Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14

Wv WHILE the attention of the
n world Is more or less fixed
NM upon Geneva and is consid-
ering the problem of Euro
pean unity from the angle Of
League activity, series of conferences
in Rumania, Jugoslavia and finally in
Warsaw has served to open a new and
practical aspect of the question. For
while BRAND and other representatives
of great powers are discussing the pro-
poSal of United States of Europe from
the point of view of peace, the states
men of the smaller Countries are con-
sidering cooperation from the point Of
view of profits.
This new proposition has its origin
in the double fact that in Europe, as in
America, the farmers are having a bad
time and that this bad time is accen-
tuated by the competition between the
farm products of adjoining countries.
Rumania and Jugoslavia, politically
allied through the Little Entente, are
agricultural countries which export both
grains and live stock. These exports
naturally compete in the world market.
Thus it was natural that during and
after the annual conference OF the
powers making up the Little Entente.
namely. Rumania, Jugoslavia and
Czechoslovakia, the eleventh of these
meetings held this year at Sinaia in the
Rumanian Carpathians, the question Of
pigs and wheat should come up after
that of minoritieS had been disposed of.
And the upshot of the discussion was
a tentative cartel agreement between
the Rumanians and the JugoslavS with
the added agreement to sound out the
Hungarians neighborS of both and also
exporters of grain and live stock.
Czechs Plainly DispIeased.
At the outset Of these discussions the
third partner OF the Little Entente.
Czechoslovakia, was plainly displeased.
On the one hand the CzechS are i'm
porters, not exporters, of foodStuffS and
on the other hand they are peculiarly
sensitive to any operation which affects
the Hungarians, who feel most bitterly
toward the Czechs because of the ter
Titorial losses of the treaty of Trianon.
AS to the Hungarians, their situation
was interesting. They were despoiled
of more than half their territory by the
Czechs, the Serbs and the Rumanians;
they have been held down in wise of
steel by the Little Entente and finally
they have, despite their present weak
ness, never resigned themselves to their
present frontiers or assented to any of
the various efforts at reconciliation.
On the other hand Hungary, ~ARnore
than any of her neighbors, is an agricul-
tural state, par excellence. Rumania
has oil and Jugoslavia has various
minerals, but Hungary has only farm
products. Thus some little Roadway,
not much, but a bit, was made in the
direction of an arrangement, when the
whole question was broadened by an in
vitation coming from Warsaw for new
conference, including Poland, which Is
also concerned over the. question Of
grains and meat.
The Polish invitation, too, gave the
political question divides the Poles and
friends over centuries. Meantime.
Czechoslovakia began to modify its
views and see in the conference the
chance Of an extension which would
Wovide reciprocal advantages, the
eechs finding preferential market for
Oheir manufactures and giving one for
foodstuffs.
Advantages Obvious.
Here was something remotely suggest
ing the present British problem Of inn
perial preference. II all Of the Central
European states, Austria and Hungary
as well as the states of the Little En-
tente and Poland, could get together
to exchange products the mutual ad-
vantage viii be obvious. Moreover, all
could fairly conclude that such eco
nomic cooperation would end In soft
ening political animoSities.
In q word, what Is now going on
and, whatever the Warsaw decision, may
continue indefinitely-is an experiment
In re-establiShing, not politically but
economically, that HapSburg monarchy