Evening star., 1930-12-07
BY FRANK n. sIMoNDs.

by FRANK H. SIMONDS.
TIME still recent marriage of the
King Of Bulgaria to an italian
princess has loosed a vast flood
i Of speculation as to the ulti-
mate effect of this matrimonial
, alliance upon the various European COM
binations For Bulgaris 1t Is clear that
this marriage offers an escape from an
| isolation and consequent weakness which
has endured ever since the close Of the
World War. Hemmed In between Greece,
Rumania, JugoSlavia and Turkey, all of
which took territory from Bulgaria
either In 1918 or 1919, this little state
has been in q condition of helpleSSness
for more than a decade.
Now, inevitably, Bulgaria passes into
the italian orbit. Her chief enemy Is
Jugoslavia, which took Macedonia as q
result OF the second Balkan War and
regained 1t at the close of the World
War AS Jugoslav interests clash with
those Of Bulgaria in the Valley Of the
Vardar, they conflict with Italian all
along the shores of the Adriatic. Italy
thus acquires q useful friend in case of
eventual hostilities with Jugoslavia.
MussOlini Attacks French Interest.
Moreover, Mussolini has obviously
pushed his Balkan policy one step fur
ther. This policy aims at the breaking
down of French influence In all the
Danubian and Balkan area And since
French influence is based upon the
Little Entente, made up of Jugoslavia,
! Rumania and Czechoslovakia, Italy has
Striven steadily to construct a rival CO.
alition including Albania, Hungary, Bull
garia and even Austria.
1t is this purpose to break French
predominance which explains the fire.
| quent declarations of the Duce in favor
OF the revision Of the peace treaties, for
Hungary and Bulgaria are equally reso-
lutte in refusing to accept as permanent
the territorial settlements Of Paris
What MuSsplini has found a little awk-
ward Is that Austria, also demanding
revision. seeks to regain the Upper
Adige territory taken by the italians
after the war.
At the moment when the Bulgarian
marriage strengthens Mussolini's hand
at Sofia a bitter struggle is going on at
Bucharest between the French-who are
seeking to hold Rumania to her asso-
ciation with her partners of the Little
Entente and thus to the French orienta-
tion-and the ItalianS-who are taking
advantage Of the return of King Carol
to attempt new campaign.
French Have Upper Hand.
For the present the French seem to
| nave LLC upper llhIlu DtCduSe FLuIudIllH
Is desperately in need of a loan anC
Italy is borrower, not a lender. More
over, France is making loans to all thu
states of the Little Entente, loans which
enable them to equip their armies anC
at least begin navy building in the cast
Of Rumania and JugoSlavia.
Rome and Paris are also watching
with keen interest the election in Aus
tria. The success of the German Fas
cists has served to persuade the hith
erto inconsiderable group of Austrian
FascistS to make a vigorous campaign
and it Is far from impossible that the!
may hold the balance of power aftel
the present campaign.
And in Austria, Hungary and Ger
many the extreme Nationalists are no
only, in the main, supporters Of thu
Fascist principles, beginning with tina
Of dictatorship, but they are yer!
frankly ready to strike hands with Mus
solini, who Is the high priest of tht
Fascist faith, as Stain Is of the Com
, muniSt.
Two interesting movements are thu
) taking place. Italy is at work con
structing q system Of alliances to bal