Romania depositors run on bank Prime minister tries to quell nervousness ASSOCIATED PRESS

BUCHAREST, Romania, May 30  Reacting to rumors that Romanias largest bank was in trouble, Prime Minister Mugur Isarescu assured depositors Tuesday that it was safe and that they would get their money back.

BUT SOME 2,000 agitated Romanians converged for the second day on branches of the Romanian Commercial Bank around the country, worried they might lose their deposits as those who put their savings in a high-risk investment scheme likely will. Panic and unrest are harmful at such moments. I ask for your solidarity and understanding that the moment we are experiencing will be overcome in a few days, Isarescu said on national radio and television. I guarantee the Romanian Commercial Bank is ready to honor on time ... all demands of its customers, he said. At stake is the national sovereignty and ... economic stability which I will defend with all my strength as long as I am prime minister, Isarescu said. He suggested rumors may have been started because the International Monetary Fund was expected on Wednesday to disburse part of a standby loan of $540 million. He did not elaborate.

Earlier, Romanias National Bank sold dollars to halt the slide of the national currency, the leu. In Bucharest, about 300 people gathered at the state-owned bank, but police prevented most people from entering the bank. About 1,000 people gathered in Cluj and another 200 in Brasov to withdraw deposits, the private news agency Mediafax reported.

Romania depositors run on bank

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), May 31, 2000

Answers

Yawn.

Who gives a fig about what's happening in Romania.

Betcha you can't find it on a map.

-- (retired@nd.happy), May 31, 2000.

-- Atlas (map@world.com), May 31, 2000.

This reminds me of when I told my doctor that the birth control pills I was using had been determined to cause tumor growth in dogs. His response was, "So don't let your dog get into your pills." In much the same way, my response to this article would be "So don't put your money in a Romanian bank."

-- Anita (Anita_S3@hotmail.com), May 31, 2000.

Hmmm. It's easy to dismiss this Romanian thing when sitting at an American computer.

Romania is important with a proud trandition, a long story-n- bloodline. It is now also a poor nation that supplied Western Europe with its energy once. It remains a potential powerhouse with resources. Anyway, it's a powderkeg ready to go off. I don't think American style diplomacy will mean much when it does go kaboom..., followed by the Ukraine, the Serbian theatre, the muslim lands. It won't be fun.

Watching the little things agrowing in fertile fields...

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), May 31, 2000.

Sorry Pieter-The misguided "domino theory" has already cost America 90,000 lives.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), May 31, 2000.

Atlas,

Neat map! Where'd you find it?

-- Flash (flash@flash.hq), May 31, 2000.

G'Day FS,
Wouldn't call it a domino policy myself. It's more like a tired American foreign policy. I watched your President on TV midday news today announcing something weary about missiles in Europe. It must have caused him weariness because he depended on the lecturn to remain upright. Yup, America is sending a mixed message and the President looked spaced out of it.

-- Pieter (zaadz@icisp.net.au), June 01, 2000.

I see Transylvania on the map. Isn't that where Lon Chaney Junior hales from?

-- Lurker2 (lurker2@lots.to.lurk.for), June 01, 2000.