ROUMANIAN KING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 145084, 8 September 1916, Page 7

ROUMANIAN KING.

A POPULAR FIGURE. The following is taken from 'article in M unsoy's Magazine by Svetozar Tonjorolf:—“The earliest civilised sovereign of the country knows as Rouxnania was the Roman Emperor Trajan, who invaded and conquered it in the lirst years of the second century of the Christian ora. Tho latest is King Ferdinand of the house of Hohenzol-lern-Sigraai'ingen, a distant kinsman of the Gorman Emperor, who succeeded to the throne on October 10 on tho death of his venerable uncle, King Carol I. In tho intervening two thousand years a good many things have happened to Roumania. Established by Trajan as a Roman colony under the designation of Dacia—pronounced Dah-chia by its people to-day—tho country between the Danube and the Thei.ss was overwhelmed by successive waves of invasion and conquest. Among tiio races whose hosts have trampled the soil of the ancient Dacia are the Goths, tho Huns, tho Nogi Tatars, tho Petehenegs, and tho Turks.

Each of these conquering races have left its stamp -upon the Roumanian people as their neighbours know them in the present year of grace—or disgrace, if you prefer it so. Through all those crushing hazards of oliangc, however, they have remained Latins. Roman, tho modern Roumanian calls hhnscdf—a Roman. His language, despite a sprinkling of Slavic or Bulgarian and of Turkish, is Latin—perhaps tho nearest approach to the sonorous tongue in which Cato persistently reminded the Senate that Carthage must bo destroyed. His feelings arc intensely Latin. His new King, despite the accidents df German birth and German training, earnestly tries to bo its Latin as lie can. The King’s son, Crown Prince Carol, has succeeded in becoming a Latin. Hence his great popularity witli the people upon the steps of whose throne lie stands.

i When King Carol breathed his last amid the shadows of the Carpathian Mountains at Sinaia, he left an' iron crown and a grave problem to his nephew and successor. The crown and the problem wore inseparable, as if often the case with such bequests. The crown liad been fashioned out of the base bnt indestructible metal tahen from a Turkish cannon captured by the Roumanian soldiers at the siege of Pleven or Plevna, in the Russo-Turkish War of 187 T. It is of heavy built—how heavy the new King lias perhaps yet to discover. The problem was tho outcome of tho fact that Transylvania was under the sovereignty of the Hun.garlau. part of tho dual empire. Tran'sylvania, any otlmologist or politician in Bucharest will toll you, is mliabited by Roumanians in the ratio of two to one Magyar or Szokler. This province, along with tho Bnkowina, is apparently one of the objectives of tho Russian operations in Austria-Hun-gary. The first thing that confronted the now King, oven lieforo the last fluttering breath had loft the body in the darkened chamber at Sinaia, was a vigorous demand from tho wax party for a declaration of hostilities against Austria-Hungary, in order to conquer '.and annef Transylvania and tho Hukowina before tiro Russian bear should place a heavy paw upon tho whole extent of those provinces. At this moment,'however, the situation was complicated by two considerations, one personal and" dynastic, the other international. Tlie dynastic question arose out of the fact that Ferdinand, as a Hohenzoiicrn of tho Signmriiigon, or non-regnat branch, could not. regard lightly any proposal to plunge ids country into hostilities against: the Hohenzoiicrn who reigns in Berlin. The international consideration was based upon the fact that along Iho southern bank of the Danube Rouman ta was facing a hostile Bulgaria eager for an opportunity to exact satisfaction for the seizure by King Carol and hU army of 2000 square miles of Bulgarian territory in tho second Balkan war, when Bulgaria was locked in a death-grapple with tho combined forces of Serbia, Greece, Turkey, and' Montenegro. Such was tho enigma with, which the logic of events confronted Ferdinand upon Ida accession to the throne which his undo had occupied since IS6C. Tho choice of peace or war lay largely in his hands. Which would ho choose? That was the question which the world asked itself with lively interest. His reign began under circumstances widely different from those of his predecessor's accession.- When Karl— Latinised to Carol —of HohonzollemSigmaringen was called to Bucharest by vote of the Roumanian Parliament, Prince John Alexander Cuza, a GrccoRoumaniau boyar, had just been compelled by force of arms to a,tendon the disastrous attempt to govern tho two principalities of Wallaohia and Moldavia as a united State, after a long series of separate administrations under Greek or Rouman iau hospodars. The hbepodars—tho title is derived from the Slavic word gospodar, or mus-ter-—were a series of viceroys, each of whom obtained ins appointment from the suzerain'at Constantinople by outbidding his rivals for the privilege as a speculation; and tire results of'such a governmental system may readily be imagined. Prince Carol was summoned to tho vacant throne in a determined attempt by tho Roumanian people, long exploited, to place the realm beyond the sphere of native strivings and pretensions. Prince Carol, because cf the Sultan’s opposition to his selection, had to travel to his capital disguised as a merchant. When ho arrived as Domn or Lord of Roumania, ho found the condition of tho experimental principality hopelessly confused. Even’ department of tho public service was in chaos. There were no roads, no justice, no comprehensive scheme of education. King Ferdinand, on the other hand,- succeeds , to sovereignty over 'a country where education, commerce, industry, and military organisation have attained a high level. The throne of Roumania might well tempt any European prince; and yet 35 years ago the reversion to it went a-begging. Inasmuch as King Carol and his consort, Queen Elizabeth, better known as _ Carmen Sylva, hod lost their only child, a girl, at a tender age, and it appeared improbable that there would be a direct heir to the throne, provision was made for: tho succession in the collateral line. Under a special article of the Roumanian constitution. King Carol’s elder brother, Prince Leopold of Hohonaol-lern-Sigmaringen, becaan© heir apparent. Prince Leopold, however, renounced his. rights in favour of his eldest son, Prince Wilhelm, who in turn passed on the prospective royal heritage’ to his brother, the present King. When Prince: Ferdinand-..arrived in

Bucharest aa Crown Prince in 1889 bo devoted himself zoalonsi/ to the task of acquiring the Roumanian language and point of view. Ho did not recant his Catholic faith, hut his sen Carol, the present Crown Prince, was baptised into the national church—the Roumanian Orthodox. Thus complete fusion between the dynasty and the people was effected. The new King is a studious man of quiet tastes and a tremendous capacity for work. In his earlier years ho, spent a generous share of his time in his study. Nevertheless, ho has taken n lively interest in outdoor sports, and is an expert rider.