GERMANY AND RUMANIA

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 793, 25 August 1916, Page 6

GERMANY AND RUMANIA

CONTROL OF TRAD 6 AND FINANCE.

GERMANY'S POWERFUL INFLUENCE.

The "New York World" publishes the following article, dated June 9, from its special correspondent in Bucharest:—

The peaceful penetration by Germany of Rumania, and the work and organisation accomplished before as well as after the commencement of the war by the Germans in this country, invites the wonder and even the respect of an impartial observer, if there were not a discrimination in the ways and means adopted by them to achieve their ends.

To study the Rumanian commerce, industry and finance is to know the story of German enterprise, German work and German initiative gaining the mastery everywhere and in every walk of life. Patient Enterprise.

Since 1860, when a Hohenzollern Prince was put on the Rumanian throne, until the present day, Germans have gradually immigrated and settled here in large numbers. In the city of Bucharest alone the number of German residents is over 20,000, while in other Rumanian cities there arc not less than a further 50,000. To these must be added 210,000 German-speaking Jews, who are always the forerunners of German interests and German propaganda. They hold the most valuable properties and estates in the capital and in the other large cities, as well as rich and fertile lands in the Dobrudja district. As everywhere in other countries, in Rumania also, German official and nnollicial agents have spared no efforts or means in their endeavours to increase their influence, and to multiply gradually their enterprises and commerce.

A Close Organisation. While England and France together have only 10 consular representatives in this country, Germany and Austria are represented by 25 consular agents. As to non-official, commercial attaches and agents there can be no comparison, as the Germans alone have several scores more than their adversaries combined. They have also a chamber of commerce in the city of Bucharest, while Ihe French and English have no such thing in this country. The country's commercial, financial, economic, social, educational, hygienic, and many other phases are thoroughly studied and reported on from time to time. Anyone interested in Rumanian affairs is obliged to refer to the German reports.

With such an organisation and the knowledge resulting from it, the Germans, with their low priced goods, "made for the Orient," and long-period easy-payment system, became the predominant masters of the Rumanian market, thus importing goods annually to the amount of about £5,600,000 (during 1913) from Germany, out of a total of i,D,520,000 of general Rumanian imports. In order to maintain their commerce the Germans opened many banks and established many industrial houses, and by hard competition and various devices became the owners of part of the petroleum mines.

Control of Oil Fields

From *895 to 1900 the German capitalists, supported by German diplomacy, strove their utmost to become the sole masters of the entire petroleum field. In this endeavour they had two points in their minds; one was economic, the other political. At that lime Germany had already concluded a secret political alliance with Rumania, and she was planning to assure the supply of her needs of petroleum in case of war, as she knew well that Russia would side with her enemies, and that she would not be able to get very much material from the United Stales, owing to the English blockade; so it was her endeavour to have the Ru manians as her allies, when, with the petroleum fields under German ownership, she could amply provide her wants. The only serious competitors that appeared in the field were the Americans, but the Germans, by their diplomacy, drove them ofT. A Trade Dependency. Almost all the electrical works in the capital ami in the provinces are in German hands. The Fcrnic Iron Works, the port foundries, and the shipbuilding and repairing at Galatz are owned by the Krupp Company. Almost all the companies that manufacture cloth, cotton, cement, paper, and many other industries, as also the wood exporting trade, are in the hands of the Germans. If you add to these the Austrian and Hungarian enterprises, you will have an approximate idca«sf what the so-called Rumanian industry consists of. With German cemmerce and industry predominating in Rumania, it is natural also that German finance should have made some headway in order to make the Rumanian dependence on Germany still more complete. Out or £60.000,000 of Rumanian public debt, about £32,ooo,ooohave been borrowed from the Berlin hanks, and to-day the State of Rumania is paying L' 2,000,000 interest and annuities to the Germans. As most of the capital borrowed in Germany lias gone to pay for war and other material manufactured in Germany, not a cent has entered the country, and, as a Rumanian puts it. the payment of these two millions is an annual tribute paid lo Germany.