The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-18
STRONG LEADER
 IS NEEDED FOR
 BALKAN STATES

Belgrade, Aug. 1S.-What the Bal kans now need to prevent new wars is man of strong personality ana charitable tendencies or a humorous Don Quixote, according to Premier Vesnitch, of Jugo-Slavia.
 Whether it is within the compass of human intelligence to prevent the present war tendencies the next few weeks will show. The broader aspect of the situation is that for Central Europe or the Balkan countries to be- come a great battlefield will be play ing into the hands of the Bolshevik agents who are believed to be work ing industriously in each country cir culating war rumors and fomenting quarrels for which there are already too many reasons.
 That the Jugo-Slav government certainly does not want war with any other country. The Associated Press is authorized to state from a high authority. It was pointed out that the JugoSlavs got all they could possibly hope for by the peace treaties in territories from Hungary and Bull garia, and a new war might set back the infant nation. But they are de- termined to have Plume. The people
 
 army can master the Italian army. The JugoSlav army, they say, is re- garded by outsiders as being in good shape with 3O0,0O0 fresh troops ready. Also the word has been passed for mobilization of the peasants as soon as the harvests. are in at the end of July.
 What the Jugo-Slavs do, it appears here, will be the signal for the Hun garians to jump after Pennsylvania and Slovakia and later to attempt to retake the enormously fertile Batchka from the Serbs.
 Riding south from Budapest into old Serbia the correspondent found few evidences to the eye of war preparedness on either side of the frontier, yet all the peasantry were receiving notices of mobilization. The Hungarians now within the Serbian frontier appeared to be heartbroken that they must belong to a country whose people they regard as of cul- ture lower than their own. They also passports to visit their friends in New Hungary.
 While the Jugo-Slavs are said to be unafraid of war, yet they realize they occupy a. perilous position with re- spect to international political dis sentions, as well as concerning what the Bulgars and Greeks might do in case the Jugo-Slavs made war on Italy. Not counting the Hungarians, it is not believed in American circles here that the Serbs and Bulgarians will reach an understanding for com mon action. However, regarding the Spalato incident it is believed if it is shown the Italians started the trouble, f t1n i've jet an indemnity.
 GA crowd of Greats attacked the Italian naval officers at Spa1ato, July II and killed an Italian commander and several Sailors.)
 A trip through the city streets con- vinces one that all is quiet. Citizens generally deny any war madness During the recent celebration of King Peters birthday no demonstrations of a war nature occurred during the large parade.
 The Premier, prior to the, celebra- tion, issued a request to the people friendly acts and to allow the gov ernment to handle the affairs with Italy. He made a speech in Parlia- ment of the same tenor, stating he was willing to abide the investigation by the American naval authorities re- garding the Spalato incident
 The recent British loans and re- ports of a good harvest have inn proved the dinar exchange, the dollar being worth 6 to IT as against 20 to 30 a few months ago. Prices how ever, are high, meals in hotels costing from one to two American dollars Cheap shoes may be purchased at from 20 to 25 American dollars Country people are selling foodstuffs to Austria and to the Poles and Czechs, but otherwise no real busi- ness is going on, owing to the adverse exchange rate preventing buying abroad, and the demand of merchants for credit which few are willing to extend.