RUMANIA’S RULE

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 162, 5 April 1938, Page 11

RUMANIA’S RULE

Strict Dictatorship BAN ON NEWSPAPERS Important changes in Rumania’s constitution were decided upon at a meeting of the Cabinet (since reconstituted) over which King Carol presided at the Royal Palace recently. Features of the programme outlined were:— Special committee to prepare a Bill for the modification of the Rumanian constitution; All governmental, departmental and municipal employees to be forbidden to participate in any form of political activity; The Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church of Rumania and the Holy Synod to absolve the population from all oaths of allegiance given to political parties. Priests who in future give benediction to such oaths will be punished; The Civil Service regulations, as well as the regulations governing the magistracy, temporarily suspended; The Press to be controlled and all harmful publications to be suppressed. An investigation of the origin of the funds of newspapers to be made; No near relatives of Cabinet Ministers to be appointed to Government positions, and no new appointments to be made in the Civil Service. Many of these regulations are aimed at the Iron Guard. Banned Subjects. The dictatorial character af the regime was brought out clearly in a series of instructions given by the Government to the Press. There are twelve subjects which in future must not be discussed by the Rumanian newspapers. Any infringement of this ban will be punished by suspension of the newspaper. The banned subjects include:— Statements of politicians not belonging to the Government; Reports of domestic political events; Reports of the Government or any of its members; Photographs of politicians, except members of the Cabinet; Criticisms of the dynasty : Reports of audiences with King Carol; and The disappearance of the Russian Charge d’Affaires, M. Butenko. The foreign policy of the new Government will, it is understood, be the same as that pursued under M. Tatarescu, whose Government fell less than three/ months ago. The armament purchasing programme is being resumed with French and Czechoslovak firms, where it was dropped with the fall of M. Tatarescu’s Government.