TWO KINGS IN DANUBE

Southland Times, Issue 22210, 30 December 1933, Page 9

TWO KINGS IN DANUBE

CAROL AND BORIS MEET. BREAD AND SALT EXCHANGED. Fifteen thousand Bulgarian peasants flocked into Rustchuk on October 30 to join with the townsfolk in cheering King Boris of Bulgaria on his way to meet King Carol of Rumania. Having inspected a guard of honour, King Boris embarked in a Bulgarian gunboat, which, escorted by two monitors, proceeded across the river to the Rumanian port of Ramadan. As the gunboat came alongside the Rumanian royal yacht, the Rumanian shore batteries and guns of the Danubian flotilla fired a salute of 21 guns. King Carol, who was accompanied by the Rumanian Premier, Dr Vaida Voevod, welcomed King Boris affectionately as he came aboard. There was a brave display of flags and bunting. Amid enthusiastic cheering the Mayor of Ramadan offered King Boris bread and salt as a token of Rumania’s welcome and good will. King Carol then crossed the river to Rustchuk, where he, too, was greeted with a salute of 21 guns and offering of bread and salt, and a tumultuous welcome from the people. Later the two Kings again embarked in the Rumanian royal yacht Stephen the Great, and in beautiful weather cruised up the Danube as far as Nicopol. The Rumanian and Bulgarian Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers were on board.

After lunch King Boris and King Carol had a long conversation alone. Their discussion, it is understood, embraced a multitude of subjects, including the rights of minorities in their respective countries, the establishment of an arbitration court, a general amnesty for political offenders, the build-

ing of another bridge across the Danube, and the restitution to Bulgarian peasants of property confiscated after the war. The two Kings returned to Rustchuk at 5 p.m., where they took leave of each other, the Bulgarian batteries firing the royal salute in honour of King Carol, who returned to the royal yacht at Ramadan. King Boris and the Bulgarian Premier, M. Moushanoff, left by special train for Sofia, huge and enthusiastic crowds surging round the barriers at the station. This was the first meeting of the Rumanian and Bulgarian Kings since the Great War.