roumania and uk.pdf

pOUMANIAskND GREAT BRITAIN

A. HERSCOVICi HURST

[Photo : Stanley's Press Agency

KING FERDINAND OF ROUMANIA

ROUMANIAAND GREAT BRITAIN

BY

A. HERCOVIC! HURST

With a Preface bySIR THOMAS DUNLOP, Bart.,

Lord Provost of Glasgow

HODDER AND STOUGHTONLONDON NEW YORK TORONTO

MCMXVI

PREFACE

IHAVE great pleasure in acceding to

the request of the Committee of theNational Roumanian Relief Fund that

I should say a few words in commendationof this volume, which is being publishedin order to serve a twofold purpose : first,to give in a concise and popular form someinformation regarding the history of Rou-mania as a country and her attitude to-wards the war as our latest ally ; and secondto assist the Fund which is being raisedin this country to provide Field Hospitals,Motor Ambulances, etc., and relieve thedistress and sufferings of a gallant nationwhose material resources and industrieshave been paralysed by the mobilisationof her male population.

i PREFACERoumania traces her history as far back

as the time of the Emperor Trajan ; butuntil the present century httle was knownof her evolution or her chequered career.Until recently the nations of Western

Europe knew comparatively little of Bal-kan politics or of the strategical positionof Roumania ; and her attitude towardsthe Allies in the present struggle has beenlargely misunderstood.The present volume, which has been

written by a Roumanian, who is also anaturalised British subject, is an authorita-tive record of the history of the nation,

the characteristics of the people, and theresources of the country.

Her intervention in the war means notonly an accession to the fighting forces of

the Alhes, but, from an economic point ofview, it opens up potentialities of im-mense importance in the future.

It is therefore important that the people

PREFACE vii

of Great Britain should know as much aspossible of a country with which, after the

war, we are bound to have intimate socialand business relationships.From this point of view I cordially

commend the present volume to the carefulstudy of all interested in the future

prosperity and peace of the world.

Thomas Dunlop.

WHEN the present war began itlooked for a time as though in-terest would mainly centre in the

west and in the north-east ; but themaps by which one could usefully followmilitary operations in those days havelong been insufficient. One country afteranother in the south-east of Europe hasbeen drawn into the conflict, and last yearit seemed as though the Central Powerswere about to break the ring of the Allies,and establish their dominion among therising nations of the East.For the last generation Germany had

endeavoured by every means to increaseher influence among these peoples. Thethread of German commercial and politicalintrigue ran through the tangled web ofBalkan politics. German trade, Germanmilitary power, German geniusin what

2 ROmLA^NIA

part of the world have they not beenadvertised ? In what part of Europe havethey not engaged the minds of men toadmiration or to fear ? And among theStates that were strugghng to estabhshtheir freedom after centuries of anarchyand oppression the efforts of their powerfulTeuton neighbours could not fail to makea deep impression.To the people of these States many of

the nations of the West were as littleknown as, until this century, the BalkanStates and their neighbours were to theBritish people. In all the discussions as towho would join the Allies and who wouldjoin the Central Powers, ignorance of theconditions in the south-east of Europewas the most marked feature. Many weresurprised that Bulgaria went against us,that Greece should play the part she hasdone, and that Roumania should be ourfriend ; and there are those yet whodoubt whether that friendship is worthwhat it will cost. They know neither thecountry nor the people.

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Roumania's Strategical PositionRoumania, as at present constituted,

consists of the ancient principalities ofMoldavia and Wallacliia, with the Dob-rudja. It is about as large in area asEngland and Wales, but different in shape ;and it has a population of about eightmillions. It is situated between Russia,Austria, Serbia and Bulgaria ; and itsborder to the Black Sea separates it fromTurkey. It will thus be seen that itsstrategic position is of the highest import-ance. On its northern and westernborders it is bounded by the high Car-pathian Mountains, and the ground sweepsfrom them in a gradual slope throughfertile plains to the Danube and thePruth.The climatic conditions are good ; for,

although the winters are sometimes ex-tremely cold, and the height of the summeris marked by great heat, the temperatureis agreeable during the greater part of theyear ; and the abundant harvests, forwhich the country has always been cele-

4 ROUMANIA

brated, are the best indication of its

natural fertility.The Germans have recognised Rou-

mania's wealth in natural resources andhave helped her commercial progress insome ways ; but, their object being tosecure the control of the country, theyhave hindered its development in otherdirectionsfor political reasons. WithBritish support the natural wealth ofRoumania might be exploited in such amanner as to bring the country moreintimately into touch with the WesternPowers, and free it from the fear ofdomination by a race that is alien to it ingenius and aspirations.

Roumania's ProgressNearly 80 per cent, of the people of

Roumania are engaged in agriculture andkindred occupations ; but there are im-portant towns in the country, and acommercial population that has increasedwith the development of industry.Each department has its chief town, and

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the life there has become assimilated tothat of the cities of the West. Bucharest,the capital, has modelled itself on Parisand is one of the most luxurious cities inEurope. It has a population as large asthat of Edinburgh. Its situation is excel-lent, its government is good, and it isthe centre of commerce, of education, andof administration. Modern drama andmodern music flourish there, and it hasan excellent university, libraries, andmuseums of Dacian and Roman antiqui-ties. The other towns, though in a lesserdegree, have also developed greatly duringthe last twenty years, and have beenstrongly influenced by French ideals.

The People and Their ReligionMuch of the land in Roumania was

held by large owners, some of whom arethe descendants of the nobles who werethe rulers and leaders of the people

;

but, recognising that, in the words ofPrince M. Bibescu, " the peasants bringabundance in time of peace and glory in

6 ROUMANIA

time of war," they agreed to legislationwhereby a form of peasant proprietorshiphas been established. There are nowover a million small landholders in thecountry ; and the rural population ismanifesting a keener interest in politicalaffairs than it was accustomed to do.The Roumanian peasant is a hard-

headed, practical person, and, whetherhe is a kilted highlander of the Car-pathians, who lives among his flocksand his herds, or an agriculturist of theplains, he is steeped in the traditions ofhis race. The valour and the sufferingsof his ancestors are as real to him andinfluence him as profoundly as the religionto which he is devoted. The sorrowsof the past are enshrined in folk-songand ballad which keep alive the memoryof old triumphs, trials, and miseries,as the people are easily moved bymusic.As might be expected, the highlanders

and peasantry generally, who are farfrom the influences of the towns, look

AND GREAT BRITAIN 7

with some doubt on their urban fellow-countrymen ; and, being themselves at-tached to the past, and intensely patrioticand clannish, they cling to traditionalcustoms and dress.The Roumanian peasant is very reli-

gious ; indeed, alike in town and country,the Greek Orthodox Church has a powerfulhold on the people. Its ritual appealsto them ; saints' days and other reli-gious celebrations are zealously observed.The churches are filled with worshippers,and the congregations do not consistmostly of women, as in many countries.The Roumanian takes his religion seriously,and carries its forms through all the im-portant events of life to death and burial.He is more influenced by the law of theChurch than by the law of the land.Many of the finest buildings throughoutthe country are ecclesiastical, and inCurtea de Arges the cathedral is a noblespecimen of Byzantine architecture. Itis built of greyish white limestone re-sembling alabaster, and with its arabesque

8 ROmiANIA

ornamentation looks out on the sunlightlike some fairy palace of the ArabianNights.Of the Roumanian people generally it

may be said that they are a hardy race, ofquick intelligence, passionate, emotional,and susceptible to artistic influences. Theyare warm-hearted and generous, hospitableto strangers, and, though quick to resentan injury, are not forgetful of any kindnessshown to them. The women of the countryhave long had a reputation in the East fortheir beauty.For many generations the Tziganes have

found shelter in Roumania, and theirwild music has been influenced by andhas influenced that of the land of theiradoption.Whatever differences there may be

among the Roumanians, they are allunited in their pride of race and in apatriotism that has its roots in the historyof their troubled past. They cannot beunderstood without some knowledge ofthat history.

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Origin of the NationThe Roumanians claim to be the descend-

ants of those Roman soldier colonistswho were settled in the kingdom ofDacia by the Emperor Trajan. Thatkingdom consisted of the territory nowknown as Transylvania, which at presentis under the rule of Austria ; Moldavia,which is a part of the present kingdomof Roumania, and formerly included theterritories of Bessarabia and Bukowina ;and Wallachia, or Muntania as it is calledby the Roumanians.During the decline of the Roman Empire

the Goths and Slavs overran the countryon either side and settled there, formingHungary, Slavonia, Bosnia, etc., and cutoff the Roumanians from the Latin racesto which they belonged. Their coimtry,however, did not escape invasion ; butamidst all the changes they clung tena-ciously to their national customs, and,though their language has been influencedby the invaders, it is still in the main aLatin language, and it is not difficult to

10 ROUMANIA

understand by anyone witli a thoroughknowledge of Latin, French, or Italian.For many years Roumanian history is

one of struggle for domination by localchiefs, none of whom was strong enoughto establish himself as ruler over thecountry. As Mahommedan power in-creased and spread, Roumania camegradually under the sovereignty of theTurk, but, though the people were sub-dued, they were never crushed ; in spiteof oppression and massacre, the nationalspirit lived, and the Roumanians werealways ready to strike a blow for freedom.Having no leaders who could unite them,their struggle seemed a hopeless one, butdefeat did not daunt them, nor were theydismayed by their failures.

