FERDINAND OF RUMANIA.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 268, 28 October 1916, Page 3

FERDINAND OF RUMANIA.

AN APPRECIATION

(Dy 11. TI. Blade, in ‘ Sunday Times.”)

As one who has lived in Rumania for many years, and has known all its prominent statesmen for a generation. 1 feel that there is in manyquarters a very imperfect appreciation of the difficult position that King Ferdinand of Rumania has occupied during the last two years.

King Charles of Rumania. the uncle of King Ferdinand, was a Corman of the Germans in its truest, smse and no stone was left unturned io make i German province of Rumania. Everything was on German lines, both finance and militaryorganisation, and when anything was required to develop the advance m the country it was placed in German hands.

The German Headquarters Staff, looking ahead and on defined lines, imposed <>n King Charles the erection. of the forts from Focsani to Galatz. and the defends of Bucharest, costing millions in sterling, were erected under German supervision. and with German financial support. A great diplomatic splash was made in asking French ami English firms to tender for the supply of material and the erection of the forts, but. as the late King told me himself, he was bound to give the order to Berlin for financial and political reasons, as Berlin held al! the State bonds of Rumania, am! thus held Rumania, and Germany found the finance for the- fortifications. GERMAN PENETRATION OF RUMANIA. A prominent English armament firm offered to erect fortifications, and on most advantageous terms, yet from want of support from our Foreign Office ami help of British fiinance nothing could be done. Germany was too strong. KingCharles. who really had the interest of his new country at heart, and worked hard for its development, '.as unable I<> larvn out any indep< ndent line of policy , lor be personally felt tl.at he had no support from any of the Powers except from Berlin, ami so alter a certain number of years had gone by he became ■n agent of Germany faut de mieux. In these circumstances a numb, r

■ r'rdps <>f German influence under different designations were created eml extended. When King Ferdinand ascended the throne lie found I himself surrounded by Germans who wore in possession of nearly ere:v department of the State, while ;>!! the finances were in their hands, land all, or nearly all, the larger enI terprises in the country: in facC be .-'nd his country were captured hv the Germans both politically and financially. This means an enormous number of prominent Rumanians in the pay of the Germans, or making their fortunes from being employeci luiGeniiaii companies and syndicates. all as agents of the Berlin | bar Office, as it appears now. The 'principal resident officials in the Palace were Germans, the chief hanks were controlled by Germans ; i.i fact. Germany controlled Rumania. How difficult for the King to be hostile Great credit must be given King rctdinand for having given M. Bratiano, the Prime Minister, such a free hand, and for so long, as the task of sapping the German posi- ■ tions in Rumania was a most difficult operation, but it has been done, and well done. BERLIN’S DEMANDS. If King Ferdinand of Rumania had listened to the silver tongue from Berlin, backed by the ‘‘silver bullet,” and had joined the Central Powers, they would have joined their troops in the fortifications of Bucharest, a very strong position, which would have considerably e.ianged the position of the war map r>f Europe to-day. The fortifications t.i Bucharest could have held half a million men and have been most difficult place for the Russians. Thee could not hue gone by it tn either I ulgaria or Turkey, and with a German anny and their Austrian allies m so strongly fortified a position forty-five miles from the Danube amt thus forty-five miles from the Bulgarian frontier, the German and Austrian armies could have last year joined the Greek army, and there would have been a continuous chain of German. Austrian and Bulgarian troops down to the Greek frontier, where German intrigue had secund already' the Greek support. THE KING’S PATRIOTISM.

All that has happened in Rumania hi the last twenty-four months inusl be put down to the credit of Kiiw Ferdinand of Rumania, for tin public must realise that immense political, ‘financial, and family influence must nave been brought to work on him throughout that period, but he has resisted the whole of it, and has chosen a national way, which lias gained him the support of all Rumanians in Rumania and outside Rumania..

The public in the Allied countries have been crying out for months; M here are the Rumanians .’ What has Rumania done 1 What is Ruma nia going to do Can we rely on Rumania! Has Rumania joined Hie < entral Powers ! Has Rumania been bought ? ■ They cai) now realise tiiat King I’erdinand of Rumania has been working as much in tho interest of the Allie«l Powers and in Lie interest of justice and freedom as any of them—as much, if not more, than any other of tho Powers when it is remembered how he was handicapped. I trust that the public will realise some day the enormous value his cooperation will be to the Allies, as now there should be one line from Riga down to the seas, and that as the result of Ids careful and conscientious policy in which. I am told, ne had the valuable assistance of the beautiful Queen of Rumania. I will conclude with quoting what t: prominent Rumanian diplomat wrote me this morning, in which we all join: “lie all feel happy now to have at least reached the aim of our long silence and patient work of two years, and I think and hope that nve done well. May God help ua aj now to reach soon the final vic--tory. such as we all wish it, for the cause of right and justice and freedom of all nations, big and small.”