"Funeral Cost?"

"I will pay part of this, not all!" cried Mme Vintila Bratianu, flashing eyed, when a representative of Rumania's National Peasant Party Cabinet presented her last week with a bill for 2,000,000 lei covering her late, great husband's State Funeral (TIME, Jan. 5).

Two million lei is roughly $12,000. At this price the funeral was dirt cheap-- consisting as it did of three special railway trains with dining cars attached and an entire series of funeral services, one at each city en route with final honors at Bucharest.

According to Widow Bratianu, however, the Peasant Party (bitter political foes of her husband whom they ousted from the Prime Ministry) cleverly "entrapped" her into the 2,000,000 lei expense. When her husband died the Cabinet offered to carry him to the grave as a charge on the national budget. This "charity" Mme Bratianu indignantly refused, replied to the Cabinet: "I will pay for my husband's funeral." Delighted, the peasant politicians ordered the special trains, came to the funeral of their late enemy as to a picnic.

Champagne was allegedly consumed in the funeral dining cars. For this and for all expenses not specifically ordered by herself Widow Bratianu last week stoutly refused to pay. Excitable Rumanian Treasury officials threw up their hands, told reporters: "We are greatly surprised at the attitude of Livia Bratianu! Possibly the King will intervene."

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