Struggles for IndependenceWhen the Barbarians overran the

Roman Empire many of the Roumaniansof the plains took to the mountains inorder to escape massacre, and settled onthe slopes of the Carpathians. There they

[Photo : Stanley's Press Agency.

QUEEN MARIE OF ROUMANIA

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maintained their independence and livedin groups or clans under chieftains, cul-tivating the land, hunting, and raidingthe foreign settlers who had displacedthem. As the plains of Moldavia andTransylvania became settled after in-vasion, and as the descendants of theBarbarians lost their warlike habits andtook to peaceful pursuits, the Roumaniansfrom the highlands became a thorn in theirflesh, and, having the sympathy of thedescendants of their kinsfolk who had beensubdued by the Barbarians, they keptalive the old Roman spirit, and preventedthe country from falling completely intothe hands of the foreigner. Gradually acohesion was established between thescattered raiders, and they only wanteda competent leader to unite them andenable them to realise their desire toestablish an independent Roumania.Towards the end of the thirteenth

century Radul Negro (1290-1314),Voivode of Transylvania, having estab-lished his power in his own principality,

b2

12 ROUMANIA

attempted to unite the Roumanians ofthe neighbouring country, Wallachia, and,although his efforts were not crownedwith success, they contributed powerfullytowards union, and broke down localjealousies. At his death the ground hehad gained seemed to be lost, and the oldfeuds between petty chiefs broke outafresh.

Mircea (1386-1418), from being a localchief, had established himself as rulerof Wallachia ; and by his political andmilitary genius he succeeded in freeinghis principality from the foreign yoke,but he recognised that to keep his countryfree he must continue to fight the oppressorand aid his neighbours to destroy theTurkish power. He went to the assistanceof Serbia, and took part in the greatbattle of Kossovo, and, though there theTurks were victorious and the Serbiannation was laid in the dust, his action pre-vented a disastrous defeat from becomingutter annihilationa fact which seems tohave escaped the notice of many modern


writers on the subject. In the presentwar the King of Roumania has recalledto his subjects the memory of the greatdeeds of their ancestors, and he mighthave added to the names of the heroes hecited that of Mircea the Great, who, likehimself, joined his armies to those of thedistressed Serbian people in order tostrike a blow against a tyrant's prideand arrogance. In spite of his defeat,perhaps even because of it, Mircea didnot slacken in his efforts to curb thepower of the Turk. He saw that freedomfrom Mahommedan domination could onlybe secured by steady resistance and that,unless the Christian powers united tooppose the Sultan, he would overrun thewhole of that portion of Europe. Heovercame the jealousy of his neighbours,and made an alliance with Sigismund ofHungary in an attempt to stem the tideof Moslem invasion. Although they weredefeated at Nicopolis, they crippled thevictor to such an extent that he was notable to execute his plans of conquest,

14 ROUMANIA

and a breathing space was afforded to thesorely harassed Christian populations. Tosome extent Roumania stood between theTurk and Western civilisation as Belgiumhas stood between Germany and theAllies.

Under Turkish RuleUnfortunately at Mircea's death he was

not succeeded by men of equal ability,and the country gradually came underthe suzerainty of Constantinople. Forcenturies the people were oppressed beyondendurance ; but every attempt at rebel-lion was suppressed with the utmostcruelty, and to the rule they abhorredthey were compelled through weaknessto submit. The princes set over themwere corrupt and impatriotic, being prac-tically in the pay of Turkey, and notuntil the close of the sixteenth centurydid they discover a leader who had thegenius as well as the will to set themfree ; but amidst the darkness therewere periods when it seemed that not


only had the dawn of hberty broken, butthe day had arrived.

Stephen the Great (1457-1504) is one ofthe notable heroes of the Roumanianpeople. He appears to have been a manof genius, who not only brought his militaryenterprises to success, but proved himselfto be a great statesman. As has frequentlybeen the case in the history of smallnations, victories do not always rest withthe big battalions. Stephen routed theTurks, although they outnumbered hisforces by more than three to one, andrepelled the invasions of the Poles, whoexpected he would fall an easy prey totheir might. During his long reign offorty years he established a degree ofpeace and order in Moldavia that waswanting before and after his time, and fora brief space he dominated Wallachia.He was called by the Pope the " Athleteof Christ " for the stand he made againstthe Turks. His name and fame spreadthrough Europe, and there is no doubt thatMichael the Brave was fired by his example.

IC ROUMANIA

The First Ruler : The National HeroMichael the Brave (1593-1601) was

chosen by the Wallachians as their chief

;

and the choice was a direct challenge tothe Siiltan, who had appointed another tobe their ruler. Michael had to flee, andthe country was roused by fire and sword,but through the influence and representa-tions of Edward Barton, the EnglishAmbassador at Constantinople, who hadenlisted the interests of the Prince ofTransylvania, the Sultan was persuadedto allow Michael to become the rulingchief. He soon had reason to regret hisaction.

Michael was a born leader of men, andthe people recognised his genius. He over-came local jealousies and out of stragglingclans he made an army. Although inferiorin numbers, he defeated the Turks ; successfollowed success ; and the man chosen bythe people and hunted by their alien rulersbecame a power that his enemies could notresist. When the Prince of Transylvaniaabdicated, Michael marched swiftly and


claimed the throne as leader of the Rou-manians. By his swiftness and vigour hesurprised and defeated the Hungarians.Having established his power in Transyl-vania, he proceeded to clear Moldavia ofthe Sultan's satellites, and with the good-will of the people he became the first rulerof Roumania proper, consisting of thepresent kingdom with Bessarabia, Buko-wina and Transylvania. It is no wonderthat in the present great war the King ofRoumania should invoke the shade ofMichael to aid in conquering that landbeyond the forestthe unredeemed Rou-maniaover which he ruled.The pride of the Sultan was laid low and

his conquests torn from his grasp. Hesent against Michael army after army, but,though his best generals led them, few ofthe legions that crossed the Danube everreturned. In the height of his powerMchael agreed to give assistance to theAustrians, who were then hard pressed.He went to join them with his army ; andwhile he was in his tent General Basta,

18 ROmiANIA

the Austrian commander, obtained ad-mission to him on the pretext that hewanted to consult him. He was treacher-ously murdered before his guards couldsave him, but he sold his life dearly andere he died killed several of his assailants.He was and is the national hero, whosepatriotic life and military achievementsappeal to every Romnanian.The fact that Michael the Brave was

helped to his throne by the representativeof the English people and was foully andtreacherously slain by an Austrian hasnever appealed to me as a Roumanian sostrongly as to-day. Now, as then, Britain isthe country that favours freedom and givesaid to small nationalities, and Germany thePower that breaks her trust and makes ofher obligations a " scrap of paper."Although Michael had united the

country, his death occurred before he hadhad time to establish the kingdom, andfrom the confusion caused by his assassina-tion, and the sudden loss of his powerfulpersonality, the land was torn asunder.


Till the middle of the eighteenth centurythe history of the Roumanian principalitiesof Moldavia and Wallachia is one ofoppression and unsuccessful revolt. Thecountry was under the suzerainty of theTurks, who farmed it out to the highestbiddermostly Greeks. There was nogoodwill between the rulers and people,but the discontent, though always present,never resulted in successful efforts to throwoff the tyranny that caused it. With thedecline of the Turkish power in theeighteenth century, and the rise of Austriaand Russia, Roumania became a kind ofcockpit, in which those contending king-doms fought their battles. Sometimes thecountry was dominated by one Power andsometimes by another, and it seemed asthough in the clash of opposing forces theRoumanian people would be destroyed andthe Roumanian spirit killed.

