reads out in a marsh several miles wide, so that it is
impossible to approach Silistria from the Roumanian side by bridge. As
a result Roumania has always felt that her southern border was at the
mercy of Bulgaria and has always, as one of the chief aims of her
national existence, looked forward to the rectification of her southern
boundary. The unfriendly attitude of Russia threw Roumania into the
arms of Austria, so that from the days of the Berlin treaty to the
Balkan war, Roumania has been considered a true friend of the Triple
Alliance. She viewed with jealousy and fear the rapid growth of
Bulgaria in power and in strength. Crowded in between the two military
empires of Russia and Austria-Hungary, Roumania naturally looked upon
the development of another military state upon her southern border as a
menace to her national existence. Hence when the Macedonian question
became very acute in 1903, and it seemed that action would be
undertaken by Bulgaria and Servia against Turkey, Roumania had declared
that she would not tolerate an alteration of the _status quo_. She did
not move, however, when the allies undertook the war of liberation in
October, 1912. But when a month's campaign changed the war from one of
liberation to one of conquest, Roumania demanded from Bulgaria as the
price of neutrality Silistria and a small slice of the Black Sea coast
sufficient to satisfy strategic military demands.

It was in his relations with Roumania that Daneff's diplomacy was most
stupid. M. Take Jonescu, one of Roumanians ablest statesmen, was sent
by the Government to the first Peace Conference at London to secure
pledges from Dr. Daneff in regard to the Roumanian demand. He could get
no answer. Daneff used every device to gain time in the hope that a
settlement with Turkey would relieve Bulgaria from the necessity of
giving anything. When the peace negotiations failed and the war between
the allies and Turkey recommenced, the relations between Roumania and
Bulgaria became very critical. However, at the Czar's suggestion, both
countries agreed to refer the dispute to a conference of the
ambassadors of the great Powers at St. Petersburg. Dr. Daneff, who
represented Bulgaria, adopted a most truculent attitude and refused to
yield on any point. As a result of the skilful diplomacy of the French
ambassador, M. Delcasse, in reconciling the divergent views of the
great Powers, Roumania was awarded, on April 19th, the town of
Silistria a