Evening star., 1924-07-20
POLITICS HAMPER
JUCOSLAV KINGDOM
Serbs and Greeks Mutually
DiStruStfuI-SaI0niki
Point at Issue.
BIZ CONSTANTINE BROWN.
Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
daily News.

Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
daily News.
PARIS, France, July 1.-The rela-
tions of the kingdom Of the Serbs,
Croats and Slovenes with it's neigh
borS are not very sincere. Greece,
which has suffered much in the last
few years, no longer casts shadow
over Serbias prestige, but the ques-
tion of Soloniki has not been settled
to the complete satisfaction of the
Serbian Nationalists. II Greece were
strong, the present arrangement of
giving a free zone to the Serbian
products and ample space for
warehouses in the harbor of Soloniki
would satisfy the Serbian govern
ment in the same way that the Fiume
settlement has satisfied 1t. But
Greece is weak and the Serbians see
a possibility of some day gaining an
outlet of their own to the MediteT-
ranean.
That is why the present agreement
with Greece is considered by every
body as only temporary and de-
finite settlement is not expected TOT
4 long time. The Serbs argue that
as long as tIreece REMAINS "eah Aiieii
present advantages viii hold good,
but as soon as the political situation
is clearer in Greece and the country
is prosperous again they VIII ma a
pretext to make the present agree
ment a dead letter. The Greeks sus-
pect the Serbs of having the inten.
tion of taking the whole Solonlkl
district under any excuse which may
offer itself Hence the mistrust of
these two countries, and the secret
desire of each to see the other IN
volved in some adventure that would
weaken it.
Danube Is Useful.
without these political entangle-
ments the Jugoslav kingdom ought
TO be the most prosperous in south
eastern Europe. 1t does not really
need either Fiume or Saloniki be-
cause it has wonderful natural har-
bors If the Serbian government
were to spend on railroads and port
Improvements half the money 1t
spends on it's army, both ports now
in Italian or Greek hands would
soon be forgotten.
Serbia is still the granary of the
united kingdom 1t produces large
cereals, and has begun for the hrst
time since the war to export cattle
and hogs. The wheat country is
mainly in the valley of the Danube,
and the railways all converge toward
that river. Serbia's principal GUS
toners are the central European
states and. to a certain extent. Tur-
key More than so per cent of the
exports are sent out by the way or
the Danube to Vienna, Regensburg,
Passau and other cities in Austria
and Germany.
Croatia and Slovenia need ports on
the Adriatic They have a fairly
large wheat and corn production
which is used in part by their own
industrial centers and partly by Italy
The agricultural districts are far
from the sea. and it is admittedly
cheaper for the producer to send his
products by rail to Italy than TO
ship them from an Adriatic port. 1t
is almost impossible to export agri-
cultural products to other countries
than Italy because the expense OF
sending them by rail to the ports
would make the cost of freight so
high that Jugoslavia could not com
pete with other agricultural coun-
tries nearer the sea. Ffume was
important to the Austro- Hungarian
empire because it was the outlet OF
the great Hungarian harvest, but
has not great value to Jugoslav1a-
Good Ports ON Adrintic.
Slovenia and Croatia have potential
mineral wealth. To take full advan-
tase of these outlets to the Adriatic
are needed. Along the Daimatian
coast there are many wonderful natu-
raj harbors like Zara, Cattaro. Seben-
leo and others of minor Importance.
They were neglected by the AuStro-
Hungarian authorities, who wanted
all the trade to go through Fiume
and Triest The Serbian govern
ment, directing it's attention mainly
toward Plume and Saloniki, has also
neglected the other harbors. In order
to get full value out of them new
railways must be built and the miner
al resources of Slovenia exploited. The
Serbian government has never had
enough money for this purpose. A
loan of S115, 100000 has been secured
in New York with a view to develop
ing these new Serbian provinces. Only
SIS, 600 900 has been subscribed thus
far, and on account of the unstable
conditions in Jugoslavia it is doubt
full whether more money can be raised
in America The loans Serbia has
made lately in France were exclus
lively for buying war material and
increasing the army.
Consequently, as long as the pres
ent uncertain situation continues
there is little likelihood that Serbia
will work the great resources of
Slovenia and Croatia. The inhabit-
ants of those districts realize this;
hence their desire to obtain complete
autonomy. They hope to be able in
that way to look after their own
interests without being dragged into
any conflict which affects only Serbia.