Dawn of a Brighter DayIn 1774 Austria intervened to make

peace between Russia and Turkey : she

20 ROUMANIA

annexed to her own territory the Buko-wina, and the Roumanians have never beenreconciled to this loss. In 1804 the Rou-manians went to the assistance of Kara-george in Serbia, Avhen he headed a revoltagainst the Turks, but the action did notresult in gaining for them any relief fromOttoman misrule. They were always readyto help other oppressed peoples, thoughunable to free themselves from the heavyweight of misgovernment. In 1822 theTurkish tyranny had become such a horrorand a scandal to the European Powers thatthey intervened, and insisted on Roumaniabeing allowed to govern itself luider thenominal suzerainty of the Sultan. Asusual it was easier to get the Turk topromise reform than to fulfil his promise,and in 1824 Britain had to step in andinsist on the arrangement being carriedout. From that date until 1848 Moldaviaand Wallachia w^re each ruled by nativeprinces under the protection of Russia andTurkey. National aspirations grew steadily,and in 1848, when among the Western


nations of Europe revolution seemed to bein the air, Avram Yancu headed a revoltagainst the Hungarians in Transylvania,and the fire thus kindled spread to Moldaviaand Wallachia. The condition of affairsbecame so grave that in 1856 the WesternPowers interfered, and the rising in Tran-sylvania having been crushed, a constitu-tion was granted to the two principalities.By this constitution it was ordained thateach principality should have a separateruler, but the Roumanians overcame thisdifficulty in the way of union by agreeingthat Moldavia and Wallachia would eachnominate the same man as its ruler,although each division had to retain itsseparate Council. The Powers at firstobjected, but in the deadlock that ensuedthey had to give way. A native ruler,Prince Cuza, who was then appointed,found his kingdom too difficult to manage,and in a few years he abdicated and retiredto Paris. Then it was felt that by choosingas Prince a member of one of the Europeanroyal families local jealousies might be

22 ROUMANIA

prevented, and it was agreed that such aPrince should be sought. In those dayspohtical aUiaiices were different from whatthey are now : jealousy existed betweenBritain and Russia that has now givenplace to a better understanding and cordialgoodwill, but in those days, strong as wasthe desire to have him, a Prince from eitherof these countries was out of the question.The Count of Flanders was offered thePrincipality, but declined it, and finally,in 1866, Prince Carol of Sigmaringen wasappointed. Austria was so much againstthe appointment that the Prince had totravel in disguise to Bucharest, but whenhe arrived there he was received withacclamation.

Selection of Prince CarolThe selection was a fortunate one

:

the national feeling was awake ; proudof their past, the people believed that thegenius of their race would build up forthem a splendid future. They were eagerfor a ruler who would lead them along


the paths of progress, who would sym-pathise with their national aspirations,and who would establish them in peacefulprosperity. Prince Carol fulfilled theirexpectations ; wise and far-seeing, he didnot seek to impose foreign ideas uponthem, but set about to understand hispeople, and to guide them rather thandrive them. He became not only Princeof Roumania, but the first of Roumaniansin the fullest sense of the word, natu-ralisedable to take the standpoint ofhis people and to act from it, withoutlosing his power of seeing things as theyappeared to outsiders. He gave thema liberal constitution founded on no doc-trinaire or hide-bound ideas, but suitedto their actual needsa constitution thatmight be open to academic criticism, thatmight be too narrow for one countryand too broad for another, but one thathas proved itself to be that under whichRoumania could most safely develop.

Recognising that even small nationalitiesif they would retain their freedom must

24 ROUMANIA

be prepared to defend it, Prince Carolpaid attention to the establishment ofan Army on modern lines, and brought itto a high state of efficiency. When in1877, owing to the terrible atrocities com-mitted by the Turks in the Balkans,Russia declared war on Turkey, Roumaniaoffered to join forces with the Czar; shewas still nominally under the sovereigntyof the Sultan, but had ceased to beactually subject to his dominion. Notforgetful of her own sufferings at the handsof the Moslem, she was eager to assistthe Serbs and Bulgars in their efforts tofree themselves from Turkish misrule.She had no prospect of gain before her ;but her sympathy with the neighbouringnations in their fight for freedom, althoughthese nations were not her kin, was sostrong that she was prepared to makesacrifices for them. The Czar did notthink it necessary to accept her offer,but took advantage of her friendlinessto march his armies through her ter-ritory into Bulgaria to give battle to the


Turks. When before Plevna his armieswere threatened with destruction by theTurkish General, Osman Pasha, the Czaraccepted the proffered aid from Rou-mania, whose Army, under Prince Carol,marched to his assistance and, afterseizing the forts of Gravitza, broughttriumph to the Russian armies, andmade for itself a reputation which ithas since sustained.

Prince Carol as KingUnfortunately for Roumania and for

the peace of Europe, the Powers at theConference of Berlina Conference atwhich Roumania was refused a seat

were influenced too powerfull}^ by Ger-many and Austria. Austria, who hadnever looked with favour on Prince Carol,desired to have a prince ruling overRoumania who would be under her in-fluence, and she here sought an oppor-tunity to sever the alliance betweenRussia and Roumania that was foundedon their mutual sacrifices in the war.

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26 ROUMANIA

The Treaty of Berlin gave Bessarabia,which was the most fertile part of Mol-davia, to Russia ; and Roumania wasgiven in exchange the Dobrudja, con-sisting mainly of marshlands. This ar-rangement naturally gave great offenceto Roumania, and contributed to detachher from Russia and bring her to lookwith more favour on the Central Powers.But Prince Carol, while fitting his

country for war, did not neglect the artsof peace. He encouraged agriculture andcommerce, and, recognising the necessityfor instruction in technical matters, hepaid great attention to the establish-ment of schools and colleges. In 1881he was crowned King of Roumania, thecrown being made of metal from theartillery captured by him at Plevna

;

and the principality of Roumania wasrecognised by the Powers as a kingdom.

The QueenCarmen SylvaIf Roumania was fortunate in the Prince

it had chosen, he was no less fortunate

[Photo: Stanley'' s Press Agency

BRATIANO


in his Consort. In 1869 he married Prin-cess EHsabeth of Wied, who becameknown to all Europe as Carmen Sylva.Her ability w^ould have enabled her tomake a name for herself if she had beena private citizen ; indeed, her high posi-tion contributed rather to diminish thereputation justly due to her talent. Itis commonly said that all Royalpersonages are able, and there certainlyis a disposition in some quarters togive great praise to mediocre productionswhen the authors of these productionsoccupy a throne. Everybody is familiarwith the reputation of the GermanEmperor as a writer, painter, musician

in short, as a genius in all departments

and nobody is greatly moved by theadulation he has received except thosewho have been so unfortunate as tobecome the possessors of some of hisproductions. But the praise given toCarmen Sylva was only her due. Herbooks found for themselves a public bytheir own merits, and are read for their

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28 ROUMANIA

literary worth. She made valuable con-tributions to the study of folk-lore, andthereby gained the respect of thoselearned men whose profession it is to aidin the knowledge of the present by thestudy of the past. Her contributionsto general literature were the delightof a large circle of readers, and she wrotefairy tales which by their delicate charmand poetic feeling had a rare distinction.She had great musical gifts, which werecultivated under Rubinstein and Schu-mann, and she used these gifts not merelyfor the pleasure of her friends, but, onoccasion, for the benefit of her subjectsand in the cause of charity. But shewas not merely respected in Roumaniaand admired for her talents ; she wonthe hearts of her people by her interest intheir welfare and the thoughtful care shegave to their needs. She helped thepoor ; and she enabled them to helpthemselves. With this object she estab-lished industries by which they couldimprove their position. To them the


Queen was not some high and far-offbeing whom they were bound to respectand obey ; she was known among themas " Mama Regina "Mother Queen

and the name fairly indicates the wayin which they looked upon her. Fromthe time she first came amongst themuntil the day of her death, her reputationamong the people steadily increased ; shenever slackened her interest in theirwelfare, and they knew that in her theyhad a ruler on whose sympathy theycould always rely.The position of Roumania was not an

enviable one. A small State placed betweenpowerful neighbours has to be carefulto avoid giving offence if she would pre-serve any degree of independence. It isalmost impossible to please one withoutgiving umbrage to another, and if sheleans too much to any side, she is indanger of paying for the support shereceives by a loss of freedom. Roumania,like Italy, was compelled by stress ofcircumstances to come to an understand-

80 ROUIVIANIA

ing with Austrianeither State was strongenough to face the possibihty of war withAustria ; but when that Power seized onBosnia and Herzegovina and nearlybrought about a European war, Roumaniamade it perfectly clear that she would beno party to Austria's aggression.

The Balkan WarWhen Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria

formed an alliance to rid Europe of theTurk, Roumania observed a benevolentneutrality. It is well known that theobject of the Central Powers and theambition of the German Emperor was toexercise a preponderating political influencefrom Berlin to Baghdad. With this objectin view the Kaiser had paid his court tothe Sultan and brought the Moslem empireunder German influence. Had Roumaniawished to assist the ambitions of theCentral Powers, it would have been herpolicy to take the field against the BalkanAlliance, and Bulgaria in particular. Con-trary to the expectations of the Central


Powers, the Turk was beaten and theBalkan Powers triumphed. But in theambitious and unscrupulous King of Bul-garia these Powers had an instrument totheir hand that might be employed toenable them to recover the ground whichthey had lost and to break up the Alliancethat threatened destruction to their" Drang nach Osten " policy. Bulgariatreacherously turned on her allies andattacked both the Greeks and the Serbs,but Roumania declared war on Bulgaria,and by her action destroyed any chancethat Ferdinand had to defeat his formerallies.

It is now quite clear that if Bulgaria hadbeen successful in defeating Serbia andGreece, German influence would have beenparamount in South-eastern Europe, andthe Berlin-to-Baghdad dream would havebeen a reality. So far from lending herselfto the policy of the Central Powers,Roumania acted on the advice of theEntente PowersBritain and her allies.This is not to say that Roumania was

S2 ROUMANIA

blindly lending herself to the ambition ofeither of the great alliances ; she wasacting in what she believed to be her owninterests, and these interests did not appearto her to be those of the Germans. Herposition was uncomfortable enough, andshe did not believe that she would be lessliable to be buUied by the Austrians andGermans if their influence on her neigh-bours were increased and if Bulgaria, asthe price of her aggrandisement, became atributary State of the Central Powers.Roumania entered the war, not for thepurpose of increasing her territoryas amatter of fact she only accepted a rectifica-tion of her frontier, though some of theother belligerents nearly doubled theirareabut in order to maintain her ownindependence, which she believed wouldbe in danger if Bulgaria defeated Greeceand Serbia. She did not believe that thepeace of Europe could be maintained if theexistence of the small nationalities wereimperilled and their independence lost.

