THRONE OF RUMANIA

Evening Star, Issue 19697, 26 October 1927, Page 5

THRONE OF RUMANIA

FRINGE CAROL'S INTENTIONS RETURNING TO HOMELAND. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright BERLIN, October 24. The Belgrade correspondent of the Berlin ‘ Tagcbhitt ’ says that Prince Carol intends returning to Rumania this week. ARRESTED ON FRONTIER. FORMER UNDER-SECRETARY. BUCHAREST, October 24. Following on Prince Carol’s declaration in Paris that if the country called ho would answer, wild speculation has been aroused by the arrest on the frouti'br of the former Undcr-Secrctary for Finance, M. Manoilescu,'when returning from Paris carrying important letters. Other arrests arc expected. IMPORTANT LETTERS. CONTENTS REVEALED. LONDON, October 25. The Vienna correspondent of the ‘ Daily Express ’ stales that a search of M. Manoilescu, the former Under-Sec-retary of Finance, who was arrested on the Rumanian frontier on his return from Paris, revealed lour letters secreted in his clothing. Those were taken to M. Bratiano, who, in consequence of ill-health, summoned the Cabinet to meet at his flat. Prolonged meetings wore held in the morning and afternoon. . A communique says that the object of the letters is to induce the people of Rumania to recall Prince Carol to the throne. The official statement adds; “This amounts to an attack on the Constitution, tor which M._ Manoilescu will be tried by court martial.’’ It is unofficially stated Dial one of the letters was for Queen Mane, who, chagrined at finding liorsell regarded merely as the late King’s widow instead" of having a chief part in the. regency, and in order to lie revenged on Bratiano as well as on Michael’s mother, has lately become reconciled to Prince Carol, whom she wants to see return as King. A CABINET STATEMENT. NO CAROL IST MOVEMENT. BUCHAREST, October 25. (.Received October 20, at 1.30 a.m.) A Cabinet announcement states that there is no truth in the existence ot a Carolist movement. The facts arc that Prince Carol attempted by letter to invite the party heads to aconlorenco with a view to allowing the people to pronounce on the question - of his recall to the throne. This is regarded as a direct attack on the constitutional order; lienee the arrest of M. Manoilescu while carrying the letter. Firm stops are being taken to suppress a recurrence of such attempts. EDITOR ARRESTED. VIENNA, October 25. (Received October 2(i, at 1.30 a.m.) Nicholas Cocoa, editor of the paper ‘ New Star,’ which was founded by M. Manoilescu, and which is to he issued on November 1, has been arrested. AN ANXIOUS POSITION A writer in ‘Current History ’ traces brieliv the course of events iu Rumania following King Ferdinand’s death. Informed of his lather’s death, Prince Carol at first, declared that he would “ wait quietly,” but would always he prepared to answer his country s call. Almost immediately, however, ho i’ l ' binned representatives of the Press that he had assumed the title of King, which, of course, was tantamount to giving notion that he did not, purpose to accept, perpetual banishment and deprivation of his rights as his father s eldest, son. Still, he took no overt stop. “ They will have to send lor me, ’ he was reported as remarking; 1 Inne only to wait.” _ Moved mainly by a plea, from his sister. Queen Mane ol Jugo-Slavia. who has stood .by him through all his troubles, he promised to make no move, in any ease, until alter his father’s burial. lie. would have been glad to attend the obsequies, but was given to understand that he would be arrested and expelled or imprisoned if bo attempted to do so. On the day following the Inneral dm Chamber of Deputies and Seriate met in Bucharest for memorial sessions. .In each House Premier Bratiano spoke at length concerning the dead monarch, tlie’ state of the country, and the need of national solidarity; and in both be used language unmistakably directed at those persons and groups that were questioning the legality of the regency and working for Prince Carol’s return. u Michael,” lie declared with significant emphasis, “is the King ot Rumania. That is beyond discussion, and cannot he .altered.” The Deputies, and in their turn the Senators, burst into cheers lor King Michael. But in each House a representative of the National-Peasant P.arty, which throughout the events of the past rear and a-hali bus continued to look to Carol as the means of ousting Bratiano, boldly harangued die members to the general effect that the existing Government was based upon injustice and oppression; only way to honor the memory ol lying Ferdinand was to create equal rights tor nil Ids past subjects: and that while the party must indeed acknowledge the existence of the regency, it must also insist that the authority of that body did not rest noon the free will of the nation. The dissenting speeches paiticulnrlv that of M. Juliu Mainu, leader of the National-Peasants in the Chamber —made a deep impression, because they clearly meant the raising of the question of the regency’s legality and thereby the question of the lawful successor to the throne. ’flie constitutionality of the Regency Act of 192(3 had, indeed, from the first been doubted by some of the country’s foremost authorities, not only by Professor Jorga, Carol’s former tutor and present loyal supporter, but by men ol more independent position. Professor Jorga’s argument was chiefly that under the provisions of the new Constitution of Greater Rumania, adopted in 1922, Carol could not legally renounce bis right to the throne until it actually devolved upon him—i.o.. until alter his father’s death. Other jurists found the illegality of the Act in the faet_ that, under the dictation of Bratiano, it was passed not by a, special session of Parliament convoked for the purpose, ns required by the Constitution, hut in an ordinary session which happened at the time to bo in progress. _ It was contended also that the question of legality had never been submitted to the Supreme Court for the reason that the scheming Premier had cleverly brought it about that the President of that tribunal was one of the three persons in whom the regency was vested. •Meanwhile the impression that Prince Carol still expected events to take such a course that he would be recalled to his country and placed upon its throne was.kept alive by a frank interview gave a New York ‘Times’ correspondent on July 30. as well as by a striking article, printed in ‘ The Times ’ on the following day, in which the Prince paid homage to his iatheij, iascle.4 SJad Wfe&Pr

tially criticised the Bratiano regime. The opinion oi' many people, both in and out of Rumania, that the Prime's exile was less voluntary and more political than had been officially, represented found confirmation; indeed, so clcarlv did the Prince charge that his renunciation of the.' throne was imposed on him that it was generally expected that Bratiano would be moved to a ■ public rejoinder. At Paris various Rumanians who from the first had hoped for the _ Prince's accession and bail been free to accord him the title of King continued to profess to believe, that 80 per cent, of Rumania’s inhabitants are for him. and that it is a question of only a very short time until the Bucharest Government will tear up the Renunciation Act, dethrone young Michael, and recall Carol to reign'over the country. At Bucharest, however, matters looked otherwise, and two weeks after Ferdinand’s passing it was generally considered that all danger of a Carolist uprising was prist, and that tlio Prince would have to do much more than issue public statements and hurl accusations if he hoped to have any real influence on the course of affairs. Bratiano stood forth, even more clearly than in the past, as the country’! . dictator, without really serious opposition. Both politically and militarily lie was taking , the fullest measures to make futile any \ efforts that .Carol or hi? ifcieogi SUght >; far.% /