Evening star., 1919-04-06
Jugoslavs Still Problem.

almost so:idly Slav.
Jugoslavs Still Problem.
The third of the states to be created
is that of the Jugoslavs.. Here a sin
gle difficulty had to be faced. anil
had not yet been fully resolved. From
the Alps 70 the Danube the Drava
river constituted a natural frontier
which substantially divided the
Germans from the Slovins in the
west and the Hungarians from the
Serbs in the east. Minor modihca-
tions to take in outlying Serb frac-
tjons beyond the Drava, the Danube
substantially the northern frontiers
of Jugoslavia will be the Drava and
the Danube from the new Italian
frontiers at Trieste and the old Bull
garian frontiers at Widin. On the
east the old Serbian frontier will be
maintained.
Along the Adriatic with two excep-
tions. the sea supplies the natural
frontier. but in Dalmatia and about
Fiume and Trieste, Italian and Jugo-
slavic aspirations have clashed, and
this clash has supplied one Of the
most difficult questions Of the whole
conference. These difficulties were
enhanced by the fact that at the mo-
ment when Italy entered the war the
French and British governments had
guaranteed to Italy not only the pos
session of Trieste with the Slav
hinterland. but also the possession of
the northern half Of Dalmatia and
most of the Adriatic islands. What
ever may be the justice of the Italian
claims as to Istria, there is no mis-
taking the fact that the great mass of
the people Of Dalmatia are not merely
Slav. but determined to become part
of the new Jugoslavic state. At the
mains to be settled. but there is a
growing belief that a compromise
will be reached by which Italy, while
retaining the Adriatic islands, will
exchange most if not all Of her share
of Dalmatia for the wholly italian
town of Fiume, which was not in
cluded in the regions guaranteed to
her by the allies. but constitutes an
unmistakable fraction Of Italian Irre-
denta.
The new Jugoslavic state will then
have an area approximately as great
as that of Poland and Of Italy.herself.
with population of between IL. .o00,-
be almost without exception Slavonic
made up of three branches Of the
southern Slav family, the Stovins in
the north. the Croats in the center.
and the Serbs in the south. 1t will
offer an opportunity for commercial
and there is every rea-
son to look forward to the rapid de-
velopment of still another consider
able nation in Europe if only the pres
ent jealousies between the Slav and
the Italian can be removed.
Less formidable than the task of
creating a new Jugoslavia and a new
Poland or even a new Czechoslavonia
include the Rumanians dwelling in
Russia, Austria and Hungary. These
Rumanians made solid block of
something like 100000 Of people.
Today the frontiers have been re-
drawn drawn to include all but minor
AS it has been rebuilt, Rumania will
consist in addition to the old king
dom of the Russian province Of Bes-
sarabia, the Austrian province of Bu-
kovina, the Hungarian province of
Transylvania complete, and more than
two-thirds of the Hungarian province
of the Banat. one county of which.
to Serbia, as well as corner about
the city of Szegedin. which has been
allotted to Hungary. In addition. it is
probable that many minor divisions of
Hungary. inhabited by Rumanians.
will be included within the new from
tiers. AS it is delimited. the new Ru-
mania will have an area of los. 900 to
10000 square miles. which is approx
imately the same as that Of Poland
and of Jugo-Slavia, with a population
of between 100000 and 100000, a
population which, given the Rumanian
capacity for increase. will doubtless
pass the twenty-million mark within
a generation.
What Is Left Of Hungary.
1t remains to glance at the new
Hungary which will be left after the
outlying regions inhabited by Slovaks
and southern Slavs and Rumanians
have been subtracted. This state will
have between -55. 900 and 1000 square
miles OF area and population Of be-
tween 100000 and 100000 which
will be purely Magyar and include, by
far. the greater number of the Mag
yars.
Such in sum. is the new map of
Europe as it has been made up to the
present moment. The conference of
Paris has decided to create four COM
paratiyely considerable states, three
of them as large as modern Italy.
out of territories acquired by Ger
many. Russia and Austria, in past
centuries by suppressing the liberties
of the races inhabiting these lands
In the new European system and in
the league of nations these four DOW
e-s will play considerable part. In
q shCdS0iC tucy Will restore the HAl.
ance Of power in Europe destroyed
when Russia collapsed under German
attack. Combined. they will e,ns.i-
trte permanent and formidable cL-
stsc!e to the German conception cf
Mitteleuropa. Instead of a number of
subject peoples supplying cannon
fodder for their German masters.
We snail have at least four races, with
their own Institutions their owl, cr-
organizations. looking to the west
ern powers alone for inspiration
or the intellectual side, assistance On
IL G material side. and aid on tn.
m litary side. II Germany resumes her
o.d course, Il:llicns Of Poles, Czechs.
Runanians AID southern Slavs will
be. in the nature of things, allied with
tile western powers and not form a
largo fraction ot Hermany's military
rest LIces IN her attacks.
On Guard Against France.
a hundred wears ago wb., E,