ROUMANIA AND GERMANY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16213, 26 April 1916, Page 6

ROUMANIA AND GERMANY.

The reports which have recently emanated from Germany of a commercial agreement with Roumania as yet lack positive confirmation. Our experience of the Balkans is too unsatisfactory, however, for anything to be regarded as impossible in that quarter. Roumania has been demanding gold for everything bought by Germany and Austria. No goods have been allowed to leave the country without the written sanction of the Bucharest Treasury, which is said to have withheld its sanction when dissatisfied with price or other particulars of the transaction. The buyer had to pay the full amount in gold at the Treasury, which paid the seller in Roumanian paper money. In this way Roumania has been accumulating considerable stocks of gold. Stringent precautions were taken to prevent it leaving the country. The Roumanian demand for gold is known to have embarrassed Germany, which has naturally been very desirous of making some other arrangement. If any improved arrangement has been secured by Germany it must be accepted by the Allies as another warning that the Balkan States are to be depended on only so far as their own self-interest carries them. Available military strength is the only argument that can be successfully urged in the tortuous diplomacy of .thai Balkans,.;