El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-07

By JOHN LLOYD BALDERsTON.
.DRAGUE. Czech0-slovakia, Aug t.
In the old days Belgrade, BuEa-
rest and Vienna were The nests
OF diplomatic intrigue in eastern
Europe. the fav1rite scenes Of action
for heroes and villains in interna-
tional SPY romancaz The sedata old
Bohemian capital OF Prague WOULD
have seemed a tame setting for a
novel about stolen war plans beauti-
ful adventure and blonde Anglo
Saxon football players who Illustrate
all plots and marry the right girls-
But ROW, after TIE rending asun-
der OF the three mightisst empires in
Europe. Prague. capital OF free
country OF 100000 people, finds it.
self not only the geographical but On
many ways the political center OF
Europe
Az the spies Of both sexes. all the
fntrigues and wire pullers. four
1lusher1 OF all nationaiiries. who
used 20 do business on the hanks OF
the Danube. have moved up here.
Here they can keep IN touch with
whatever IS going on in the -Naw
Balkans, a term used 10 inciuda
Czecho-Slovalia. Hungary. Poland.
Austria and Jugo-Siavia- This coun-
Dulent states. and Prague IS within
easy distance Of Warsaw. Budapest
Vienna and Berlin
PIotters Are safe.
There is another reason why
Prague has become a center OF iu-
tsruational intrigue Intriguine
here is comparatively safe The
tolerant q does not have i1con-
venient foreign agents strangled iu
dungeons or knitted in the street. nor
even kicked over the frontiers
Bolshevlst iutrigues in White Hun
gary are likely 70 result in the mys-
ferrous disappearaEce OF the iu-
triguers5 the exciting game Of buy
ing and selling secrets and planning
TO overthrow governments is not al
tractlve In Vienna because there is
little for the intriguers 20 eat. War
saw and Bucharest are likewise too
dangerous localities in The present
temper OF their authoritiss Tor the
amateur 70 the pretty games under
discussion 70 try his hand there
The edcies OF intrigue in Prague
swirl up 20 the massive lions which
guard the portal OF the old Palace
where American minister Crane has
installed ths United States legation
And there they stop. Our diplomacr
IN Prague and the sane ca be said.
with one or Two exceptions. abou our
diplomacy IN all these capitals. is
honest and straight with all factions
II needs but one walk through the
streets OF the capital hung with
American flags. and but a few re-
marks exchanged with leading
Czechs, TO realize that our repre-
sentatives here. II they liked. could
practically run the country
An American Suggestion in
Prague has only 70 be made 20
be carried out. and Il a. instruc-
tive 70 watch the highly success
nj Al
some parties against o7hcrs- that
20 Distinguish our diplomacy
from that OF some OF the other
great powers
Whether he acts upon explicit iu-
structions from Washington or mere
" puts into effect natural ideas Of
fair play and uon-lnterference. min
ister Crane insistently refuses 10 put
bis foot IN any puddle. CT 10 NEEDLE
with the course OF events here
which I think he could. II he wished
shape as he would
Americans Real Democrats.
What most lmpresses me about
our representative. the heads Of re-
lief organizations as wen as the Of
fetal diplomats, is their quite genu-
me democracy IN q position where all
the forces OF reaction and snobherT
are against the Czech government
IN modelling the frame work Of
AlAaAA sac ANaAA AA-AA= "a me A.aAN.
States. president Masaryck and the
other leaders have abolished all
titles and marks OF distinction and
taken away from the feudal nobility
their ancient privilege. In land
where feudalism has held sway for
q thousand ye-rs. such steps have
naturally reused the hit-eresr feel
ngs. and 10 IS not surprising that
some OF the representative OF the
upper classes OF great European
powers should feel their sympathy
strongly drawn 70 the dispossessed
Austrian and German great families
Continued on page 20. column -