The Daily News. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1915. ROUMANIA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 8 February 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1915. ROUMANIA.

It may seem somewhat premature to count yet with confidence upon Eoumania as our new ally. But her acceptance of a British loan for purposes of military equipment is surely sufficient justification for considering her as committed to join the (Anti-German League in tne near future. At any rate, the prospect of her alliance with us is within the region of practical politics enough to entitle us to studying the question of what the worth of that alliance will be. The prevalent idea of Roumania seems to be that she is only one of the petty States whose support will not be of much value to anyone. But that is an idea which rests only upon . ignorance. A closer acquaintance with tile history will show that she has potential influence enough t> make her co-operation with us in the great struggle worth more than it is easy to put into words. The kingdom of Roumania presents the form of an irregular blunted crescent, compared by some writers to a sausage. Its average length is about 358 miles and its breadth about 188 miles. Its approximate area is 49,250 square miles (New Zealand's is 104,000 square miles). Its territory, therefore, covers an area nearly equal to that of Great Britain. Its population is about 7,000,000. Of these 4'/i> millions belong to the Greek Church, the national religion, and the remainder are Protestants, Jews, etc. There are believed to be about four million Roumanians outside the r,oumanian kingdom in Hungary and Transylvania, and adjoining Russian provinces, Servia and Bulgaria. The most remarkable feature in the agricultural system of Roumania is its peasant proprietary, which was created about the year 1804. Before that year the whole land was practically held by the inferior nobles, who were frequently absentees, "or by the State, the peasants merely owning patches of land contiguous to their huts or hovels, many of which are semi-sub-terranean. The peasantry had been robbed of their land during long ages of feudal despotism and foreign conquest, but when the Government became democratic it was resolved to restore a portion of it, about one-third, to its original owners at very moderate prices to be fixed by the State. In the first instance, the Government advanced the purchase money by loan. Tho greater part of the debt was paid off by the peasant proprietors by the year 1881, and an Act passed to prevent the alienation of embarrassed estates, which would otherwise have fallen into the hands of usurers. The result was that in that year there existed in Wallachia and Moldavia 400,803 holdings, averag ing 10.0 acres each, and the great change lias added materially to the prosperity of the country and its thrifty peasantry. The Government of Ronmania is a limited monarchy, and the Constitution provides for an irresponsible king, a council of members, a senate and a chamber of deputies. The members of both bouses are chosen indirectly, mainly by colleges of voters, but the large towns elect directly. Senators are elected for eight years. Members of the lower house sit for four years. One of the most important political institutions of Roumania is the Danubian Commission, on which there il a British representative. This is rendered necessary by the great preponderance of British trade; for whilst the total number of vessels which cleared from the Danube in 18S9, was 1870, with a tonnage of 1,473,345, the proportion of Vessels was 842, of 1,000,773 tons, and the proportion has been maintained during recent years. It will thus be seen that Roumania is bound to Great Britain by the two important ties of political sympathy and commercial interest. She has everything to gain by easting in her lot with that of the Allies. And We have much to gain by the seeming of her co-operation and support. At present her fighting strength is comparatively small. But with the assistance of the war loan obtained from Great Britain it can be substantially increased. There is every reason to hope that Roumania will add il considerable amount to the weight of the hammer by which Kaiserism must be eventually crushed.