in his merry days IN fafls? Is 1t
that he drank intoxicants in public ana sassed
his nav? If those were formloaple opJec-
tons. our refugee set would be scarcely a
| squad, nor that army that 1t IS. But IL IL IS
that Russia seems about to capture humahia
and has intentions into when Caioi ooes not
fit that could be understood 10 explain why
the u S. A. not wishing TO olieno loyal
ally. has kept him scufflng MS soies vi 'he
doormat all this time. ao;,,a e;.
Time was when MIR. Blrd"ell' ooliis l Us
killings. and all such city-side choles On New
York papers might have been SEW a ~ IL, ~
the tradesmens door when calne oh ne ne iuast
of Europes kings. Now hlhs pe y. ii1s t, Wy
to and from Mexico City and uoneA 1,s.
beside to tell the people Of the u ~ tho ulds
he is more than a little bit OF all ilsii''
! royal.