Peasant Cabinet

Dazed and incredulous, the Rumanian people strove to realize, last week, that they and their Royal Family are free at last. Since the foundation of the Kingdom, in 1881, both people and sovereigns have obeyed, until last fortnight, a family of Dictators. The last of these, Prime Minister Vintila Bratiano, has now been forced to resign (TIME, Nov. 12); and last week saw the victorious leader of the National Peasant Party, smart Dr. Juliu Maniu, called upon to form a Cabinet.

Up the steps of the Royal Palace in Bucharest bounded Dr. Maniu with a stride swift and confident to the point of indecorum. Pompously the Three Regents of Rumania, who reign for Boy King Mihai, bade Peasant Maniu welcome and requested him to take steps to form a Cabinet.

"Here it is!" cried he, producing from his pocket a crumpled sheet on which was typed:

Prime Minister Maniu

Foreign Minister Mironescu

Interior Vaida-Voevod

Finance Popovici

Education Costakesco

War Chikoski

Labor Raducanu

Health Severdon

Public Waterworks Kalippa

Transportation Alevra

Agriculture Mihalache

Justice Junian

Culture Aarelolad

Commerce Madgearn

Most, if not all, of these persons have been hounded by Bratiano secret agents for years. They have seen ballots cast for their candidates torn up and burned by the Bratiano police. Today their turn has come at long last. Down Bratianos: up Peasants!

Two steps at a time the new Prime Minister descended the palace stair, sped to begin work. By a penstroke he abolished the traditional Bratiano censorship of posts, telegraphs, telephones, press. With hearty handclasps he sent his colleagues off to their new Ministries. Then to eager correspondents Dr. Maniu said:

"Ours is the triumph of Constitutionalism over Despotism. We shall immediately call for the dissolution of Parliament and hold new, honest elections. . . .

"We shall guarantee every citizen full political liberty and establish complete liberty of the press. We shall discuss stabilization of the currency and negotiate a foreign loan. We shall revise the present obnoxious anti-foreign mining law passed by [the late] Prime Minister Jon Bratiano in 1924, as well as other laws which have made Rumania a most unpopular country abroad. We shall abolish restrictions on foreign capital, which henceforth shall have the same opportunities as local capital. ..."

Speculation focused upon whether Prime Minister Maniu will be able to organize a sufficiently stable regime to obtain the vitally needed loan of which he so confidently spoke. That dicker, involving $250,000,000, was on the point of consummation by Vintila Bratiano, last fortnight, when he was forced to resign as Prime Minister.

To trace the obscure rise of Juliu Maniu is to turn back to the days when Rumanian Transylvania was ruled by His Apostolic Majesty, Franz Josef, Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. Among the least of those who sat in the Hungarian Parliament was Juliu Maniu.

Thus the new Prime Minister is a natural leader of those large and undigested "national minorities" which Rumania greedily gulped at the close of the War. Two years ago Dr. Maniu merged his Peasant Party with other factions to form the National Peasant Party. Last spring he staged a gigantic Peasant Congress at Alba Julia, from which hundreds and thousands of ragged folk marched upon Bucharest (TIME, March 26).

Departed for Sweden and possibly matchmaking, last week, the Princess Ileana, daughter of Dowager Queen Marie, adolescent aunt of the Boy King. "The Princess," it was announced, "will study the women's organizations of Sweden."