The King of Roumania, who is a Hohenzollern, though of
the Catholic branch, has been received in Berlin with unusual honour, especially by the people, who are firmly convinced that he has joined the Triple Alliance. It is stated that he could give valuable help to Austria, as, by calling out his Reserves and taking advantage of the new fortifications of Bucharest, he could delay the march of a Russian army into Hungary for many weeks. His heir-presumptive, Prince Ferdinand, will also, it is stated, be betrothed to the eldest daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh, a Princess who is at once German and Russian and English. Both stories need confirmation ; but though there are probably no treaties, the King of Roumania, in the event of war, is almost certain to join Austria and Germany. He wants Bessarabia back again, and does not want to see Roumania turned into a vassal-State, to be occupied by a Russian army under pretext of guarding the road to Constantinople.
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