ROUMANIAN KING’S STATEMENT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11695, 14 October 1916, Page 5

ROUMANIAN KING’S STATEMENT.

BELIES ON THE ALLIES. THEY WILL NOT FORSAKE HIM. A TRAGEDY MUST BE PREVENTEI Received Oct. 14, 2.5 a.m. Times. London, Oct, 13. Mr Washburn, at Bucharest, had i ■’eries of conversations with Kin; ■*. -dinand, who said it was wol 'irJd should know the danger! f&e’>v •<. In entering the mael facing iv great war, Roumania strom 1 01* 3 i by policies of expedi Wastfot Mi to the OentfflJ bad ‘he highest fprin Powers, but Li?'- Jeale. The tit cipto and nationa * every ol race and blood i?yiiea i consideration. The a pure Roumanian bloou ... vania created the stronger - Roumanian opiulonjfrom the to gthe lowest peasant. Hun,"®*" has been our traditional enemy cause she held a million of our bloou in political bondage, while Bulgaria, with an efficient army on a frontier difficult for us to defend , was logically; a potential enemy. At the beginning of the war we had no hostility to Germany whatever. Friendship for her was a potent commeroiaPasset, bringing prosperity. We 1 haVfe blood sympathies with France’, neighbour!iness with Russia and respect for England. During the war there has grown up as regards Germany what may be called an enemy viewpoint, due to her principles that might is right, that the means justifies the end and that small nationalities eixst merely as pawns tor the Central Powers for advancing their industrial and commercial aims. She attempted to write her theory of frightfulness and lawlessness into international law, but it affected us deeply. Roumania maintained neutrality until she could act with reasonable assurances of protecting herself and having her great Allies. As a small power, with small armies, surrounded ‘.by giants and with long frontiers she could not act before without instant annihilation. She waited no longer than was reasonably safe and she stakes her entire future on the courage of her people and the economic and military support of her greater Allies. This great war promises to last another year and this faces us withjthe certainty of the consumption of our own resources, but I feel "certain thatjj the Allies will prevent Roumania from being the third small power destroyed. Roumania has no delusions. She knows that Germany will make every sacrifice to obliterate her from the map. The enemy is showing his' craving for vengeance now by aeroplane attacks on defenceless cities, making the innocent pay the penalty for the Government’s sound and just action. This has created a bitterness which has enlisted the whole nation. Making peace without victory is an utter impossibility. Roumania will not falter from her allegiance nor can Germany wean us from faith in England, France, our brother Latin, and onr Russian neigbbonrs. The Allies in the exigencies of the huge problems will surely not allow Roumania, who has staked all to pass to the back of tbeir minds and suffer the Serbo-Bulgarian fate. We are confident iu the Allies, the justice of our cause and the fortitude and sacrifices of onr people.