In this country there was no attempt to


understand Balkan politics on the part ofpeople generally. They had been accus-tomed to hear of danger from one or otherof the Great Powers, and the Near Easthad no history for them. The popularimpression was that that part of Europewas composed of various races who weregenerally fighting with one another, andwhose quarrels had little but a sportinginterest for the Western nations. Ofcourse this was not the view of statesmen,or of enlightened individuals and com-mittees ; but the lecturer on the BalkanStates and on the Near East was apt to beregarded as a kind of foreign missionary

an earnest and well-intentioned person,who ought to be encouraged, but not takentoo seriously. Perhaps not very manypeople would have committed themselvesto the proposition made by the amateurpolitician who, indignant at the Sultanbecause of the Armenian massacres, saidthat if the Government were in earnest tosave these poor people, they should sendthe British Fleet up the Balkans ! But

84 ROUMANIA

the name conveyed very little to many,and it is only lately that the fact has beenrealised that these little-known countries,these young kingdoms of old races, are asmuch a part of Europe as the older States,and their progress of as much importance.When this is clearly seen, the greatness ofRoumania's share in preventing the domi-nation of Europe by the Germanic Powerswill be acknowledged. Had she stoodaside when Bulgaria attacked the othermembers of the Balkan Alliance ; muchmore, had she assisted Bulgaria in playingthe German game, the task of the Alliesto-day would have been immensely in-creased, and that under difficulties almostinsurmountable. Being a small Power, shecould not have done more than she did ; andif shehad b een ambitious of aggrandisementand content to be under German domina-tion, she might easily have done less.

King FerdinandIt would have been no new thing in the

history of Roumania for progress to be

AND GREAT BRITAIN 8S

made under a good ruler, and throughwant of a competent successor for every-thing to be lost. The life of the King andQueen was saddened by the death of theironly child, and when it became clear thatthere could be no succession in the directline, the King's nephew, Ferdinand, wasinvited to take up his residence in thecountry that he might expect to rule. Ashis uncle had done, Ferdinand interestedhimself in the country and its needs. Hesucceeded in gaining a knowledge of thepeople and obtained the confidence of theleaders. He married the Princess Marie,daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh. Itis a curious fact that he has a blood re-lationship with the great Napoleon, whilehis Queen is a descendant of the King whowas Napoleon's most formidable enemy.Ferdinand succeeded to the throne on

the death of King Carol soon after thepresent great war began. He had closelystudied the policy of his predecessor andhas followed in its lines. Being a con-stitutional monarch, not at all inclined to

36 ROUMANIA

impose his personal will on his ministersmerely for his own glorification, he actswith them and through them to satisfy theaspirations of his subjects. He is a modestman, who is not given to spectaculardisplays : it would be quite out of characterfor him to go about his country in themanner of the Kaiser, or King Ferdinandof Bulgaria, and call Heaven and earth towitness to the majesty of his power. Heis content to do his duty by his people andawait in confidence his reward.For the last ten years of King Carol's

fife Ferdinand took upon himself a greatpart of the work in order to save the lifeand the energy of the aged iniler ; and thequiet industry and conscientious care withwhich he applied himself to the duties ofthe kingly office won him the confidenceand affection of his subjects, and therespect of Europe.

*' Carmen Sylva " did not long sui'vive herhusband ; but Queen Marie has worthilysucceeded her in the esteem of the Rou-manian people. It was a great blow to


Roumania that the King, whom she hadso long trusted, and the Queen she loved,should have been taken from her sosuddenly ; but she has been fortunate intheir successors.

Queen MarieQueen Marie is as little given to display

and theatrical effect as is the King ; herinfluence does not depend on anything buther own personality. She is accessible toall and ever ready to help in any goodcause. Roumania is renowned for thebeauty of its women ; but in beauty andgrace as well as in rank she is its Queen.She is frank and generous, and her pre-sence and character have contributed verygreatly to the belief of the Roumanians inthe British people. Like "Carmen Sylva,"she has encouraged and developed nativeindustries, and has exercised a powerfulinfluence among all classes of her subjects.It is a great thing to teach people newoccupations : but it is often as great, andsometimes more profitable, to help them

88 ROUMANIA

to perfect themselves in those at whichthey are employed. The Roumanianshave long been noted for their skill inembroidery and needlework, but under theguidance of the Queen they have beentaught to make improvements both indesign and in execution while, at the sametime, conserving all that was good in themethods of industry. Under her patronagethe silk industry has been greatly de-veloped ; the mulberry tree is cultivatedin various parts of the country and thesilkworm is reared with such success thatno finer quality of silk is produced in anypart of the world.But Queen Marie, while attending to her

subjects, does not forget her family, and isa model mother. She has six children whoare the rising hope of the country. Theyhave their mother's beauty and givepromise of showing their father's goodsense. They are reaching an age whenpeople speculate as to the alliances theymay make, and the Roumanian peoplehave no doubt that they will justify the


belief that they are fit to mate with any-Royal family, however great.

Roumania's Suspicion of GermanyThe price of freedom is eternal vigilance,

and if this is ti-ue generally, it is particu-larly true in the case of small States.

Great Powers may be able to look with lesssuspicious eyes on their neighbours thansmall Powers, because of the confidence intheir ability to resist oppression. Thepeople in the smaller States in South-eastern Europe had a more accurate ideaof what was likely to result from theambitions of the Central Powers, andparticularly of Germany, than had thepeople of Western Europe. Roumanianpoliticians knew that war was in the air,and they beheved that Germany onlywaited a favourable opportunity to pro-voke it, in order to increase her influenceand destroy the power of her rivals. Theybelieved that Germany would have forcedwar at the time of the Agadir incident hadit not been that she found she could not

40 ROUMANIA

depend on the assistance of the Austrians.Although official Austria might have beenwilling to support Germany had warresulted over the Moroccan crisis, therewould have been differences of opinionamong the Austrian people and activeopposition on the part of the Hungariansto the sacrifice of their lives in an adventurewith which their country was not con-cerned. Germany believed that she wasstrong enough, with the support of herneighbour, to fight successfully the En-tente Powers ; but there did not seem tobe any chance of her finding such a causeof war with anj'^ of these Powers as wouldunite Austro-Hungarian feeling on herside. With time the chances might beagainst her ; for her opponents had shownsigns that they were taking alarm and wereincreasing their forces, and cementingalliances. If Austro-Hungarian feelingcould, by any event, be stirred to such anextent that the country would go to warwith one of its neighbours, then Germany,on the plea of friendship, could enter in


support of Austria, and so force into thefield those countries who were aUied toAustria's opponent.The annexation of Bosnia and Herze-

govina by Austriaopenly fostered byGermanynearly brought on war withRussia, which would have exactly suitedPrussia's purpose ; but although Britainand France loyally supported Russia in herobjection to the annexation, the Czar didnot feel that his country, which was onlyrecovering from the effects of the Japan-ese War, would be justified in going towar again

;particularly as it was clear

that Germany would join hands withAustria.

In 1913 it was feared that the flames ofwar would spread from the Balkans overEurope, and the attitude of Austria was,to say the least, provocative. It was wellenough understood that in this she wasencouraged by Germany ; but, thanks tothe statesmanship displayed by Sir EdwardGrey at the Ambassadorial Conference inLondon, and the reasonableness shown by

42 ROUMANIA

Russia, Germany's anticipations were againdisappointed.

Origin of the WarA chance came at last : whether it should

be attributed to the Providence that theKaiser has always proclaimed his Ally,or to the intrigues and machinations ofhis earthly satellites, history may yetreveal. The fact is that the tragic end ofthe Archduke Ferdinand and his consortat Sarajevo gave Austria a reasonablecause of complaint against Serbia ; butthe complaint was made in an unreasonableway. It was a right and proper thing todemand a rigid enquiry into the crime, tosearch for its perpetrators, and to securetheir pimishment when found ; but Austriadid not make such a request. She madedemands to which no State could accedeand preserve, not merely her sovereignrights, but her self-respect. In WesternEurope the people generally did notbelieve that these demands would bepersisted in. Serbia showed her wiUing-


ness to do more than could reasonably beasked of her, and people thought thatsome accommodation would be found

;

but it is clear now that Germany had nointention of allowing Austria to be reason-able. Such a chance of uniting Austro-Hungarian sentiment might never comeagain. Their anger and their pride hadbeen stirred, and if war came it wouldnot be opposed. It is now held thatGermany encouraged Austria to believethat Russia's remonstrances would beginand end in words : and Austria declaredwar, having been tricked into that courseby Prussia, as the Young Turks were later.As the Great Power to whom the Slav

nations looked for guidance and protection,Russia could not ignore Austria's action,and she continued her attempts for apeaceful settlement ; but Germany hurriedin while these negotiations were in thebalance, gave Russia's mobilisation as areason for declaring war upon her, andmade a local Balkan incident the cause ofa European conflagration. By treaty

d2

44 ROUMANIA

France was bound to enter the field on theside of Russia ; but Germany did notwait to see whether she would respect herobligations, or treat them as a scrap ofpaper : she declared war on France tomake doubly sure that her ambitions forconquest would not be thwarted. Britain'sintervention, however, proved that shehad again miscalculated : she was success-ful in bringing about a European War,but she has not been successful in winningit.

