Show greater rumania one of Bucha rests modern public buildings prepared by the national geographic society washington D C the latest of the worlds monarchies to change kings has undergone such great changes in the past dozen years that it has in effect had a blood less revolution this period has seen the distribution of acres of land to more than peasants before the war rumania was a coun try of the landed rich and the land less poor today the maximum hold ing permitted to one individual Is 1235 acres king and nobles gave up their estates to fulfill the demands of the agrarian reform what russia mexico and other countries have done in the matter of land distribution at the cost of many lives and much money rumania accomplished without a shot but reform was not without cost uncertainties lack of organization to meet new conditions and lack of transportation facilities increased the cost of borrowed money to 12 and 14 per cent credit Is tight in a country where all the money in circulation must pass through the national treas ury as taxes three times per year greater rumania s nearly three times as large as pre war rumania the new nation took in transylvania the banat bukovina Bu covina and Bes sarabia and has yet to digest them old rumania was the size of england greater rumania 13 larger than england adding to itself wales scotland and ireland like the units of great britain each Is different Bes sarabia is an extension of the russian black earth prairie bukovina Bu covina a forested region transylvania an upland notable for industries as well as agriculture the banat a lowland farming comes first after the war rumania saw visions of an industrial future the country has ample resources oil water power wood ore and a good labor supply ten years have dimmed the vision but have not wiped it out eight out of ten rumanians still are farmers so the nation has decided to make a good job of before turning to industry co have been organized groups of peasants find they can afford to buy american farm rai A grain grading law was passed in 1928 silk culture starting from nothing has increased to an enterprise ter prise enlisting workers and capital since the world war rumanians have turned definitely from wheat to american corn greater acreage Is planted in corn than wheat corn mush displaces bread as a national food Bes sarabia looks like kansas but in 1928 a second drought hit the country the corn crop was a failure and rumania a country which has exported cereals for years had to import corn the government acted to forestall famine in some regions the similarity of parts of rumania to kansas extends to sunflowers sun flowers for which both regions are famous in rumania sunflowers sun flowers are a standard crop 89 1355 acres were planted in sunflowers sun flowers last year oil pressed from sunflower seeds serves as a constituent of butter four foundation scenes support life in rumania cereals oil lumber and live stock production of oil and lum her has progressed vigorously not enough however to offset losses in cereals and live stock companies of many nations include ing the united states are working ru hanlan oil wells near rio estl north west of bucharest they have increased production to metric tons of oil per year stands sixth supplying 24 of the world production although rumanian oil represents 13 per cent of the increase in world production buys american automobiles despite the depression and lick of roads eales of automobiles most of them american continue to increase in 1928 were sold a record many of them go to the oil fields where they permit the engineers in charge of outlying wells to get to floetl occasionally for the enjoyment of companionship in the international club automobiles arc the biggest item of american imports which include accessories films oil field equipment radios phonographs and records en atnes insecticides and electric orators to the amount of walnuts and fur skins arc Ru manias chief exports to the united states among the improvements to which fiu mania looks forward Is the atlon of vast areas of swamp land seven thousand square miles of marsh will afford ample laud for the remain ing landless peasants numbering num berina about the nation has its own national church the orthodox eastern church other churches have numerous mea bers however among them the tarlan church bucharest Buc capital of rumania has long been known a the little paris of the balkans it has many earmarks of the french capital one of its wide tree lined thoroughfares Is called the little champs elysee and there 1 an arc de both of which suggest the atmosphere of paris the bridle paths flanking the thoroughfare constantly resound with the thud of hoof of blooded horses mounted by smart looking men and women and th seemingly endless mass of pedestrian strolls in a gay mood with no apparent destination here and on other fine thoroughfares lined with palatial residence and fine church and government buildings a sad countenance Is out of place however this portion of the city has no corner on smiles for the doorways of the humblest bucha rest homets in the cobbled byways of the poorer section of the city ar filled with smiling chattering parent while their children boisterously run here and there while playing games the meat vendor with whole slaughtered animals swinging on the end of a long pole vendors of egweet meats and even some of the multitude of beggars are a cheerful lot bucharest has fine shops bucharest impresses the traveler from the time he emerges from one of its modern hotels downtown shop as fine as can be found in most capitals of the world line the business streets behind large plate glass windows the american traveler finds such familiar artl clea as american made flashlights radios and a it Is not necessary to find an automobile salesman to see american an on display the streets ar full of them in front of a hotel or business building six to eight of a dozen automobiles are popular american makes and across the street billboard Is plastered with an advertisement ti of a popular car made la michigan the doorways of the lar movie or cinema houses display bright colored advertisements with the of american actresses emblazoned em blazoned in large letters bucharest Is a walled town without the wall crowded as was the custom when city walls were the main defense bucharest drops away from the glitter of the balea Vic an the boulevards to the run down of the outer sect lone and then abruptly to the empty dusty plate its population has more than doubled in the last decade and houses as elsewhere in eastern europe are at premium it requires influence per el stence and bribery to get into on of the few hotels the main attraction of which are the dining rooms often open to the sky surrounded as it Is by rich country bucharest has not lacked for food and the restaurants are well filled at all times the rumanian loves the uniform and high heels soft laced boots like those of the french aviators suit the fancy of tie young dandles whose perfumed mustaches preserve their dignity by rea ing straight out instead of turning c at the ends the women are chic some striking contrasts the few fine buildings are n in with unassuming structures wyica would never be at home in P berlin and opposite the imposing ar college women may be wo ing at a noisy power saw which crooked poles to firewood 1 few main streets are lined wit baw cm buildings and new residence ew bucs are stretching out boward w periphery of the circular city it the crowded center of the town i confusing litter of tiny streets a alleys reminds one of a rabbit wi in the market place the gets a glimpse of the rural ton cluster about stands of which they bring to the rolling farm land nearby pe sv men seem to display no particular of costume most of them ar european coats and trousers adu gp are as many derbies as ta and soft hats and fez shaped vw head coverings on the other the women folk blaze forth in colored shawls which s and shoulders and aprons wit of a half dozen un blending t their dresses are just short to rheul in the 8 w feet are not shod |