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Her Royal Highness HER ROYAL HIGHNESS ILEANA OF ROMANIA, daughter of the world-famous Queen Marie and granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England, witnessed at first hand the rise to power in her country of the Communist Party. It is for this reason that the Princess is brought to Toledo Town Hall platform, that she may tell us just how such things can come about in the present-day world. Always close to her people in Romania, her story is a poignant description of the downfall of her devoted subjects, of the Royal Family and of the country under the ruthless tactics of the Soviets. She has given this lecture at New York Town Hall, before the Babson Institute and other notable audiences, bringing extravagant encomiums for the clarity of her picture of a people gradually enslaved mentally and physically by a crushing conqueror. Says the President of Babson Institute: “You have given us a gallant picture of a splendid nation struggling in adversity. It is my earnest conviction that you should be among the list of speakers at every college and university in America, that students from every one of our 48 states may hear you and know the dangers of Communist aggression at first hand. Please accept my personal thanks and gratitude for talking to us so straightforwardly.” “I am a very lucky person,” says Princess Ileana. “I could have been executed—or even worse, sent to Siberia—but now I am in your wonderful country with my six children where we once again enjoy freedom.” When the Communists finally took over in Romania they gave the Royal Family only 24 hours to leave the country and of course they were allowed to take only what they, themselves, could carry and nothing valuable. However, Her Highness had managed to retain her mother’s diamond tiara, which she has sold to make the down payment on her house in New England, where her six young children are attending school. During World War II Princess Ileana became a nurse in the Romania Red Cross and opened a hospital on her estate, in which she was most active until forced by the Communists into exile. She was founder of the first school for Social Workers in Romania and was also head of the Romanian Y.W.C.A. and Girl Scouts. In this work she was associated at one time with Princess Hohenlohe of Austria, known to so many Toledoans. SATURDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 27 |
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