RUMANIA AND HER AMBITIONS 



1083 



almost perfect. ^Moldavia, stretching 

 north between Hungary and Russia, 

 forms the leg, a little narrow indeed, but 

 still a leg, while the Transylvanian Alps 

 on the northwestern border, where Wal- 

 lachia adjoins Hungary, form the instep 

 and continue down to the Iron Gates of 

 the Danube at the toe. The great river, 

 from this point eastward, forms the sole, 

 and the two provinces of Dobrudja and 

 Silistria make a well defined heel 



Speaking generally, Rumania is a great 

 plain sloping upward from the Black Sea 

 in a northwesterly direction, gradually at- 

 taining greater and greater elevations 

 until it merges into the mountains of the 

 border. It is the rich, black soil of this 

 plain which has given to Rumania its 

 rank among the great grain-growing 

 countries of the world. Wheat, barley, 

 oats, and maize are grown in great quan- 

 tities and form the country's chief ex- 

 ports. 



In the foothills of the mountains are 

 mile after mile of vineyards, producing 

 excellent wine, most of which, however, 

 is consumed in the country, although this 

 little kingdom ranks fifth among the Eu- 

 ropean wine producers. 



Higher up in the mountains are for- 

 ests, aggregating in all over 7 million 

 acres, now conservated with the greatest 

 care, for the king is an enthusiastic for- 

 ester, and the timber exported from them 

 produces no small revenue. Oak, beech, 

 walnut, maple, and pine are the chief 

 woods grown. 



The petroleum beds are a great na- 

 tional asset, particularly as the Rumani- 

 ans claim that their product has a higher 

 percentage of the pure oil than is found 

 in the American or Russian wells. The 

 petroleum industry is carried on by pri- 

 vate companies as well as by the state, 

 and the Standard Oil Company, as I have 

 mentioned, is also interested. This in- 

 dustry has now been developed to such 

 an extent that Rumania stands fifth on 

 the list of the petroleum producing coun- 

 tries of the world. There are extensive 

 coal fields, both of anthracite and lignite, 

 the largest anthracite fields being worked 

 by an English company, which is also in- 

 terested in railway development. 



The great plains afiford admirable pas- 

 ture land, where great quantities of sheep, 

 cattle, and swine are raised, enabling the 

 Rumanian farmers to enter successfully 

 the meat markets of Germany, Austria, 

 and Belgium. 



Vegetables are grown to such an extent 

 that they form the fourth most important 

 item among Rumania's exports. 



The fisheries in the Black Sea and the 

 Danube are of great value, particularly 

 the sturgeon catch, from which much 

 caviar is dispatched to Berlin, which is 

 the center of the caviar-distributing in- 

 dustry. The choicer and most delicate 

 fishes are exported to Austria and Hun- 

 gary in such quantities that Rumania is 

 compelled to import coarse fish from 

 Russia to satisfy her own domestic de- 

 mand. 



whe:re: THE" unite:d state:s make:s no 

 Figure: 



Rumania's greatest export trade is with 

 Belgium and Hungary, while she obtains 

 the greater part of her imports from 

 Germany, Austria-Hungary ranking sec- 

 ond, with Great Britain third; and it is 

 distressing to observe that the United 

 States is hardly represented at all. 



The kingdom is a constitutional mon- 

 archy having a parliament of two houses. 

 The Senate consists of 120 members, 

 elected for eight years, including, ex 

 officio, the Crown Prince, the bishops, 

 and representatives of the universities. 

 The Chamber of Deputies has 183 mem- 

 bers, who are elected for four years. 

 The voters are divided into three colleges 

 based upon property qualifications, the 

 first two of which vote directly, while in 

 the third those who can read and write 

 and have an income of $60 from rural 

 land also vote directly ; the rest vote in- 

 directly, each 50 indirect electors choos- 

 ing a delegate who votes with the direct 

 electors of the third college. 



The total population of the country is, 

 roughly, a little over 7 millions. In- 

 cluded in this figure are the Jews, who, 

 though not Rumanian citizens, form about 

 4^ per cent of the total population, a 

 larger ratio than in any other country in 

 the world. 



