Peasant After Peasant

Graft-ridden and Crown-trodden, the people of Rumania lost last week their great champion against the small, oligarchic moneyed class; Professor Iuliu Maniu, the first peasant-born Prime Minister which Rumania ever had.

Two years ago last March this bright-eyed, keenly dynamic little man snatched fame by the same means as Medieval Hamelin's mythical Pied Piper. Instead of rats he led peasants, hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands from all over the countryside on a weird, terrifying, peaceful march to Bucharest (TIME, Mar. 26, 1928). Squatting and sleeping 60,000 strong in the streets of the Capital, the peasants demanded that the then No. 1 Oligarch, Prime Minister Vintila Bratianu, resign.

In March Vintila did not resign. The multitude of peasants trudged wearily home to plant and plow. But what they had done gave Dr. Maniu the political potency to upset the Bratianu Cabinet in November, seize the Prime Ministry for himself (TIME, Nov. 12 & 19, 1928). Abruptly last week he resigned, would say only, "My reason is the state of my health. I shall devote myself to travel and recreation."

"I could have prevented it!" In Bucharest last week there were supposed to be three "real reasons" for the peasant Prime Minister's evasive resignation: 1) a split in his own Peasant Party between peasant factions of the "Old Kingdom" and those of such great new provinces added to Rumania after the War as Tran sylvania (Maniu birthplace); 2) successful intrigue by the Rumanian Minister at London, Nicolae Titulescu, through wily henchmen in Bucharest; 3) the anger of King Carol at Dr. Maniu's repeated insistence that His Majesty must not be crowned until Queen Helen becomes reconciled and consents to be crowned with him.

One more potent reason for resigning Dr. Maniu hotly denied:

"Reports that I opposed the return of King Carol are grossly false!" he snapped. "I could have prevented it if I had wished!"

New Cabinet. After consulting party leaders King Carol, eager to foster the creation of a "Grand Coalition Cabinet" in which the old Crown parties would be represented, found this impossible, was obliged to put up with another Peasant Party Cabinet--this party being now overwhelmingly the largest. Finally His Majesty named as Prime Minister Professor George Mironescu, the new Cabinet lining up thus:

Prime Minister and Foreign Minister-- George G. Mironescu

Minister of the Interior--Ion Mihalache

Minister of Finance--Mihai Popovici

Minister of Justice--Grigorielunian

Minister of Agriculture--Virgil Madgearu

Minister of Railways--Voicu Nitescu

Minister of Education--Professor N. Costachescu

Minister of Trade and Commerce-- Mihai Manoilescu

Minister of Public Works--M. Hacigeanu

Minister of War--General N. Condeescu

Minister for Bessarabia--Pantelimon Halippa

The Oracle: "Two Months." On its face the new Cabinet is little more than a reshuffling of the old with Dr. Maniu omitted. But the new Prime Minister-- formerly Foreign Minister--was thought in Bucharest last week to be a stalking horse for intrigueful Nicolae Titulescu, Minister at London.

Just now Rumania needs heavy additional State financing and in London talented M. Titulescu is supposed to have nearly completed arrangements for a thumping loan. Bucharest buzzed with rumors (possibly premature) that her Minister at London had also reached a new and distinctly more favorable understanding (described by enthusiasts as an "entente") with the British Foreign Office on questions of mutual interests. Crowned with all this adroitly puffed glory M. Titulescu, it was said, will return to Bucharest before very long, replace his "stalking horse," M. Mironescu, as Prime Minister.

In Rumania a potent oracle is Professor Nicolae Iorga, King Carol's onetime tutor. "I expect," said he last week, "that the new Cabinet will scarcely last two months."

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