Sir Edward Grey had so exerted himselfin the cause of peace, and showed himselfso anxious to avoid war, that Germanyseems to have believed that Britain wouldnot fight, and that the British were adecadent race.The war has shown to the nations of

Western Europe what the Roumaniansand their neighbours had long known

that the German's arrogance, his self-conceit, his contempt for people who donot see eye to eye with him, are out-standing qualities. It is little wonder


that he misunderstood a man of the temperand mould of Sir Edward Grey. Accord-ing to the German standpoint, a strongman should look strong, speak loudly,and spread himself out, and insist on hisinfaUibility. To the German, size is thegreat thing. He wants to be big, hewants his country to be big, he wants hisreputation to be big, and he industriouslysets about to reahse his ambition. Every-thing must be " Kolossal." Frequentlyhe does not neglect the method of be-littling other people. He is trained tosee himself bigger than he is and otherpeople smaller than they are, and con-sequently he is continually hurting thesensibilities of others and misunderstand-ing them. In a sense it is true thatthousands of people are being killed to-daybecause the Germans were unable todistinguish between size and strength.

Italy and RoumaniaItaly and Roumania found themselves

in a peculiar position, and yet a similar

46 ROUMANIA

one. Italy was a party with Austria andGermany to the Triple Alliance, and it mayhave been assumed that she would enterthe war with these Powers ; but she hadno sympathy with them in action. Asshe was only bound to come in if theywere attacked, and as it was quite clearthat they were the aggressors, she remainedneutral. Roumania was supposed to bean adherent of the Triple Alliance, butshe shared the sentiments of Italy.Both Italy and Roumania have had to

choose between coming to an understand-ing with the Central Powers and beingattacked by them : in neither countrywas the German spirit admired, or theGerman ambition approved. Both coun-tries were racially akin to France, and inboth countries Britain has been tradition-ally respected and beloved.Roumania declared her neutrality im-

mediately after the war began, and heraction had its influence on Italian policy

;

but, though the country remained neutral,the sympathy of the people was with


the Allies. This sympathy was openlyexpressed and was not confined to onepolitical party. M. Take Jonescu, oneof the most brilliant political leaders ofthe Roumanian people, a man famedfor his eloquence and having a Europeanreputation for statesmanship, voiced thepopular opinion and urged the Govern-ment to join the Allies. He was sup-ported by M. Nicu Filipescu and manyothers

prominent Roumaniansbut theyunderstood quite well that the questionnever was on whose side national sympathylay : the pro-German party in the countrywas small in numbers and weak in influence.It must also be remembered that in allthe Entente Powers there were pro-Germanparties. Up to the outbreak of the war,in Great Britain some of the Leading paperspronounced against us entering the con-flict with Germany. There were evenresignations from the Cabinet on thequestion, and there are still members ofParliament, who have been cited as menof influence, who cannot be called anti-

48 ROUMANIA

German in sentiment. In France also,and in Belgium, there were men whodiffered from the mass of their fellow-citizens in their view of German characterand of German aggression ; and Roumaniahas not been free from the influences ofGerman inspired intrigue. In Italy therewas a powerful party that held out againstthe national feeling and actively sym-pathised with Germany.

Roumania' s AttitudeRoumania was in a very difficult position;

her sympathies remained steadily withthe Allies, although all around her shewitnessed the triumph of the Germanarms. She consistently refused to allowthe Central Powers to violate her neu-trality ; her statesmen kept out of thewar because she was not strong enoughto enter into it ; and sympathy that is notbacked by material force does not justifya country in laying itself open to devasta-tion. She could not actively supportthe Allies because, placed as she was, she


had not the strength to do so ; but shedid nothing to hinder them and a greatdeal to prevent the Central Powers fromsupplying the Turks and the Bulgars withwar material.The war seriously injured the trade

of Roumania ; the Dardanelles beingclosed, she could no longer export grain toWestern Europe ; she was cut off fromsome of her best customers and, as therewas no market for grain in Russia, shewas in the position of having to tradewith Austria and Germany or not to tradeat all. She was, in fact, blockaded againstthe Allies. She is not a wealthy nationand she had to sell her grain in order toexist ; but she sold as little as possible,and borrowed from Britain to meet herneeds. Sir Edward Grey showed his con-fidence in her integrity by getting thiscountry to lend her money to keep hergoing. Grain was purchased and paidfor by the British Government, but, asthe goods could not be delivered, thetransaction was, in effect, another loan.

50 ROUMANIA

For some of the grain she sold to Germany,Roumania got mimitions which she is nowreturning.

In addition to the parties that favouredintervention in the war on one side or theother, there was a powerful body that wasagainst Roumania entering the conflict atall. They believed that war was a wickedthing, and they were not convinced thattheir country would gain anything, whileit might lose everything by joining in it.The position required statesmanship of ahigh order, and it was fortunate for thecountry that a man with the characterand ability of M. Bratiano was its PrimeMinister. He recognised the fact that,however favourable was the dispositionof his countrymen's feelings towards theAllies, he could do nothing actively intheir support until the people generallywere convinced of the necessity for Rou-mania joining in the fight. Every effortwas made by the friends of Germany toprevent tlie collapse of the peace party

even a German had to realise that the


Central Powers were distrusted and dis-liked by the Roumanian people and thatthese Powers could not expect their activesupportbut if Roumania could be per-suaded that if, influenced by her sym-pathies, she took up arms, she would becrushed as Belgium, Serbia and Monte-negro were crushed, then Germany wouldgain a great deal. Accordingly all meanswere tried in order to intimidate her

;

every success of German arms was magni-fied, and every example of frightfulnessemphasised. In addition to this, moneywas spent freely for the purpose of cor-rupting opinion and creating disunion.But in spite of everything the convictionsteadily grew in favour of intervention,and it only became a question of whenthat intervention could take place mosteffectively.

Policy of InterventionAt the beginning of the war there was

a large immigration of Roumanians fromTransylvania. They brought with them

52 ROUMANIA

the hatred of Austria and Hungary thathad been burned into them throughgenerations of persecution. The trials andsufferings to which they had been subjectedhad made them more intensely patrioticthan their more fortunate kinsmen inRoumania itself. They left their homesrather than fight for their oppressors, andtheir presence in Roumania contributedpowerfully to the growth of interventionistsentiment.Those who claim that Roumania should

have come in earlier leave out of accountaltogether the fact that the Great Powersthemselves had found that men withoutmunitions could not win battles, andthat until very recently they were out-matched in armaments by the Germans.It was not want of men that caused theRussian retreat, and it was not merelymore men that could save the situationin the East. Roumania would have con-ferred a small advantage on the Allies ifshe had joined them without an adequatesupply of munitions. Her Army would


have gone forth, not to slay, but to beslain. It was expected when Italy joinedthe Allies that Roumania would also comein, and there certainly was at that time avery strong popular feeling in the countryin favour of such a course, but it is nowquite clear that if she had been carriedaway by her feelings, she would haveentered the war insufficiently prepared andbeen more of a burden than a help. Theforce that swept Russia from Courland,Poland and Galicia would have annihilatedRoumania.When Bulgaria, in alliance with the

Central Powers, treacherously attackedSerbia, there were many who thoughtthat Roumania should have intervened,although she had no alliance with Serbiaas Greece had ; but the military situationwas not such as to enable Roumania tointervene with any hope of giving effectiveaid. A look at the map would show thisfact at once. The Russians were, for thetime, defeated and could have given nosupport to Roumania; while there were

54 ROUMANIA

German armies along her frontier, fromKhotin in Bessarabia to the Iron Gates onthe Danube, that were so powerful thatRoumania could not have faced themwith any prospect of victory.

Importance of Roumania's ActionIt is surely more reasonable to believe

that Roumania settled with the Alliesthe question as to when she would intervenethan to assume, as some have done, thatshe delayed entering the field as long asshe could. It should not be forgottenthat Roumania was under no politicalobligation to any of the Allies, as Greecewas. Greece was bound by treaty tocome to the assistance of Serbia whenBulgaria attacked that covmtry, but shefailed to meet her obligations. Roumaniawas bound by no treaty. Her sympathieswere with the Allies, but her power toassist them was not equal to her will todo so. Her neutrality was a benevolentone, and she actively joined the Allies assoon as she was able to do so with effect.


