Evening star., 1924-06-08
WAR BARBS ABOUND
IN EASTERN EUROPE
Great Dangers in Old and New Quarrels,
Frontier Problems Being Chief
= Existing Ones.

Russian demand for the return OF tne
lost province was little more than
way of arriving at final settlement
based upon the surrender by Russia
of her claim upon BesSarabla ana
REIMBURSEMENT by Rumania or ner
claim upon her vanished gold re-
serves. But in recent weeks Russian
insistence has taken on a very men
acing character and the threats OF
war have multiplied. The recent ex-
cursion of the King and Queen OF
Rumania to Paris and London was
generally interpreted as having been
employed, if not designed, to oner the
opportunity for an appeal to the two
governments to support wartime
ally. threatened again.
That Rumania did get the promise
and perhaps the actual contribution
Of war material from France has
been duly stated in the press. this
material. of course. covered by a loan
The Rumanian army was reorganiz-
ed during the war by French officers,
Gen. Berthelot among them. There
have, too, been rumors OF an alli-
ance between France and Rumania-
on the lines of tho F'ranco-Polish
agreement but this has not been an
nounced.
dwell upon this Rumanian affair
now, because in its various circum-
stances it is an admirable i1luStra-
ton of the real difficulties in the
European situation. Thus, il there
should be war between Rumania
and Russia now, the complications
might be almost innumerable. Aside
from the possibility that France might
be involved. which is less likely un-
der the new ministry than the out
going, such a struggle would in
stantly concern Poland, would have
immediate significance for Czecho-
slovakia and might have repercus-
sions in both Hungary and Bulgaria
Poland would at once be concerned
because she has an alliance with
Rumania, based upon the possibility
Of a Russian attack upon either.
Thus if Rumania were attacked by
Russia, it would be the duty of Po-
land to go to her assistance. In
theory this would also be the duty
of all the nations which compose
the league Of nations, but since the
Polish experience with Russia, several
years ago, neither Poland nor Rumania
can hope for much from the league
members with the possible exception
of France.
CZechoslovakia and Yugoslavia
would not be bound to support Ru-
mania against Russia although all
three are members. of the Little En-
tente, but if Hungary attacked Ru-
mania, or if Bulgaria assailed the
Rumanians, then both these Slav
states would, under the terms of the
Little Entente arrangement, be bound
to act against Hungary and Bull
garia. Recent dispatches have sug
gested that Yugoslavia might consent
to include Russian aggression among
the reasons for standing by Rumania
in war.
Could Strike In Rear.
Hungary and Bulgaria would be
inclined to take advantage of a Rus
sian invasion of Bessarabia to strike
Rumania in the rear, because Hun
gary is determined to recover'Transyl-
vania and the Banat, just as Russia
is aiming to reconquer Bessarabia,
while between Rumania and Bull
garia stands the old dispute over the
Dobrudja, which has already pro-
voked two wars. In Pennsylvania
and the Banat. as in Bessarabia, the
vast majority of the population is
Rumanian, or, more exactly, the Ru-
manian element constitutes not only
more than half the total population,
but outnumbers the German and
Magyar fractions more than three to
one. In the southern half of the
Dobrudja, on the other hand, the Bull
garian population is, or was before
the last war, moro numerous than
the Rumanian.
To add to the complications, Greece
has every reason to fear Bulgarian
designs on that portion of her terri
tory along the Aegean from the
mouth of the Vardar to that of the
Maritza-that is, including Salonica,
and might make a common cause
with the Rumanians and the Serbs.
Again, far to the north, the Lithu-
anians are maintaining a paper state
of war with the Poles over the mat
ter of Wilma, and if Poland were in
volved in a war with Russia as a
result Of a Russian attack upon Ru-
mania, Lithuania might seek to re-
gain Wilma and might support the
Russians. as she did in the recent
pr~ Iich t.
the Russian defeat and the peace of
Riga
Back of all these possibilities lies
also that Of Germany. She is openly
planning to retake Posen, west Prus-
sia and upper Silesia from Poland
and put an end to the separate state
of Danzig. Would she be able to re-
sist the temptation to strike Poland
in the rear while Russia was assail-
ing her in the front and Lithuania in
the flank? In addition, Germany looks
forward to liberating some 5000, 900
of German speaking citizens of the
Czechoslovakian state and of annex
ing all Of Bohemia and Moravia,
along with the fragment of Czech
Silesia and Teschen.
And If Germany moved, what of
France? what of Belgium? What,
for that matter, of Great Britain?
There you have. then, the present
state OF Europe in a brief compass. The
years ago the assassination OF the
Austrian archduke in Serajevo
touched a match to the European
magazine. Serbia was instantly in
volved, Serbian danger brought Rus
sia into the dispute and the coming
of Russia brought France and Ger