NEW RUMANIAN CABINET

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 83, 31 December 1937, Page 5

NEW RUMANIAN CABINET

-Prees Assn.-

Establishment of SemiMilitary Party NEW ELECTIONS PLANNED

(By Telegraph-

-Copyright.)

(Received 31, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 29. The Bucharest correspondent of the Daily Telegraph reports that the joint leaders of the National Christian Party, which is Germanophile and Fascist in chgracter, have formed a Cabinet, which took the oath of office last evetiing, The political situation remains chaotic, as the Cabinet has practically no Parliamentary support. There has been a widespread fear that King Carol and Dr. Octavian Goga intended to make an anti-democratic coup, after which Cabinet would rqle by decree. However, the new Cabinet includes several members of the Nationai Peasant Party and the Gorernment hopes its personnel will arrest the Stock Exchange slump, which followed rumours that Dr. Goga was forming a purely Fascist Cabinec. The new Cabinet consists of eight members from the National Christian Party, three from the National Peasant Party, and three with no party affiliations. General John Antonescu is at the Ministry of National Defence. King Carol described the Cabinet as entering on a new road whosfi motto was nationalism. It was supported by the peasants, who were the backbone of the country. Dr. Goga said that the National Christian Party was inevitably orientated towards the peasant population. The Bucharest correspondent of The Times says that Dr. Octavian Goga, who formed the New Rumaniai; Cabinet, is planning new elections in April. The present Parliament will be summoned and dissolved or the recent elections will be declared null and void on the ground that the Electoral Commission failed to publish the results within eight days, as required by the law. The Daily Telegraph's Bucharest correspondent says that the Goga Cabinet has already started work along the lines of other dictatorial Governments. The first important decision was the establishment of a semi-military party. Dr. Goga told newspapermen that the principles of nationalism would be applied to public life with the motto "Rumania for the Rumanians." The activities of the New Government would develop strictly within the limits of the Constitution. 1 i The National Christian Party has existed since August, 1935, and was formed of an amalgamation of the former League of Christian National Defence and the National Agrarian Party. Its jomt leaders are Dr. Octavian Goga and Professor A. C. Cuza. The National Peasant Party resulted from a fusion of the Peasant Party, which was formed after the war, and the Transylvanian Nationalists. Its leaders are MM. L. Mihalache and Juliu Maniu. After the election of Deeember, 1933, the National Peasant Party was the second strongest party. in the Legislature, holding 40 seats. The two parties which came together in the National Christian Party held 17 seats between them. There were 387 seats altogether, of which the Liberals held 300.