Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-06-24
By COUNT CARLO sroRzA.

~ that the CHIEF reSponSloiil'S toi
all the silly things said or Thought
about the gravity of Angio-RusSlan re-
lations lay with maps in the atlas
which gave casual observers the I'M
preston that the Russian Bear was
waiting around the corner. scarcely con-
cealed behind the HimalayaS tor the
chance to Jump upon india.
1t would not surprise me II IKE
simplicity of conception had helpeo tC
create that nostalgia for lost Austria
Hungary which for some time 1t has
been the fashion 10 cherish in Europe
Many men OF mature age had grown
used to seeing on the map vast uni
colored blot Joining itself to other vas;
unjcolored blots which symbolized Rus
sia. Germany and italy. To the south
lay lesser barred stains Of color--Serbia
Rumania. Albania and othsrs-ano
from them used to come rumors of wars
and upriSingS. Small wonder then if
watching the barred stains spread
northward amid the complications OF
q postwar period. Sharpened regret
was felt for the disappearance of that
solidfty which formerly had been pre-
sented by the Hapsburg monarchy,
New Formations Disliked.
In France, where-eSpecially in the
old Austria and the miStruSs for the
Balkan states was stronger. = have often
discussed the Austria of yesterday and
the Balkans of today with some French
statesmen who. out of regret for the
Hapsburg monarchy, nouTIshed secret
dislike for the new political formations.
One OF them was Paul DeSchanel. whom
] saw q great deal after his resignation
as President Of the republic, while I
was Ambassador in Pairs
Leaving aside" I used to say. the
rights of nationality. the feelings If
Italy. the consequent alienation of Ital-
ian. Serb and Rumanian sympathieS-
apart from all this. you base your chief
support for Austria on artificial and un-
sound constructions Take the case Of
one who. for all his lack of equilibrium,
was no common mind, the Archduke
Franz Ferdinand, assaSsinated at Sara
5evo. What was the aim of his Trial
ism? The only way to save Austria
necesSitateo also the surrender Of Austria
as Germanic power and her becoming
Q state where the Slav element, your
despised Balkan people, would have
been raised to the same authority with
the Austrians and Hungarians"
Now the campaign against the Bal
kan states is waged in England by Lord
Rothermere and his Daily Mail He
has discovered that Hungary has been
wronged by the peace treaties. Ger
tainiy the Oriental treaties. like the
Versailles treaty. are by no means per-
feet.
But the great difference between the
former Austria Hungary and the new
Balkan states is rarely pointed out by
the most bitter critics of the present
situation. 1t Is hidden behind political
reasons and pathetic complaints about
frontiers. 1t is in this reason. in this
deeper truth. that a far-sighted Italy
has to look for definition of her policy.
Changes That Have Come.
In czechoslovakia. Jugoslavia and
RHmania the peasants have become
more and more the masters of the land
reolacing the former supremacy of the
old aristocrats Bulgaria always was
country of small landowners. The only
Balkan exception is Albania, where the
begS still represent what our feudal
mobiles were in the Middle Ages. But
apart from Albania. Hungary is the
single exception Ia Eastern European
oasis Of rich and proud latifundia sur
rounded and menaced by an. ocean of
small properties, all belonging TO peas
ants or sefni-peasants or little bouT-
geois with no tradition or prejudice OF
.JueusiaSs or CzechS or Rulnanians, may
have many fauIts-and. indeed. some of
their governments have. But they are
the reality of tomorrow; they are. much
more tran they think themselves, the
greatest growing reason for peace in the
European East.
The hungarian aristocrats know that
their ,landless peasants look upon their
Elav neaghborx with envy and adnlira-
ton. THAT is why tperhaps sincerely.
uncpnsci0usiy. the recesses OF the human
soul are 50 deep and the art Of self
deception so innate in our nature) the
Magyar oligarchy waves the flag of
arch patriotism and reconQuest. They
hope BY that TO make the peasants for
get thai they have no land.
Ii Final Retribution.
MesnwhiIe-an6 this is a fatal retri-
bution-in autocTatic Hungary seeds
Of Bolsl1evism may be detected: but IN
Czeciaogicvakia and In the Balkan states
II Is a practically unknown plant.
fEtamkultski. the murdered Bulgarian
premier, was simply an agrarian. His
fault was desire to create perma-
nent peace with Jugoslavia. and If he
was attacked by Boishevik 1t was
only TO find q bad name 70 hang
hirl by1
FeudaI Austria Hungary. with her
50. 900 900 subjects with nine different
languages. knew that her safety lay in
the constant tealouEie& OF the races
struggling IN her mot melting pot
Croats against Magyars, Magyars against
Austrians, SIoyenes against Italians and
80 on. But this was not enough. Aus
TRAN diplomacy was always at work for
mischief between, let us say Bulgaria
and Serbia, between Runania and Bull
eaYia Balkan nations at peace with
each other might have brought each
other progress and consequent dimi-
mutton of power for Vienna. This arti-
fetal source Of hates has therefore dis
appeared with the disappearance Of the
Hspsburg monarchy. which was indeed
nothing else than sterile oiigarchy OF
eourtieTg and bureaucrats with no spir-
ftnaI message for the world
Itaiv. with her 500 900 dead on the
terrible battiefeids Of the Alps and Of
the CarSo, was the author OF Austria q
collapse. and no longer Is any great
power watching from the upper val
feys of the Danube 10 create artificial
hates ia the south--to keep alive the
divisions Of eastern Europe in order 10
further It's own influence, rs sterile
prestige-to use the most hateful Of ali
the words belonging 70 the arsenal OF
&C Clt3ouA1bSs
Future In Balkans.
Italy may have, must have, . great
future In the Balkans. But those who
while admitting that Italy has the
right 10 expand. think in some vague
ftslsynlDatiletlc way that she may use
fully take as her mission the "Drang
mach Osten" Of old Austria 90 hei
wrong.
TtAIy cannot have yan0aisned Aus
fria- Hungary only 10 copy the Haps-
burg traditions-in the traditions Of q
house whose motto was Divide 81 In
peraF
II lis through peace. through conf
nence deeply implanted In the CROWNS