RUMANIA: Playboy into Statesman

• Share

(5 of 7)

Return. But the Bratianus were slipping. Post-War land reforms gave the peasants thousands of acres. After Versailles, democracy was on the wax in Europe and, notwithstanding Rumania's notorious balloting methods, a peasant leader named Juliu Maniu eventually won the premiership in 1929. When his reforms were further blocked by the Bratianu court clique, he conceived a plan to dethrone Mihai, crown Carol and get rid of Dowager Queen Marie and Prince Stirbey for good.

Carol landed at the Bucharest airport from Paris on June 6, 1930 and Rumania went wild with joy. There was to be a reconciliation between the new King and the Princess Helen. Magda was to be dropped.

But all did not work out as Premier Maniu foresaw. Marie went into eclipse and Prince Stirbey into exile, but Magda turned up one day in Bucharest and took up residence in a swanky villa presented by the King. Helen departed after getting a settlement of some $80,000 annually and a promise to be allowed to see Mihai one month a year.

Once more Rumania grumbled that it was run by a woman behind the throne and all the grievances of Rumania were laid at her feet. According to her critics it was Magda who made or broke Cabinets; it was her scheme, first, to finance the pro-Nazi, anti-Jewish Iron Guards (which, incidentally, listed her as No. 1 to be assassinated) only later to get them jailed. A word with this combination Mme Pompadour and Rasputin would do wonders, it was said, and an invitation to her house was tantamount to a royal summons.

So general was the resentment against her that anti-Semitic manifestoes called her "This red-haired witch," screamed: "Into the fire with this Jewish wolf, Lupescu." Mild-mannered former Premier Maniu was moved to explode:

"As long as Mme Lupescu remains in Rumania, nobody will be able to accomplish anything good. Through her meddling in politics, 13 Cabinets have followed on each other's heels. She is responsible for every evil in this country."

But King Carol and Magda rode out the storm. With Teutonic tenacity he remained faithful to a mistress who grew broad of beam and middleaged.

At the same time Carol began to try his hand at being a good parent. Father and son breakfasted together every morning. The King supervised the Crown Prince's education, made it a point to play with the boy as much as possible. As time went on Father won Son over completely—so completely that by last summer Mihai even accepted the friendship of Mme Lupescu.

Meantime, Rumania grew up with its King. The peasants got their land, a prosperous and not too honest business class arose, new schools began to turn out young white-collar workers and these beat a path to get on the bureaucratic payroll of a vast collection of big and little political bosses. Then world depression began to crack down on easy money and easy virtue—then came Hitler.