BUCHAREST', RUMANIA. "The City of Joy" is, according to a legend, the meaning of the name of this Rumanian capital, which is situated about 30 miles north of the Danube River. Present day inhabitants, however, prefer to call their city "the Paris of the East," because of its wide avenues and because they regard it as the fashion center of eastern Europe.
Bucharest presents some pic turesque aspects not found even in Paris. Above its magnificent public gardens tower metal-cover ed turrets and gilded cupolas.
Along some streets there still stand quaint old one-story houses cover ed with plaster and ornamented with brilliant oriental figures. In these sections, too, are to be seen the gay colorful costumes of the Rumanian peasants, and East and West meet on the streets of the city. Oriental cos tumes and customs are frequently met with, although on the whole Bucharest has adopted Western civili zation. Its streets are broad, well paved and lighted, and traversed by numerous electric cars. Manu factures are still in their infancy, but Bucharest is a busy commercial city. As the trade-center of Rumania it exports petroleum, cereals, timber, hides, and honey. Schools are numerous in the city and the University of Bucharest is regarded as one of the best in eastern Europe. It is free to all students.
Like the rest of the Balkans, Bucharest is war-worn in its struggle for existence. For years Rumania was held by the Turks, as the provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia; but it became independent and united and in 1862 Bucharest was made the capital of the new kingdom. On Aug. 10, 1913, it was the scene of the signing of the Treaty of Bucharest, which closed the war of the other Balkan states against Bulgaria.
Bucharest suffered during the World War through German occupation, which began Dec. 6, 1916, and lasted until the armistice was signed in 1918. Pop ulation, about 340,000.