ROUMANIA. 



697 



an army whose efficiency and bravery is 

 proved, and which taxes the resources of the 

 country severely although they have thus 

 far expanded since the Russian war under this 

 burden and that of a heavy debt for railroads 

 which do not yet pay interest and expenses 

 the Roumanians have a chance of not only 

 maintaining, but of improving, their position 

 by precipitating the conflict between Russia 

 and Austria. Whichever side they aid with 

 their formidable military resources, there is a 

 large piece of " unredeemed " Roumanian soil 

 to be annexed as the fruit of victory. There 

 are between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 Rouma- 

 nians in the adjacent portions of Hungary and 

 Russia. The district which could be claimed 

 on the ground of nationality in Transylvania 

 and Northwestern Hungary is the most ex- 

 tensive and valuable. The Roumanians of Bes 

 sarabia, however, are related to the country 

 by a closer tie. They were faithful subjects 

 of King Carol until separated by the Treaty 

 of Berlin. That experience stands in the way 

 of an alliance with Russia. When no power 

 would aid Roumania in maintaining the neu- 

 trality of her soil, she was obliged to become 

 the partner of Russia in a costly war. The 

 important services rendered by the Roumanian 

 troops at Plevna helped to turn the scale of 

 victory. Yet they were requited by the an- 

 nexation to Russia of the province of Bessa- 

 rabia. The Dobrudja and its ports, and the 

 decree of independence, are not considered in 

 Roumania sufficisnt compensation for the loss 

 of Bessarabia. Of the two ports, Kustendje 

 alone will be utilized, and to render that one 

 available, five years more of time and the 

 expenditure of 20,000,000 francs in the con- 

 struction of a bridge and harbor will be re- 

 quired. The withdrawal of the Kilia branch 

 of the Danube from the jurisdiction of the 

 International Commission was a fresh warning 

 of the danger from the side of Russia. (See 

 DANUBE, EUKOPEAN COMMISSION OF THE.) 



More sleepless and constant, however, than 

 jealousy of Russia, is the mistrust of German 

 influence and Austria, because the policy of 

 the King and of the present Government lays 

 them open to attacks, on the ground of sub- 

 servience to German interests. The King, as 

 a Hohenzollern, had difficulty in winning the 

 confidence of the people. He maintained his 

 position by sinking his nationality, and taking 

 the lead in Roumanian national tendencies and 

 . aspirations. His present advisers have gained 

 the confidence of the country by the tact and 

 devotion with which they have served the 

 cause of national independence, but their atti- 

 tude toward the German powers is sometimes 

 called in question. French political influence 

 has vanished from Roumania, but French 

 thought ia not extinct. The Germans have 

 pursued their commercial expansion in Rou- 

 mania more actively than in any other part 

 of the East, attracted by the richness of the 

 country, and by its social and political condi- 



tions. Their economical dependence upon 

 German capital is a source of uneasiness and 

 fear to the Roumanians. A sign of this feeling 

 is the recent action of the legislature in en- 

 hancing the disabilities of foreigners to hold 

 land, etc., instead of sweeping them away, BO 

 as to promote the inflow of German capital. 

 Their sensitiveness, on account of the ex i 

 sion of German energy and culture, is as great 

 as that of any of the Slav peupladea of the 

 Balkans. A Roumanian Government coold not 

 venture to show too great complaisance t 

 Austria. To the Germans an independent 

 Roumania is a bastion to shield the " civilizing 

 mission " of the German race in the Orient, a 

 dam against the " Slavic deluge " ; while to the 

 Russians it is an obstacle in their path to Con- 

 stantinople, to be eventually erased from the 

 map. 



Political Parties. The Red, or Democratic 

 party, which has guided the state during a 

 period of remarkable development and prog- 

 ress, has governed for many years without an 

 organized and permanent political opposition. 

 Rosetti's electoral reform project raises the old 

 class conflict, and produces dissension in the 

 dominant party. The Reds, inspired with the 

 ideas of French liberalism, emancipated the 

 serfs and expropriated the landlords. The 

 Whites, or Conservatives, overthrew the Gov- 

 ernment, drove out the reforming Hospodar, 

 Colonel Couza, and set a German prince on the 

 throne ; but, as they could not undo the great 

 reform, they had to resign the helm again into 

 the hands of the Reds. They only succeeded 

 in making a better bargain for their lands. 

 Rosetti was the man of ideas, butBratiano and 

 other practical statesmen took the direction of 

 the Government. The Boyar families were 

 many of them won over, while Cogelniceano 

 and the men who were identified with Prince 

 Couza's revolutionary reforms were left out. 

 The Reds thus became merged in the National- 

 Liberal party. The excluded Radicals were an 

 insignificant group. The Conservative Oppo- 

 sition, though few in number, were politically 

 powerful until they melted away to a small 

 remnant. The qualified acceptance by the Gov- 

 ernment of Rosetti's project, revived the con- 

 flict between democratic and oligarchic ele- 

 ments. His plan is to abolish the distinct elec- 

 toral colleges, and have the great proprietors 

 with incomes of over 300 ducats net, the inter- 

 mediate class, with 100 ducats of income from 

 real property, and the indirect peasant voters, 

 elect their candidates to the Chamber together. 

 The question was not decided by the general 

 election to a Constituent Assembly, which took 

 place in May. The regular Opposition won 

 only 13 of the 145 seats in the Chamber, while' 

 the Government obtained more than the neces- 

 sary two-third majority in the Senate. This 

 and the other internal reforms which the Con- 

 stituent Assembly have to consider, were 

 obscured by the conflicts and intrigues to which 

 the understanding arrived at between the 



