Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14
SMALL EUROPEAN STATES
SEEK PROFITS In UNITY
Farmers and Statesmen Hold Confer
ences in Face of Diminished Pros
perity With Eye to Cooperation.

| which was politically impossible and
economically one of the most self con-
tanned of all European states. Divided,
the various fractions, which have gone
| to Poland and the states of the Little
| Entente or remained in the sadly d.
minished fragments constituting the
present states of Austria and Hungary,
| have on the whole Jared badly. Political
| independence has been accompanied by
diminished prosperity.
It is necessary to perceive, however,
that any such combination would at
once awaken violent opposition in Italy
and only less vehement protest In Ger
many. For on the one hand Italy nat
urally opposes any form OF reintegra-
ton of the old Hapsburg monarchy,
even economically since it would at
once compromise her influence in the
Balkans and might eventually destroy
her dominance in the Adriatic. AS for
the Germans, such an association would
| inevitably abolish Austrian desire for
AnschlusS-that is, union with Ger
maryland block German commercial
penetration in all Of the center and
east Of Europe.
France Stands Alone.
OF all the great powers, France alone
would welcome it, for at the basis of all
French policy lies the determination to
preserve the political frontiers of the
Paris Peace Conference, and such pres
ervation must depend ultimately upon
the elimination alike of the quarrels
between Hungary and the Little Entente
and the menace of German absorption
Of Austria. One may easily believe,
then, that French diplomacy has been
busy alike in Prague and Warsaw, while
French influence even in Budapest Is
not negligible, given Hungarian need
for French loans.
Given the present tense situation all
over Europe, it would be too much to
suppose that any definite results can
come from the existing discussion, al
though partial cartels in agricultural
exports may be established, following
the example of the cartels in steel and
iron which have already been framed to
include Germany France, Belgium, Lux
emburg and Poland. But it is of more
than passing Importance that along
the larger movement toward a general
European combination there is march
ing project of regional agreements.
Nor can this question be devoid of
interest for the United States. Were
the unlikely to take place, even in a
small measure, American farm products
would be faced by a real and dangerous
competition In all the European markets.
But at the moment 1t must be perceived
that Rumania and Poland are more dis
tufbed by the Russian than the Ameri-
can competitor. Were the collective
farming program of the Soviets to sue
coed, all the agricultural states of Eu-
rope would be faced by q menace which
they would individually be unable to
meet, and all are obviously taking time
by the forelock, further influenced by
existing hard times and restricted mar
kets glutted through overproduction.
Tariff Issues Rising.
Nor is it without significance that all
the world Is turning to tariff questions
with equal interest and the same COM
pelling motive. We in the United States
have just passed through the active
stage and are awaiting the results of
our experiment in a new tariff law. The
British are toying with the idea of pro-
lection and turning toward the ap-
preaching Imperial Conference for q
lead. Europe assembled at Geneva Is
discussing continental unity with an eye
single to economic consideration, which
alone could overbear political seemingly
impossible obstacles.
And now in the very heart Of the So
called Balkanized Middle Europe the
same issue Is rising in a local form
And races that are divided by hatreds
as old as the Middle Ages and as recent
as the Paris Conference are talking
about farm relief by international CO.
operation almost as earnestly as they
have discussed and still discuss the
burning issue of treaty revisions and
frontier notifications. Thus, If politics
proverbially makes strange bedfellows,
hard times Is not less successful.
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