THE PASSING OF A KING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 212, 12 October 1914, Page 7

THE PASSING OF A KING.

—— ». .( CHARLES OF RUMANIA, t THE REGENERATION OF THE COUNTRY. - i By Cable. — Press Association. — C'vpyriylti. LONDON, October 10. Reuter states that the King of Rumania is dead. . It is nearly half a century now since Prince Charles Hohenzollern, in de* iiance of threats, warnings, and entreaties, threw in his lot with the Rumanians and reconstructed an impoverished, waning, half-barbaric little State into a kingdom comparatively rich and prosperous, with railways and ' \ schools, that'now holds the balance of power in the Balkans. In 1866, when Prince Charles decided to accept the position of Prince of Rumania, that position was merely one of vassalage to Turkey. Practically the whole nation voted for him when Prince Courza was dethroned in 1866, but he had a difficult r6le toMulfil. His acceptance of the position was not'approved by Austria, Turkey, and Russia, and the nobles of the country, though they accepted him, did hot make his path easy. He was 27 when he took the throne, ah officer in the German Army, and he had ideals and aspirations which, despite huge difficulties and discouragements, he fulfilled.- He had immense patience, dv he could not have accomplished half

. that, which he has done. . There was - a time when even his own Ministers' . treated him as though he - had been their hired servant, and told him that if he did' not do their will' he would be dethroned. His difficulties came at the outset. Within 24 hours of his arrival in Bucharest he found that a Turkish . army was prepared to march on the city any day, and he was warned that \ on the first sign of disorder in Rumania c Russia would seize one of his provinces ■..--and*Austria-'the other. • He also found - that Rumania -had ..no standing army ~ and that there was corruption in every department of administration. His attitude in cutting r 4own,expenses anxl i list ituti rig 'reforms roused; the enmity of the "powerful noblesj his dismissal of a ../'Minister' whose anti-Semite policy had raised a clamour in England and Aus- ':"' tria earned him the hostility of the "people. He became even more unpopular at the time of the Franco-Prussian - people, all Francophiles, wanted to\Jassist France against Ger- , many, and when he, insisted that such an action on the part of so small a State wtoild-V-madness they ta^efl of dethroning him—-sonie of them, when V.-X false report of a great French vic---r- tory was received, rose in arms against him and proclaimed a republic. Ono night, when popular feeling was against himdri a proposed change in the Constitution, the mob wrecked, the German: 0 Consulate, and this was too much' for ..'" the prince. ■:,"'■:. Then it was proved that his management of affair's was really appreciated, for people .and parties flocked round hi in with assurances of sujyport. He did not resign; instead he went' on with his work of establishing the -armv,' commerce and education. Eventually he, with the aid of Russia, was enabled to throw off Turkish domina- ■ tion and secure independence for his country, though it was a long struggle before' he could get the Great Powers to agree to the creation of Rumania as a kingdom. The result of all Ins efforts, though, is now shown in the order and prosperity of his country, and its strength of arms in 300,000 of the finest Boldiers in "Europe,- making Rumania, if not a Great Power, at least a Power " with -which Great Powers must reckon. • Rumania, which did not join in the ..- -Balkan war, gained most in territory from it, and each year of the reign - of the late. King saw some addition if the efficiency of his little nation. Naturally, being a Hohenzollern, his • sympathies were always pro-German, and a cable received last week showed that anpthei\ conflict on this matter had arisen between him and his Ministers. It was said that the King produced before the Crown Council a secret alliance and treaty, and insisted that Rumania should support Germany. But, according to the message, Ministers' and people ,were against him, and he was accused of seizing every oppor-. tunitv of committing a breach of neutrality. A later message from Bucharest said that Rumania was directing her army on the Austrian frontier and that the mobilisation of 200,000 men -was. nearly completed.