"As a matter of fact, I have from the commencement devoted my whole energy to the development of the material welfare of these richly endowed countries. My groundwork was the execution of the net of roads and railways. This is the national-Roumanian policy which I have so far pursued, and which I shall continue in the future. Perhaps this is the very reason of the great wrath of those to whom the existence of Roumania is a thorn in the flesh. The enmity to which it is exposed by a paid Press is therefore well founded, for even a small country which makes material progress daily may in time become a factor with which perhaps the world may be forced to reckon. I have observed two currents in the policy of Austria-Hungary regarding us: the official circles appear at present to favour the stability and peaceful development of Roumania, whilst others--I know not how to define them: clerical, financial, Jewish--show their animosity by an incessant paper-warfare against the country. The Austrian and Hungarian papers compete with each other in this rivalry. What lasts too long ends by becoming tedious, and one may hope that the world will some day have had enough of this tangled web of printed lies. It may also be that much of this arrogance is based on Stock Exchange speculations. The Jewish _haute finance_ has declared that it will not embark upon any business with "Jew-devouring" Roumania, and will oppose with all its might any of the country's aims. In the meantime we have concluded a tobacco monopoly with a great Hungarian Jewish house, and obtained an unexpected bid of 8,000,000 francs a year, a brilliant piece of business for both parties." _To_ PRINCE CHARLES ANTHONY, _August 31st, 1872_.