Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-20
TERMED
BALKAN STRIFE CAUSE
Racial Problems, With Anticipated Po-
litical Ideas of Serbs, Held Reasons
for Constant Turmoil.

But they are seeking some form 81 na-
tional existence which will enabls Gcem
to conduct their own local affaiSA
Wrongs Not All on One S.sR
1t would be mistake to thir.t that
all the wrongs are on one size. II
Serbian control has been Stupid and
brutal, Croatian resistance has been
foolish and futile. Unhappily. last year
the dispute came to climax when
Montenegro Serb in the Parliament
proceeded Systematically to shoot-up
all the conspicuous figures in the Croat
party. This was, after all. simple
and traditional custom, which excited
little establishment in Serbia but in
evitably produced an explosion in
Croatia.
To the Serb it is natural to shoot
your opponent. That was what was to
be expected, and the expected happened.
The same process had been employed
against the archduke in Serajevo and
against the Serb King and Queen q
few years before, when both were sus-
pected OF Austrian leanings. The idea
that there was anything unusual in
pistol1ng the opposition on the floor of
Parliament seemed and seems to the
Serb proof Of the effeminacy and
weakness of the CroatS.
But the Croat has been affected by
western notions of democracy. And
the assassination of Raditch and his
associates proved the last straw. Today
the Croat delegation stays at home
In Zagreb and continues to demand
autonomy
Now it remains to be seen If the King
| can compose the quarrel. He is equally
popular among Croat and Serbs, and
both tribes are eager to preserve the
| new JugoSlav state. Croatia itself
could not possibly exist as an indie
| pendent country. Moreover Jugoslavia.
despite its factional divisions is about
the only one of the succession states
which has no racial minorities. 1t has
all the elements necessary to enable
u 10 become prosperous and power
full country.
On the other hand, while the vast
mass OF the people are Slav, they are
separated by every conceivable differ
ence which could divide relatives. The
population is Roman Catholic, Greek
Catholic and Mohammedan.
Differences Must Be Overcome.
The real question is whether these
Southern SlavS, unquestionab;y de-
scended from the same raiding tribes
men who rode into these regions when
Rome was collapsing. who have the
same language and. while separated by
pontlcal rules, long cherished the dream
d unity after liberty. can overcome the
| consequences OF these centuries of Diff
ferent political experience.
Nor is this situation MCCLELLAN "a
Jugoslavia. On the contrary. the same
circumstances explain the recent polit-
ical revolution in Rumania, which has
Drought Manu- ministry TO power.
mere, as In Jugoslavia, the Rumanians
Oh tne prewar kingdom are to an in
creoiple degree bound by old and evil
TRADITIONS and methods, the consequences
OF long centuries of subsection To the
Turk. To the old Rumania the new
owes its existence and unity. but for
the new Rumania the system of the old
Is mtolerable. Now in Rumania the
| new elements have seized control. but
| III JugoSlavla the task is more difficult.
io[ tne old elements constitute the
nsilters, controi the army and rightly
ENJOY the glory OF the Serb military
| achievement
Something of the same situation is
also to be discovered in Poland. For =
century and a half the Polish people
were subjected to three different rules
German, Austrian and Russian.
Out IL Is the Russian Poles, the most
numerous faction, which have seized
control OF the Polish state. Pilsudski
represents ideas and conceptions which
are almost as far removed from mod
ern realities as those of the Serbs. And
wnen P1lSudski seized power bv his
famous May revolution of 1926 actual
cIVH war was only avoided by a hairs
breadth, for the PruSSian Poles set ont
70 march on Warsaw and very nearly
arrived to restore the overthrow
President. va
PllSudski remains a sixteenth century
ngure, and only his great prestige. due
70 the fact he is in himself a perfect
expression of the romantic story of
Poland. prevents present clash.
Thus, in fact. while elf-deteruinat,or
mas been applied pretty generally over
europe, as a consequence of the peace
treaties. up to the present time one Is
forced to recognize that it has rather
substituted new for an old evil than
insured general peace and prosperity.
tCopyright. 1921