OBITUARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 March 1939, Page 5

OBITUARY

PRIME MINISTER OF RUMANIA. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. CANNES, March 6. The death has occurred of the Patriarch Miron Cristea, Prime Minister of Rumania, who came here some days ago in the hope of recovering from a grave illness. The Patriarch Miron Cristea, who succeeded M. Octavian Goga as Premier of Rumania in February last year, was head of the Orthodox Church and religious leader of 13,300,000 people — about one-third of the population of Rumania. He served as head of a three-man Regency for three years after the death of King Ferdinand in July. 1927. He became Patriarch in 1925. He resigned with the other Regents in 1930, when Carol, son of Ferdinand, returned from voluntary exile to ascend the throne. Carol’s young son, the present Crown Prince Michael, was King during Dr. Cristea's Regency. The Patriach, born in humble circumstances in a small Transylvanian village, devoted himself solely to religious matters since the end of the Regency, and belonged to no party, but was known to have democratic views, as did many of his Ministers. NEW PREMIER APPOINTED. BUCHAREST, March 7. The Minister of the Interior, M. Calinescu, has been appointed Prime Minister in succession to Dr. Miron Cristea. ___________