The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-07-03
BY FRANK H. SIMONDS.

The later and more complete re-
ports of the Conference of Genoa
serve to demonstrate that the real
history of that gathering was made.
not by France and Great Britain.
not by Germany and Russia. but
tised activities of these great pow
ers, little perceived upon the sur
face was the Little Entente, rising
for the first time to real European
prominence. 1t was the failure of
Lloyd George to persuade the Little
Entente much. more than the oppo-
sition of France which wrecked his
hopes. II was the restraining in
huence of the Little Entente which
prevented a break and led France
to assent to the adjournment to
The Hague,
We have then to note the arrival
of a new force in Europe, perhaps
destined to have as important in
nuence as the short-lived Balkan
alliance which lasted long enough
to destroy Turkey in Europe and
upset the balance of power on the
continent thus Fastening the world
war. A week ago I discussed the
significance of the recent marriage
of the King of Jugo-Slavia to the
daughter of the King OF Rumania.
laying stress upon the relation of
Jugo-Slavia to the Little Entente
now and in view Of recent reports
from Europe I mean to deal with
the Little Entente itself.
Consists Of Three states.
This Little Entente consists of
three states, Rumania. Czecho -Slo-
vakia and Jugo-Slavia to which Po-
land is bound by n series of agree
ments and has thus become meas
ureably a fourth partner. OF these
states. Poland and Czecho- Slovakia
gained Independence as a result of
the world war, while the other two
acquired vast territories inhabited
by their racial brethren. No more
significant decision was made at
Pals than that which recalled to life
the old Polish state partitioned be-
tween Russia, Prussia and Austria
in the eighteenth century. In eff
feet. as a result OF the Treaty of
Versailles and of later settlements
of which the Treaty OF Riga was
Upper Silesian settlement the most
familiar. Poland acquired something
like the frontiers which had been
hers after the first partition.
The new Polish state has now an
and a population OF approximately
100000. 1t is then larger than
Italy and holds a population great
haN CO
at the moment 1t achieved unity in
1870. with the occupation of Rome.
Save in the matter of an exit of the
sea. where 1t Is hampered by the
Danzig monstrosity, Poland has all
the elements essential to an eco
nomlc unit, II has coal. iron, oil and
agriculturally is one of the rich
countries of Europe.
Compelled to Protect self.
Now the political interests Of Po-
land are many. and diverse but they
can be summed up quite accurately
In the purpose to preserve the
things gained by the wars of lib
Grafton. In a word, Poland having
regained the territories taken from
her by Russia and by Prussia,
namely Posen, West Prussia, Con-
gress Poland and the regions be-
tween Congress Poland and the
frontier of the Treaty of Riga to-
gether with Galicia finds herself
compelled for the future to protect
herself against a new effort on the
part of Russia and Of Germany.
either together or separately. to
bring about a new partition of Po-
land Is then, in the nature of things
a defender of the territorial de-
cisions of Paris. On the main
tenance of these her existence de-
ponds. And her perils come from
Russia and Germany exclusively.
Turning now to the little entente,
the Rumanian circumstances are
most closely related to the Polish.
Rumania. as a consequence of the
war, acquired larger than the ag-'
gregate area of her old provinces.
From Russia came Bessarabia, from
Austria. the Bukovina, from Hun
gary, Transylvania, and the larger
fraction Of the Banat. In 1918 Ru-
mania had an area of $4,000 square
miles and a population of 100000.
today she has an area of $4,000
square miles and a population of
1886. 900.
Rumanfans Predominate.
In all Of the lands which she
annexed. moreover, the Rumanian
element predominates although
as In the case Of the Poles, she has
to deal with considerable minori-
ties. Rumanian policy. turns, then.
on two things; she desires to re-
tain the territories which she ac-
| quired as result of the war and
she must always contemplate the
possibility Of q Russian, attack in
the east and of a Hungarian assault
in the west since these two nations
are still unreconciled to the sur
render of provinces once held by