The occupation of Salonica by the AlHescould not have been designed with theobject either of tying up an army thereor of advancing across the Balkan Alps toBelgrade or Vienna. It was probablytheir knowledge of Roumania's intentionand their reliance on her good faith thatled the Allies to remain in Greece ; for,with the entry of Roumania into the war,their position in the Peninsula became ofthe highest strategic importance. Manyeminent statesmen believe that the road toGermany is through the Balkans andAustria.Roumania is different from her Balkan

neighbours in her political traditions. TheKing is a constitutional monarch, andrepresentative government there is nomere form. When the country was united,and the time came for intervention, it wasswift ; and the King voiced the nationalsentiment when, at a specially convenedmeeting of his Council, he said : "I havenot called you here to ask your opinion,but to tell you my decision on a matter of

56 ROUMANIA

import. I have decided on instant mobili-sation of the Army on the side of the AUiesand an immediate attack on Austria-Hungary. The moment has come toliberate our brothers in Transylvania fromthe Hungarian yoke."

There are people who take a very near-sighted and cynical view of Roumania'sintervention, and who belittle its import-ance. They say that she has waited tosee which is the winning side, and hasdeferred giving help until the last moment

;

and has only stepped in in order to claima share of the spoils. They seem to beignorant of the fact that Roumania, byher neutrality, was of great assistance tothe Allies, and to think that entry intosuch a war as the present can be madewithout serious sacrifice. The Roumanianswho are being killed in battle for the Alliesjust now are quite as dead as the soldierswho were killed two years ago ; but theirlives are not being lost so vainly now aswould have been the case had they foughtthen on our side.


Roumania's Geographical Position

From her geographical position Rou-mania avouM have been an invaluable allyto the Germans ; had she joined them atthe beginning, as they hoped she would,the war would have taken a very differentcourse from what it has done. Bulgariawould have gladly come in with her, andthere would have been an open road fromBerlin to Constantinople, as well as one toKieff and another along the shores of theBlack Sea to the Crimea. This wouldhave influenced, unfavourably for theAllies, the position in the Caucasus andin Mesopotamia, not to speak of Egypt.Italy could not have come in, and Greece,as events have shown, would withoutdoubt have joined the Central Powers.It is difficult to see how it would havebeen possible in these circumstances forthe Allies to win ; not because the Rou-manian power would have been added tothat of their enemies, but because theRoumanian position and the combinations

E

58 ROUMANIA

that would result would have given themsuch an advantage.By remaining neutral she enabled Italy

to join the Allies ; and fear lest she shouldintervene kept Bulgaria out of the warfor a year much more effectively thancould have been done had she fought.The gain of time was a matter of life anddeath to the Allies. The German machinewas complete when that of the Allies wasonly in the making ; and anything thathindered the operation of the Germanpower favoured the cause of the Allies.Roumania blocked the way between Berlinand Constantinople and hindered effectiveco-operation between the Turks and theCentral Powers ; thus diminishing theeflficiency of their alliance.Her entry into the war means an

accession to the fighting forces of theAllies that will prove of great service ; butthat is the least of the effects of Rou-mania's intervention. Its strategic im-portance is great; for should the Salonicaforces join hands with it the ring of steel

[Photo: Stanley's Press Agency

JONESCU


that shuts in the Central Powers fromRiga to Salonica would be completed andwould enable the Allies to cut in twothe German and Turco-Bulgarian forces.Then Roumania and Russia would be ableto ship their grain and receive munitionsupplies with ease. But the moral effectis as important. There are those whoclaim that Germany is already beaten, butthat she will take a considerable time torealise the fact ; and until she does sothere can be no peace. The manner inwhich the news of Roumania's interventionwas received in Germany shows that ithas been a shock to the confidence of thepeople in the Government. They havehitherto had no doubt that they werevictors, but Roumania has made theirconfidence begin to crumble, and hasshaken their morale. They believed inthemselves and they believed that theneutral States shared their opinion.They are beginning to doubt ; and doubtparalyses people of a positive turn ofmind.

E 2

60 ROUMANIA

The economic effect of Roumania'sintervention is bound to be immense.Not only will the Central Powers beunable to purchase from her, but ifthe forces at Salonica join with the Rou-manians the supplies from Bulgaria andTurkey to Austria and Germany will becut oft". They will be blockaded on landeven more effectually than they havebeen blockaded by sea. As their suppliesof food have been, from the beginning ofthe war, a grave source of concern to theGermans, and have lately shown signs ofinsufficiency to such an extent as to makethe situation critical, the increased econo-mic pressure may be expected to havefar-reaching results.The population of Bukowina and Tran-

sylvania is preponderatingly of Rou-manian race and sentiment. These dis-tricts are " Roumania irredenta." If, asone result of this war, they are added toRoumania, a State that would soon havea population of 20 millions would beformed, which would act^as a powerful bul-


wark against the designs of Austria andGermany in the East.

Roumania's Faith in BritainAs a naturahsed British subject I am

glad that the land of my birth is nowable to take an active part in the war.Born in the northern part of Roumania,where the Sereth enters Moldavia, I earlylearned from those around me to lookupon France and Britain as the friends ofmy people. To France we were allied asall the Latins are, and regarded her as agreat champion of freedom and progress.Britain was to us the great Power beyondthe sea that stood for fair play and therights of small nationalities, the motherof Parliaments, and the cradle of con-stitutional liberty.

Under the shadow of the Austrian andGerman power we could feel the menaceit was to our liberty and its danger to thedevelopment of our national spirit. Wedid not love our Teuton neighbours inspite of the industry and energy they

63 ROUMANIA

assiduously devoted to our guidance. Iremember during the Boer Wara warwe did not understand and in which wewere not interestedwhen German agentstried to stir up an anti-British feehng totheir advantage, how their efforts recoiledon their own head. We did not believein the ideals of Germany ; and we didbelieve that, whatever the merits of thequestion might be, Britain would be trueto her great traditions and worthy of ourtrust.

Roumanians in this comitry could neverdoubt the part their native land wouldtake. They could understand her diffi-culties, but they knew where her sym-pathies lay. That these difficulties havebeen great nobody can doubt ; and thatthey have been surmounted so as toenable her to strike on the side whereher heart is has been due in no smallmeasure to the work of the Rouma-nian Minister here, M. Misu ; the BritishMinister at Bucharest, Sir George H.Barclay ; and the Roumanian Foreign


Minister, M. Em - Porumbaru. No onecan take part in this great war withoutthe serious sacrifice of blood. Roumania,though the latest, is not the least amongthe Allies. She has looked to Britainfor guidance and support, and she feelssure that the British people will, with thegoodwill they have shown to the othernations who are fighting in the samecause, give aid to those Roumanians whoare suffering from wounds honourablyreceived or from distress due to the War.

APPENDIX ITrade and Commerce

Although rich in natural resources,Roumania is still in the early stagesof its commercial development. Thetowns are old, but it is only of lateyears that modern industrial conditionshave affected them, and their principalbusiness even yet is connected withthe agricultural and stock-raising in-terests of the country. About a thirdof the country is cultivated, another thirdis used as pasture, and the remainder ismainly waste land which is capable ofbeing developed. The soil is very rich

the black earth being famous for itsfertilitybut even in the best developeddistricts it is only lightly ploughed, forfarming has not wholly emerged fromthe primitive state. It is true that newagricultural machinery has been imported(mainly from Germany and America), butit cannot be said to be in general usethroughout the country. This is partly

65

66 ROUMANIA

due to that conservatism that characterisesthe farmer in all lands, and partly due towant of capital. The country is wellwatered. All the main rivers and tri-butaries flow directly or indirectly intothe Danube, which is the great waterwayof Central Europe, and thence into theBlack Sea. The Danube enters the BlackSea by three mouths. On one of themis placed the port of Sulina, which is animportant shipping centre, principally inthe winter when the upper Danube isfrozen.

Farther up the Danube are Braila andGalatz, each with a population of between70,000 and 80,000. There the Govern-ment has built great warehouses and grainelevators to help the grain trade andencourage export business. At Galatzthe Danube Commission sits, and on itthere is a British representative.

Constanza is the principal port on theBlack Sea, and in order to provide modernfacilities for shipping the Government hasbuilt huge oil tanks there.


Other commercial centres are Ploestiand Craiova ; and Jassy, the capital ofMoldavia, is the great centre for tradebetween Roumania and Russia. It has apopulation approaching 100,000.

In addition to the water transport thereare about 25,000 miles of railways, butthe system of intercommunication be-tween different parts of the country is farfrom being perfect, and the Governmenthas decided to expend 20,000,000 inextending it.The spirit of progress is there, but it

requires to be guided and aided.The Germans and Austrians have taken

great pains to gain control, and theirmoney invested in the country has enabledsome progress to be made and has repaidthem well, but the German is not afavourite, and his methods do not helphim to a good understanding with theRoumanian people. He wants too muchtor what he gives. He wants not onlyto dominate business, but to controlpolitics, and the people, being jealous of

68 ROUMANIA

their independence, are disinclined toaccept him as their guide and friend.The country produces wheat, barley

(including the famous orzoica quality),maize, rye, millet, rape seed, and hemp.Even now in the production of cerealsRoumania is considered the third countryin the world, coming after the UnitedStates and Russia, and if this is so atpresent there is reasonable ground for thebelief that with the application of modernmethods and machinery the productionmight be indefinitely increased. The vege-table crops are as abundant as the cereals.Beet being extensively cultivated, sugarrefineries have been established. Of lateyears tobacco has been grown with com-mercial success, and its quality has estab-lished for it a place in the markets andcaused a demand that exceeds the presentsupply. It can compete successfully withTurkish and Russian tobaccos.On the pasture lands there are great herds

of cattle and flocks of sheep, and goats andpigs are bred in all parts of the country.

