SEEKING A PROP

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 139, 16 June 1930, Page 9

SEEKING A PROP

MANIU AND CAROL

RIVALS OUTWITTED

"The question whether Juliu Maniu,; the Premier, will offer the Rumanian: throne to the exiled Prince Carol iiii order to frustrate his opponents' efforts to oust Mm from power is 'being eagerly debated in political circles here, "reported the Bucharest correspondent of the "Christian Scieneei Monitor" last month. "Telegrams have been arriving from Paris for some days past stating tha.t the Prince is liberating himself from ties which hitherto prevented his return to his native country, from which, he was exiled in January, 1925. "Although it has long been established that Prince Carol holds democratic ideals similar to those of Mr. Maniu, the fact has not been proved that Mr. Maniu has supported Prince Carol's candidature for the throne and many in Bucharest consider the present news a. cry of 'wolf' on the part of the Government to impede growing attacks from the Liberal Party. It is known that members of the Bratiano faction, which is the backbone of that party, are Prince Carol's greatest enemies and in a large measure responsible for his exile. "On the other hand it is generally] conceded that the Maniu Government cannot stem the tide for many more months as difficulties are ever increasing, and because of this there has been,' much conjecture as to the form, of tha. future Government. The Liberals appear to be determined to oust Mr^ Maniu.'' MAJORITY REDUCED. The recent elections in Eumaniaj which considerably reduced the major* ity of the National Peasant Partyj which Maniu leads, were fought with: unusual acrimony and important social changes were expected to result. The elections were a part of tho programme of the local administration! law, which was so bitterly contestedin Parliament last summer that it caused the old ruling party, the Liber* als, to withdraw in a body declaring that they would never return so long as the Maniu Government remained in. power. I The fact that the party which had1 so strongly opposed the passage of the law giving the simple citizen rights destined to reshape the nation threw; so much energy into these elections^ was taken.to mean that the democratic bases of the law were to be respected. Threats of revolt and future repeal of the law were at least forgotten for the moment, and every effort was centred, on winning popularity of the masses. The principal argument offered irt opposing free elections was that 80' per cent, of Rumania's citizens are illiterate peasants, who previous to the war were largely serfs attached to th«j great estates of wealthy landlords.