Prince Carol and Rumania
RUMANIA has for years been so unstable, her politics have been so- corrupt, her finances so depressed, and the peasants so poor, that to describe her condition as critical is generally to use too strong a word, for she manages somehow to carry on. If, however, the word " crisis " is ever admissible in relation to a prolonged agony it may fairly be applied to Rumania now. Evi- dently a more serious attempt than usual is being made to challenge the existing Government. It is being made within the borders of Rumania by the Peasant Party, and has no connexion whatever with the antics of Prince Carol, who is at present a visitor to England.
Nevertheless, the case of Prince Carol his been attract- ing much more attention than the political movements in Rumania. The intrigue of which he is the accomplice or the beneficiary has been the chief excitement of the past few days. His record is discreditable. His first marriage with Mlle. Lambrino was morganatic, and was annulled. He then married Princess Helen of Greece; who became the mother of Michael, the present child King of Rumania. Prince Carol renounced his right of succession to the Throne two or three times, only to withdraw the renuncia- tion. He abandoned Princess Helen, and since then he has been living with Mme. Lupescu. For the past fortnight he and Mme. Lupescu have been the guests of M. Jonescu, a well-known Rumanian, at a house in Surrey.
Last Sunday it became known to the Government that two aeroplanes had been hired in the interests of Prince Carol to take journalists and propagandist leaflets to Rumania. It is said that the whole enterprise was a newspaper " stunt." The leaflets were to be showered down on the Peasant Party, which might thereby be encouraged to march more boldly on Bucharest, and the British journalists were to have the gratification of watching the spectacle and recording the results for their newspaper. The principal flaw in this scheme, which had many obvious flaws, was that Prince Carol's name is not exactly one to conjure with in Rumania. He is a spent force and nobody takes serious notice of him.
Yet it is significant that simultaneously with the organization of this intrigue there has been much talk about a revision of the Treaty of Trianon. Perhaps those who have 'been helping Prince Carol have friendly feelings towards Hungary, and persuaded him that if he returned home in charge of a policy to settle the long- standing Transylvanian dispute in a manner satisfactory to Hungary new strength would be acquired by the dynasty, and that particular gratitude would go out to him.
Whatever the exact truth may be, the Foreign Office, having become aware that aeroplanes were to leave England for Rumania in Prince Carol's cause, did well to prohibit the enterprise. In an interview in the Daily Mail Prince Carol absolutely denies that he hired aero- planes. He denies also that he has ever received a penny for propaganda. Such denials mean very little, for it was not, so far as we know, asserted that Prince Carol himself paid for the aeroplanes or had the leaflets printed. He admits that he believes himself to be the " only man " who can bring peace to Rumania. " I am," he added, " at the service of my country." That is all we need to know, and in conjunction with all the other facts it is a sufficient justification of the Foreign Office prohibition. It also justifies the. Home Office in requiring Prince Carol to leave England.
It may be said—indeed it has been said—that the .Government have established a precedent that may come home to roost in preVenting the export of ,political litera- ture. The Daily Chronicle argues that as it is really impossible to prevent aeroplanes from carrying such literature—aeroplanes might spring off from"hundreds of Convenient fields in the darkthe Government are asking for trouble in accepting by implication responsibility foi% Prince Carol's doings. " Once accept responsibility and you will always be held responsible, even in circumstances where no human vigilance could have prevented trans- gression of the comity of nations "—such in effect is the argument. '
According to our reading of history and la*, however, no Government can be held to more than the-observance of " due diligence " in preventing unfriendly acts against Other countries. This was the phrase used with the emphasis of reiteration in the ' Alabama' Arbitration,; In that famous settlement it was laid down that a neutral Government must " use due diligence to prevent the fitting out, arming or "equipping' of any vessel which it has reasonable grounds to believe," &c. Similarly, a neutral nation must "exercise due diligence in its own ports and waters." Times have changed and we must read " aerodrome " for -" port." Obviously, the Govern- ment could not have looked on idly when Prince Carol's venture had been brought under their notice, but they Could not have been accused of lacking in due diligence if the venture had entirely escaped their notice.
Shortly after the death of King Ferdinand Rumania had the misfortune to lose her strong Prinie Minister, Jonel Bratianu, who had at least held the country together by firmness and great tactical ability. He was succeeded by Vintila Bratianu, who has not his brother's remarkable qualities, though he has shown firmness if not wisdom in finance. What with the financial rigours of M. Bratianu and the indefiniteness of the Council of Regency. which was appointed for the period of King Michael's infancy, and stands in the way of one-man rule, yet provides no substitute for it, the condition of Rumania has gone from bad to worse. An effective Opposition might have insisted on improvements ; but the Opposition in Ru- mania is one of those " rotativist " institutions 'which merely await their turn to enjoy the spoils. Nothing has been hoped for recently from the Popular Party. But now there seems to be a really vigorous, if highly Undisciplined, power coming into existence in the Peasant Party.
This Party has been holding a great demonstration at Alba Julia. There is a severe censorship in Rumania, but indirect and delayed reports published in the Times and the Manchester Guardian, say that peasants came in military formation from every part of Runiania. Several leaders of the Party declared that the peasants must have liberty, and that, if necessary, they would not shrink from revolution. Resolutions were passed condemning the attempt to alter the Rumanian frontier -this ,cOnderimation was obiiously aimed at Italy'S pro-Hungarian policy—and calling upon the Council of Regency to dismiss the GovernMent and invite i'rofessor Maniu, the leader of the Peasant Party, to form a new Government. A solemn oath was taken by all the members of the Party not to give up the struggle to over- throw the Government, and a march was begun on Bucharest, though it seems to have been soon abandoned. This new movement will require time to produce results, but at least it seems to have started in earnest. If it ends in revolution, however, some Other leadership will probably be. required. ProfeSsor Maniu has not the • revolutionary mind.
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