AND GREAT BRITAIN ^9

The cattle is raised partly for food, butthe fact that large numbers of oxen areused for purposes of ploughing andtransport is itself an indication thatfarming and commercial operations havenot outgrown the primitive stage. Thepossibilities of cattle-raising for exporthave already been recognised, and thereis a prospect for the establishment of alarge canned meat industry. There is asuccessful business done in hides andtallow, and tanneries have been established.

Dairy-farming, as we know it, has noexistence ; but there is nothing to hinderits establishment except the want ofcapital and organisation. It would bequite possible for the country to rivalSwitzerland in the supply of milk andmilk products.

There is an export woollen trade alreadyestablished, but it is not well handled ;and although it might be easily increased,there is nothing in the conditions of thecountry to prevent the establishment ofwoollen manufactories there.

70 ROUMANIA

Poultiy of all kinds is raised, and exportof eggs, even to Great Britain, has takenplace ; but hen-farming and the collectionof eggs are managed in a very primitive way.The country is extensively wooded, and

this is especially the case in the Car-pathians, which, although they rise toheights of from 3,000 to 6,000 feet, havein many cases forests reaching to withina short distance of the summit. Timberis of good quality, the climate favouringits growth and hardening it ; and itincludes oak, fir and beech. The Govern-ment has recognised the importance ofafforestation and has established a Collegeof Sylviculture.The vine is cultivated with success on

the lower slopes of the Carpathians.French companies are interesting them-selves in the production of Roumanianwines.As flowers grow luxuriantly throughout

the country, bee-keeping is a favouritepursuit and there is a big production ofhoney and wax.The petroleum wells are famous for


their extent and richness. Over twomilhon tons a year is their present output,and twenty milhon pounds of foreigncapital is already invested in them ; butnobody who knows the conditions wouldpretend that the field for enterprise isexhausted. Indeed, there is abundantopportunity for the employment of capital,as the fields seem practically inexhaustible ;and the scope for trade in petroleum isenormous, as the demand is daily in-creasing.* Refineries have been estab-lished. The Germans have had a stronghold of the industry, and the American oilkings have been endeavouring to obtaincontrol ; but there is already a good dealof British capital invested in Roumania,and many Scotsmen are employed asmanagers. The present war will not in-crease the chances of either Germans orAmericans in gaining the goodwill ofRoumania. If Britain will take advantageof the opportunity which now presentsitself a trade entente might well be estab-lished between Roumania and her which

* Set Diplomatic iind Consulur I{fi>orts.

72 ROUMANIA

would be of profit to both countries,commercially and politically.

Coal, lignite and anthracite are foundin various parts of the countrysome-times on the surfacebut they have notbeen systematically worked. Indeed, thisnatural source of wealth has been so muchneglected that even in peace time theprice of coal in the capital reaches tobetween 3 and 4 a ton.The Carpathians are rich in minerals.

Iron, silver, gold, copper, sulphur, cobalt,and arsenic are found there. Althoughthe Carpathian gold mines in Transylvaniaare known, there are no correspondingworkings on the Roumanian side. Theinhabitants of the countiy having beenmainly agricultural in their pursuits, theyhave neglected its mineral resources inthe past ; but that is no reason why thisneglect should continue.

Salt is found in abundance, but is onlyworked by convict labour, there beingno chemical industries established in thecountry : 65,000 tons a year are produced.


APPENDIX IIFinance

For many years past the Roumanian Bud-get has shown a surplus, the revenue havingconsistently exceeded the annual estimate.The following are the latest figures :

74 ROUMANIA

has been more prosperous than any otherEuropean country in recent years ; andthere is good reason to believe that whenthe war is terminated her prosperity willbe greater than ever. She has sufferedconsiderably from being confused with theBalkan States proper, but her Governmentis much more stable than that of herneighbours and, as the above figures show,there is ample security for the investor ofcapital.

The following tables from official sourcesgive interesting details :


TABLE IITable showing Proportion of Roumanian Import Trade

IN British Hands uuring Years 1907-11

Metals and mining 1907. 1908. 1909. 1910, 1911.products

re ROUMANIA

TABLE IVAgricultureAcreage undek Crops, Producb, ktc-


It must be quite obvious that a countryoccupying the geographical position thatRoumania does, and having her wealth ofnatural resources and a waterway whichpenetrates to the heart of Europe, offersunique opportunities for enormous develop-ment commercially. Her Government isnot an unstable one ; her people arehonest, progressive and peaceful ; theirpolitical alliance with the Western Powersis a natural one and it would be streng-thened by a trade alliance. The com-paratively small trade between Roumaniaand Britain is evidenced by the figuresgiven above, yet the country offers betteropportunities for investment than placesfarther afield in which large sums ofBritish money have been sunk, and con-sideration of its claims is sure to give itthat support which would be of advantagein establishing good relations betweenthis country and Roumania.

78 ROUMANIA

APPENDIX IIICrown, Constitution, and Politics

King Ferdinand and Queen Marie havesix childrenviz. : Carol, Crown Prince(born 15th October, 1893) ; Elisabeth(born 11th October, 1894) ; Marie (born8th January, 1900) ; Nicolas (born 18thAugust, 1903) ; Ileana (born 5th January,1909) ; Mircea (born 3rd January, 1912).The Roumanian King is a constitutional

monarch. As in this country, he has apower of veto. He chooses a politicalleader to form a Ministry and the Ministryis responsible to the Senate and the Cham-ber of Deputies.The Legislature is composed of a Senate

of 120 members indirectly elected foreight years by two colleges representingthe propertied electors ; and a Chamberof 183 members elected for four years bythree electoral colleges or classes of voters.These three colleges consist of (1) electorspossessed of property insuring an annualincome of not less than 50 ; (2) those


paying direct taxes of not less than 20francs annually or following a profession ;and (3) all Roumanian subjects of full age,most of whom vote indirectly by choosingdelegates who vote with the direct electorsof the other colleges. In the towns votingis direct. Members of the LegislativeAssembly hold their seats for four years,and they all retire at one time, a newChamber being then elected. Senators areeach elected for a period of 8 years, butone-half of the Senate retires every fouryears. There is a Cabinet of 8 members,the Executive of 8, and the Chambers canbe dissolved separately. A Senator must beat least 40 years of age and have anannual income of about 400. A Deputymust be 25 years of age. Senators andDeputies are each paid 20 francs a daywhile the Chambers are sitting.By the Constitution granted by King

Carol trial by jury, freedom of meetingand petition, and the rights of asylum topolitical refugees were granted.

There are clementarv and secondarv

80 ROUMANIA

schools, and universities for men andwomen, established by the State. Elemen-tary education is free, and attendanceat school is compulsory between the agesof 7 and 14.The civil and criminal laws are founded

on the Code Napoleon.There are three political parties in

Roumania, but the differences betweenthem are mainly on questions of financeand agrarian reform. The ConservativeParty is led by M. Margiloman, theCentre Party by M. Take Jonescu, andthe Liberal Party by M. Bratiano, thepresent Prime Minister.M. Bratiano, the Prime Minister and

Minister of War, is the son of M. IonBratiano, the eminent statesman who, in1877, encouraged Prince Charles to jointhe war against Turkey, and who wassubsequently Prime Minister of Roumaniafor 12 years.M. Bratiano has followed in the foot-

steps of his father, whose ambition it wasto see a united Roumania. He was boni


in 1866 ; he was educated as an engineerin Bucharest and Paris, afterwards enter-ing the service of the Roumania StateRailways. He gave up this occupationto engage in pohtics, and in 1895 enteredthe Chamber as a member of the LiberalParty, which had so long been led by hisfather. In 1896 he was made Ministerof Public Works. In 1901 he becameMinister of Foreign Affairs ; while in thisoffice he addressed a circular to the Powersexplaining that the Roumanian Govern-ment had been constantly preoccupiedin the maintenance of equilibrium in theBalkans and could not regard with in-difference any infringement of this prin-ciple. In 1904 the Ministry fell, butreturned to power in 1907, when M.Bratiano became Minister of the Interior.He became leader of the I^iberal Partyand Prime Minister in 1908, and remainedin power till 1910, when he resigned.In 1913 he served as a captain in the Armyduring the invasion of Bulgariaan under-taking which he had strongly urgedand

82 ROUMANIA

after the signing of the Treaty of Bucharesthe returned to power as head of the presentLiberal Cabinet.M. Take Jonescu is well known as a

prominent leader of the Roumanian Irre-dentist Party, and has always been anavowed friend of the Allies. He firstentered the Chamber as a Liberal in 1885,and he soon became known for his brilliantoratory. Finding himself out of sympathywith his party, he left it and joined theConservatives. In 1888 he became aMinister, and was a member of everyConservative Cabinet for the followingtwenty years. In 1908 he founded athird party of Liberal Conservatives, whichat once gained a great following.M. Fihpescu is a member of the Con-

servative Party and was Minister of Warin the last Cabinet. He has been thechief ally of ^I. Jonescu in directingRoumanian sympathy towards the Allies.


