ROUMANIA'S DILEMMA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 33, 7 October 1915, Page 4

ROUMANIA'S DILEMMA.

Koiimania's dilemma is referred fo in an article by T. L. Stoddard, in the American Review, in the course ol . which he says that like Bulgaria, Ronmaiiia is only indirectly alfcctcd liv Italy’s entrance into the Knro- |

pea n war. though indirect effects sometimes have far-reaching consequences, Roumania’s position is much like that of the traditional ass between the two hales ol hay. t*Jo the west of her lies Austro-Hungar-ian Transylvania, to the east Russian Ressarahia, both ol these provinces inhabited predominantly, through by no means exclusively, by Roumanians. Of course Roumania would like them both, but since this' is impossible -she has been cautiously waiting to see which appeared the safer prey. Last winter, when the Russians seemed about to overrun Hungary, Roumania visibly stirred'for a spring at Transylvania. Hater on. the Teutonic victories at her very gates gave her pause. To-day she is closely watching the effect of Italy’s onslaught upon Austria-Hungary. She is also interested in possible happenings at the Dardanelles, Ronmania, like Bulgaria, would greatly dislike to see Russia at Constantinople. She would then lie sqnavclyin Russia’s overland pail). and should Austria-Hungary give way to a Stavised Central Europe, Roumania, even with Transylvania, would hp hut an isolated islet in the Slav ocean. ■'•()! course there are strong internal crosscurrents which may modify her decision. Hut. looking at the matter from the standpoint of purely foreign policy, we in a v expect like this: If Const,antiliopV Tails and the Teutonic allies fail in their stroke against Russia, Roumania will almost certainly strike for Transylvania. if Constantinople stands and Russia crumples up in Galicia and Poland. Roumania will as certainly strike for Ressarahia. In any other event Ronmania will probably continue hur, present neutrality, although there are internal factors which limy tip the scales one way or the other.