Evening star., 1928-05-27
RY JOHN GUNTHER.

RY JOHN GUNTHER.
~ ENEVA--Tt has been said tha
the Balkans are a sort of he'll
Y paved with the good intentions
~ Of the great powers. Once i
was Austria Hungary and Rus
sia which msneuvered for Balkan con-
troll, That rivalry is now cast IN q
different mold, The Balkans will tel
you that 1t is Italy against the field
italian dominance in the Balkans has
come almost overnight. Fifteen years
ago. except possibly in Albania, Italy
was almost as remote from Balkan af-
fairs as Siam Brilliant Italian diplo-
macy has changed all that. Much of
this italian influence is, of course, per-
fectly legitimate. But the Balkans arc
uneasy about some of the rest.
A Leadership of Fear.
From Budapest to the DardanelleS,
from the Adriatic to the Aegean. Italy
is everywhere. Today Italian leader
ship waves like a banner over all the
gTlarled and warped currents and cross
currents of Balkan politics. where be-
fore the war European suspicion, IN
trigle and rivalry reached their most
extreme tide. Part Of this leadership is
the leadership of fear. The Balkans
fear Italy
visited recently, during a long Bal
kan tour. that hidden MoSlem town
deep in Jugoslsvia called Sarajevo. 1t
Is a bright, clean. energetic town. where
the villagers sit most of the day slipping
strange liquors in cafes and the peas
ants down from the hills wear colorful.
almost medieval costumes. 1t was hard
TO realize that upward of $4,000 young
Americans died in battle because some
one tossed bomb near Sarajevo Bridge.
Today there are several possible Sara
jevos.
No Territorial Ambitions.
No one is accusing Italy Of preparing
for war. Italy has no territorial am
bitions in the Balkans. The Balkans
are a solid adjacent block of 10000. 900
people. Just across the Adriatic, and are
therefore an important market for
Italian commerce; Italy is anxious 10
assert its prestige as a great power
and finds the Balkans a satisfactory
field for this prestige! Italy turns with
natural political and diplomatic inter
est TO her nearest neighbors. But any
talk Of definite ggreSSion-current as
such talk is IN the Balkans-may be
dismissed.
On the other hand, il would be sheer
affectation to pretend that the Italo-
Balkan situation is entirely devoid Of
danger. In any sphere where a great
power seeks obviously TO influence a
complex group Of smaller powers nerH-
business is certain to develop. Relations
between Italy and Jugoslavia. as every
one knows. have reached a period Of
crisis Probably that crisis is now being
anleliorated.
Italy Rfvzling France.
Back of the Italo-Jugoslav conflict -
Il would be false conservatism TO call
II less than that's something much
bigger. Italian policy is quite frank 10
state that IL It's mediate objective
is Jugoslavia the ultimate objective is
France. Rivalry between Italy and
France Is the undercurrent thorough
out all the Balkans France sees its
long predominance in the Balkans not
only shaken but, except perhaps IN
Runania and Turkey. all but over
thrown. And no one needs TO be re-
minded how bad FTanco-ItaIan reia-
tions in general have been.
The crisis came last Winter. what
caused il was a sort Of battle OF treaties.
on November II France signed long
iYnpendinE friendship pact with Jugo-
ssayia. II had been initiated for 10
months. and as q regular item IN inter
national correspondence the text mao
been sent to italy six weeks before In
fact. Italy was invited 10 make the
treaty a t1ree-poEer affair when nego-
tiatio1s first began: but Italy refused.
TIE Franco -Jugoslav pact was pacifc
enough: Belgrade, however. hailed 1t
rust q little strenuously Eleven days
later. on November %. Italy countered
with a military alliance, not just a
treaty. with Albania. This supplement-
ed TIE pact of Tirana Of November 26,
1926, year before, which had estab-
iished an Italian protectorate IN Alba
MA. There was 10 warning about the
new Italo-Albanian treaty. The Jugo-
siay foreign minister actually was max
ing q conciliatory speech in Belgrade
at the moment It was delivered.
Europe Again in Two Camps
And all of a sudden a startled Europe
realized il vas IN two camps again.
Not necessarily armed camps, but
camps alone are rather alarming On
one side stands France. Grouped
around France are CzechoSlovakia, Jugo-
sIavia, Run7ania, the countries Of the
little entente. and Poland But Ru-
mania has been flirting seriously with
Italy, Out Of the Balkans the French
have Belgium. French influence, for
many years dominant IN Turkey, now
appears 70 be waTerinR.
On the other hand Is Italy. She has
Albania and Hungary. Bulgaria Is her
cautious friend. and in Greece ghe has
made important friends Outside Of
the Balkans she has Spain. She even
has Lithuania because Poland Lithu-
anias enemy. Is the ally Of France.
The treaty arrangements Themselves
aren't Of great importance. Europe Is
deluged with a plague Of treaties, Most
q them are eyeyash, But underneath
the treaties tE an atmosphere. That
does count The atmosphere has pre-
duced aiignments- They count. TOO.
The position of Great Britain Is Of
nsrsnoaEnt importance. because IL is a