Civil and Diplomatic ServicesMinistry

Premier and War Minister.M. Ion I. C.Bratiano.

Foreign Affairs.M. Em-Porumbaru.Finance.M. E. Costinesco.Justice.M. V. Antonesco.Industry.M. A. Radovici.Interior.M. V. Mortzun,Agriculture.M. A. Constantinesco.Education.M. G. Duca.Public Works.Dr. Anghelesco.Minister in London.M. Nicolas Misu,

4, Cromwell Place, S.W.Secretaries.M. Michel B. Boeresco,

Prince A. Bibesco, M. Costiesco-Ghyka.Chancellor.M. Marcu Beza.Commercial Agent.M. G. Boncesco.Consul-General in London.Lt.-Col. Sir

A. K. RoUitt, LL.D., 3, Mincing Lane,E.C.

British Legation, Bucharest

Envoy Ex. and Min. Plen.Sir GeorgeH. Barclay, K.C.M.G., K.C.S.I., C.V.O.

84 ROUIVIANIA

Councillor and Commercial Attache.A. P. Bennett, C.M.G.

First Secretary.Honble. A. Akers-Douglas.

Archivist.R. Carnegie.British Consul-General and British Dan-

ube Commissioner.Major J. G. Bald-win, C.B.

Vice-Consuls.J. Pitts (Braila), G.Hutcheson (Constanza), A. Adams(Sulina).


APPENDIX IVNavy and Army

RouMANiA is not a maritime power, butshe has a Navy of which she is justly proud,and the gunboats patrolHng the Danubepreserved the neutrahty of the countryand rendered good service to the AUies inpreventing the Germans from using thatwaterway as a means of communicationbetween them and the Turks.With the Army in possession of Orsova

no merchandise can now come throughthe Iron Gates. The monitors have greatlyhelped in the defence of the Czernavodabridges and railway.

The Navy is composed of

Cruiser. Elisabetha : Displacement,1,320 tons ; speed, 18*5 knots ; guns,4 six-inch ; 4 six-pounders ; torpedotubes, 4 18-inch.

Monitors.Joan Bratiano, Laskar Ca-targi, Mihail Cogahiicheanou, Alex-ander Lahovari

:

Displacement, 600

86 ROUMANIA

tons ; speed, 14 knots ; guns, 3 4-7-

inch, 4 3-pounders, 2 4-7-inch howitzers.

Destroyers.Six building at Naples :

Speed, 35 knots ; armament, 2 4-inch,7 12-pounders.

Torpedo Boats (3 of Naluca class).

Naluca, Shorul, Smeul :Speed 21knots.

Every Roumanian between the ages of21 and 48 is liable to military service. Heis called up for three years and on hiscompleting that term is passed into theReserve, unless he has passed a certaineducational test, in which case he may beonly kept for one year on active service.

There are four divisions of the Army

the infantry, the artillery, the engineers,and the cavalry. The ordinary occupa-tion of the Roumanian fits him to becomea good infantry soldier, and the cavalry

mounted as they are on Moldavian horses,than which there are none more renownedfor their speed and enduranceforms astrong force. The engineers and artillery


are trained mainly on the French model,and the officers are mostly guided by therules of the French Military TrainingSchool of St. Cyr.The reputation of the Army, however,

dates from the part taken at Plevna, in1877, when its total strength was about50,000. In 1914 the Army on a peacefooting consisted of about 100,000 of allranks, 25,000 horses and 650 guns, withan annual recruitment of 50,000. In thesecond Balkan War (1913), although therewas ' not any heavy fighting, there was avery effective and rapid mobilisation.As much munition has been received fromBritain and France, the Ai'my, togetherwith the Militia and the Reserve, shouldnumber between 550,000 and 600,000 andon a full levy could be increased to 800,000.

POSTSCRIPT

People in this country are only begin-ning to realise that the operations of warare as important in one field as in another.All the talk about a decision in the Westshould not blind us to the importance ofoperations in the East. Those personswho thought that Roumania had waiteduntil the end before joining the Alliesshould now be beginning to see that thepart she has taken is not such a simpleor easy one as they had imagined. TheGermans may be foolish enough in somerespects, but our Allies agree that theirmilitary organisation and their generalshipare not to be lightly regarded. TheBerlin-Baghdad conception of the GermanEmperor is ambitious, but it is not there-fore foolish ; and it has not been provedthat our enemies have over-estimated theimportance of victory in the East : indeed,it is more likely that we have under-estimated its importance. The proposal

89 o

90 ROUMANIA

to crush the Turk when he joined theCentral Powers was a sound one whatevermay be said of the attempts to execute it,and there has been a disposition in thiscountry to esteem too hghtly the powerof the "Sick Man of Europe." TheAlhes have had a gigantic task : theyhave had to make an organisation inmonths to combat a force that had beenorganised for years, and their success hasbeen wonderful. The people are con-scious of the greatness of the efforts thathave been made, and the very magnitudeof the task they have accomplished hascontributed to keep them incredulous asto the capacity for continued resistanceon the part of the Central Powers.When Roumania came in there were

many who expected that the war wouldend, and there were few who expected thatGermany would be able to direct againsther any smashing blow. The generalbelief was that Germany had as much todo as she could face. Roumanians didnot share this opinion, although they did


not believe, nor do they believe, that theywill be defeated. They knew that des-perate attempts would be made to preventthem from cutting connection between theCentral Powers and Turkey, and theywere aware of the difficulties that theSalonica Force would experience inattempting to join them. They knewvery well that Germany realised that herexistence depended on the support shecould give to her Alliesthat she couldnot afford to allow Austria to be invadedor Bulgaria to be placed in jeopardy.They knew also of another reason whyshe should attempt to crush Houmania.A good deal has been written of theblind wrath of the Hun and his wantondestruction of his weaker opponents : butthere is something else behind the con-centration of forces against Roumania.There is not merely the desire for ven-geance ; there is the desire for profit.If Roumania were crushed, the waybetween the Central Powers and the Eastwould be widened and secured, and a tract

92 ROUMANIA

of fertile country would be laid undercontribution. The German would havegranaries from which to feed his troops

;

and petrol with which to transport them :while his lines would be shortened andthe efficiency of his forces thereby in-creased.There is also a moral reason. Turkey

and Bulgaria have blindly trusted Ger-many, and she cannot afford that theyshould lose confidence in her any morethan she can allow her own people to havetheir faith in victory shaken. She mustprove to her own people and to her Alliesthat Roumania has taken the wrongside.

The campaign in the Carpathians andin the Dobrudja is meant to result inmilitary, political, and material advan-tage to the Central Powers. It is not amere explosion of wrath against the Rou-manians ; and the Central Powers mayhave reason to think that if they cansecure victory there at the loss of someground on the Western or other fronts


the price is well worth paying. It isfoolish to look on the Germans as foolswhere their interests are concerned. Theirstrategy may be right or wrong, but it isnot inspired mainly by a desire for thea-trical effect or for revenge.Whatever success they may have had

will be more than neutralised when theimportance of countering their movementsis fully realised by the people of thiscountry, and when it is recognised thatevery effort is necessary on the part ofall the Allies in order to secure an earlyand decisive victory.

Printed in Great Britain by

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S.E.

The National Rumanian Relief FundiRe^itlereil).

A BRITISH MOVEMENT TO HELP RUMANIA

30 Bishopsgate, London, E.C.122 George Street, Edinburgh.

TO mark this country's appreciation of the noble step takenby our new Ally, the National Rumanian Relief Fund has

been opened to present Field Hospitals, Motor Ambulances,etc., to Her Majesty Queen Marie of Rumania, who hasgraciou>ly granted her Royal Patronage to the Fund.

M. Take Jonescu, the great Rumanian statesman, tele-graphs : ** Heavy fighting has taken place. Our woundedrequire every aid, and are already returning from the battlefieldin large numbers. Your help is most welcome, the need beinggreat. The Rumanian people, proud to fight for the cause ofliberty and civilization on the side of the nation that was firstto proclaim the doctrine of the sovereign rights ofsmall nations,see in this noble movement (X.itional Rumanian Relief Fund)a new proof of the unalterable friendship between the greatBritish Nation and the Latins of the East."

A ready and generous response to this appeal will not onlyalleviate the sufferings of her gallant troops, but will alsocement the bond of friendship between Rumania and GreatBritain. Will you help ?

Contributions, marked "National Rumanian Relief Fund,"will be acknowledged by the Hon. Treasurer, Sir GeorgeAnderson, The Bank of Scotland, 30 Bishopsgate, London, E.C.

ROSEBERY,President.

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