WEAKNESS OF FRONTIER DEFENCES.
WHY ROt'JIANfA HAS NOT ENTERED THE WAR. (New York Herald.) Roumanian entry into the conflict is considered just as certain as Italy's was. Every hour that passes brings the decisive moment nearer, and it is understood it may now be only a matter of days when she will give the word to her military commanders. They, as well as many of her statesmen, have been fretting with impatience, and, if it depended on them, won Id have iaken the plunge long ago; lint Roumania had to pro: eed earefuliy and (he counsels of pruik'Pi-e have prevailed. For Kouniauitt i-, \ ulnc:'aMc. There i-. a ten icr spot in her buckler, and she has had to estabii-ii a line of defence 1 of which (lie outside world hanot heard. Her oil and anthracite fields have had to be prelected. Uonmnnia is the Pennsylvania of Europe. Her petroleum makes the finest lubricating oil in (lie world, the Roumanians assert. ller anthracite coal ranks with that of Pennsylvania, and Germany and Austria feel greatly aggrieved about Routnania's oil. Tliev had counted 011 fighting (ho war with it
Many of the oil fields of Knur."mia were financed in Germany. The Gci'iisu Government two years ago decidul to etsablhlt a petroleum monopoly. .Vr-ne but (he State could sell oil or its products. This ostensibly was a blow dea.lt to the American companies. Hut it ha.l other reasons. Roumania was counted on. German 'companies, wliie i now had the official backing of the Government, had solid interests in Uoumania. and with this entering wedge there won! I be a way found at the opportune moment for Germany to take control ■ ■>. the H i,.manian output.
The Kaiser's Ministers icmw that in a war with Eram-e the sympathies of the people of Roumania would be with Erancc, but that did not cause them much concern. Tliev remembered t'lit in the war of 1S"() w'ill Franc-! the people of Rouman'a had rioted ar.d attacked German pioperty, and their German Prince, later King, Charles had iffered to resign. They also remember' e that, when the French lost, the Roumanian anti-German feeling subsided, and probably reflected that, most nations, like many individuals, show an inclination to go with (he winning side .And if Roumania was recalcitrant, why, they would make another Belgium of it. They, counted as absolutely on the resources of Roumania—her oil and her wonderful richness in all the more desirable metals —as if they had been in their own territory. But tlicy counted without Clene?*.l ■Toffre ami the fighting Spirit revealed at the Manic. And that has upset greatly Germany's calculations about the sources of oil. gasolene, and metals, In the event of war the first blow the Teuton allies would deal to Roumania would be a dash for her fields of mineral resources. And the configitra-
tion of Roumania's territory lends the opportunity for many a dangerous drive. I ROUIIAXIA OI'EX TO ATTACKS. I Koumania, generally speaking is orescent shaped, and Austria-Hungary l tills the hollow of the crescent. Tilt upper part, running roughly north and south, is the old province of '-Moldavia, the lower, from east to west, Wallachia. I There is a third province to the east, ! on the Black Sea, the Dobrudja, but it ;i» not of great importance. AustriaHungary's deep salient into the heart ol liouimuiia gives the Teuton allies a choice to strike from. | How a general with the special talent of vun Jlnidenberg would revel in the situation, with that entrant angl'a to work from, and with, as objective, the . choice of one or more of the rich wells and mines of Bacau, in Moldavia, llu,'seun, further south. Prahova and Dimbrovitza, in Wailachia, and then the I Knjr.'isli-mvned anthracite beds of Corgiu, (uii near the blunted western end of the crescent! Koumania has had to take her precautions, and while apparently husy with problem*' of another nature, such as tile reselling of agreements with ttie 'Balkan Staten, this putting of her own borderland in condition to meet the prospective invader really is what has kept her occupied to date. She now has practically completed the task. • With regard to the Balkan States, It may be noted that Houmanift would like the rest of the world to observe I,lml she is not a Balkan State. She heretofore quite generally lias been so classed and she. did not remonstrate. Xow she thinks the time has Come to put the matter right. All who may desire further information on tlx* subject will be supplied with it by the. Roumanian Geographical Society in Bitehaje*.t in the form of a monograph printed in French. lioimiauio, would not be understood as considering it in any way derogatorv to bo classed aa ft Balkan State. She simply wants to have her position as one of the Latin nations recognised, and, indeed, geographfeally, her territory does not fall within tlie Tislknn neninsiila. MORK T.AT.I> T TJTAX THE ITALIAN.
The Roumanian language admittedly is one of the Komanoe -group, and a great many of its words are closer to the form of the purs Latin than are corresponding words in Italian, French, Spanish, or Portuguese. It ia true that there lias been a heavy admixture from without, and that in the spoken tongue in the past there were about three .Slavic word! for every two of Latin origin. Hut the groundwork of tlie language lias remained Latin, just as the basis of English, despite the enormous addition of classical words, has remained Snxon. And the patriotic Roumanians declare that in the future their language will 'be more and more Latin.
.Tust as the Germans have been eliminating foreign word? and since the war began have been throwing out French menu terms anil bnglrsh "five o'clock tea'' and "sport" and "bull-dog'' ami more recently Italian musical terms such as "piano, ''adilagio," "con amore," so the Roumanians lmve "been hard &t
work blaoldisting the words that are not of Latin origin, This, as a matter of fact, is not a new proce a with them. A new school of Roumanian poctl and writers aroe sA>out thirty-five years ago and started the campaign. In a political way it meant the building up of barriers against the Magyar, the .Teuton and the Slav, and the reaching out toward the Latins of Western Europe. It unquestionably, has pari (led the language, at least from the point r.f view of the Western peoples, and a fortunate outcome of the war for Ronmania on the aide of the Allies won' I have undoubtedly very important political consequences, with a strong Latin Power ilrmiy established on the e&itrrn side of Teutonic Power*. The amount of L«.tin blood in tlio Roumanian people is a much <lispuM point, as indeed it is even with the French, Spanish, and Italian.*, but for all practical purposes in this connection it i 9 language, with customs, manners and institutions that count far more than Wood. Bulgaria, from the beginning of the present struggle, has been the one Power in the Balkan States that liaiprovented Ron mania and Greece from coming Into conflict. At times her manner hat been monacing, and the Germanic Powers have used money and' influence to maintain this hostile neutrality toward* neighboring nations. Bulgaria has not forgotten past wrongs, and that die had suffered pitilessly at the hands of her former Allies. As a result of the two Balkan wars Serbian territory was increased, from 18,652 square' miles to 33,891 square miles, and her population from 2,011,701 to 4,527,!>92; Greek territory from 25,014 square miles to 41 f1.13 square miles, and population from 2.000,000 to 4,383,000. Montenegro and Roumania gained in siee and population, but Bulgaria, despite the expenditure of more blood and treasure than any of the other combatants, gained only' 0683 square miles and 120,400 subjects. It was, therefore, only natural that Bulgaria should use the present crisis to further her own ambitions. Meanwhile, however, German aggression in Europe and the fate of Belgium have apparently convinced her that there would be little room for small independent nations if the Central Powers became predominant. The Austro-Germana, too, are massing troops preparatory to an Invasion of Serbia, with the intention, it is said, of coming to the relief of Turkey. If it is part of the Austro-Gerraan plan to hack their way through Serbia assist Turkey, it could not be oarried out without the violation of Bukwian . neutrality, and in that event Bulgiri* would only, have one course to pursue.
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Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1915, Page 10
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1,414WEAKNESS OF FRONTIER DEFENCES. Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1915, Page 10
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