Carol then had the choice of summoning his arch-enemy Maniu, head of the National Peasants' Party which had been successful in the December elections of 1937, to power, or to proclaim a dictatorship.
In conformity with his personal in. clinations, he chose the second alternative, fully aware of what risks it involved for himself and his dynasty.
To carry out his will, Carol appointed a cabinet of his personal choice and placed at its head Patriarch Mirno Cristea, "pope" of Rumania's Orthodox Church.
Ten days later, the old liberal constitution was abolished and a new authoritarian one published. On Febrary 24,"the nation in a plebiscite, voted it with an almost 100 per cent. majority, nowadays customary in many countries. On February 27 it entered into force.
All political parties were suppressed simultaneously.
Few indeed, were those who believed that the Kings coup de which started constructing à pyramid from the top, could be successful.
It was; thanks chiefly to his "Milli-Metternich", ihe "small-sized one-eyed minister of interior, Armand Calinescu, who possesses boundless energy and courage—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.