The New York herald., 1922-08-06
u. -
PUPIN SAYS BALKAN
PEACE WILL ENDURE
Columbia Professor, Speaking
at Institute of Politics
Tells of New Era.
NO SWORD OVER HEAD
Peasants Rule State and
Crops Are Dominant
Interest.


Special Dispatch to THE NEW YORK HnAALp.
WILiAMsTowN. Mass, Aug. 5.--Prof.
Michael /. Pupin of Columbia University,
speaking at the Institute of Politics to-
night on "The Jugo-Slav state and the
Near East Problem" declared there
is no sword OF Damocies hanging over
the Balkans"
'They are losing their t,irbulency so
asslduously heralded by Vienna, Berlin
and Petrograd In days gone by he said
Following a description of the his-
torical relations between the States of
the Near East he said:
THE Eastern question has not been
solved. 1t is true. but the Balkan nations
no longer obstruct the road to those
great Powers whose aspirations aim at
the control of the 1;gean Sea, as they
seemed to do as long as Austria. Ger
many and Russia flursed their unhoiy
passion SO well described by the German
phrase 'Drang Nach-Osten.'
THE Eastern question has been trans
formed into the problem of the Near
East, and the solution of this problem.
whatever ii may be, no longer means
that another master Of the Balkans VIII
succeed its former master, the impotent
Turk. This is indeed the greatest bless
Ing which the world war has conferred
upon the Balkan nations.
4 Interest All In Crops.
THE Balkans seem to threaten to de-
generate into pr0sy and hundrum
4 country OF peasants who pay exclusive
attention 10 crops and to breeding Of
\ cattle and hogs and TO markets where
\ they can best sell their products. A
! year ago / asked Serbian bishop
/ whether the population of Serbia was
4 very much stirred tip over the new con-
\ stitution. which was adopted a little
over year ago, and he answered: !:
4 Rain, rain and rain Is the only burning
question to-day among the peasants OF
Serbia and OF the Jiso-Sav state. No
constitution will, in the opinion OF the
4 peasant, repair the damage which the
present everlasting drought is inflicting
upon the crops
Nearly 80 per cent. Of the Jugo-Slav
population Is engaged in agriculture.
The soil is rich and the climate is teni-
perate and mellow and the surplus out
put In agricultural products per square
mile available for expectation is larger
| to-day In the Jugo-Slav State than in
any other country in Europe.
AS long as the key to the Eastern
questions was supposed to be hidden in
the Balkans. the Serbs. Bulgarians. Ku-
manians and Greeks were necessarily a
part Of that question. To-day that magic
key Is supposed to be somewhere in Asia
] Minor and the adjacent Asiatic and Afr-
can countries, and the great world
Powers are no longer Russia. Austria
and Germany.
/, These Powers gave up the search
some little time ago and they are try
ing to-day to bury forever the many un-
pleasant memories connected with 1t.
England, France and Italy have taken
up this adventurous search and they are
\ pursuing it as IL the lives OF their great
empires depended upon II.
4 "The peasant is the real ruler of the
Jugo-slav State, and the peasant is not
militafistic. nor does no believe In ad.
venturous schemes Of professional poll
ticlans and ambitious diplomats"
Governments and Press.
4 The outstanding round table discus
sion this morning was led by Arthur s.
Draper, London correspondent. He had
some frank things to say about govern
ments and the press.
Tho great war brought about a rev.
olution in the attitude of Governments
10 tho press" he said. 1T is doubtful
whether any one in or out OF journalism
had any appreciation of the real power
OF tho press until the war bad been
going on for many months. The CEN
sor appeared on the scene in a much
moro important role than he had as
sumcd hitherto: the task OF the war
correspondent assumed wholly differ
ent complexion; the Government prop
agandist developed into a parsonage
whose powers began to rival those OF
Ministers.
Germany had much the best propa-
gsnda organization at the outset of the
S'ar; Britain had the greatest advertise
Hng plant in the history OF the world
when the arinisticc was signed.
I'm England there has been indirect
control over the press through the
granting of honors to proprietors and
editors; In recent years II has been
carried so FAR that IL has now become a
public scandal"
mo European conference" no added.
"s held to-day without each country
giving much thought 10 its propa ganda
or publicity representatives. and the re-
suit IL that the American correspondent
Is compelled to weigh each bit OF in
formation with the greatest care. As
International affairs arc conducted to-
day. no nation can get along without its
r,ublcity representative"