Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02
FRANCE T|GHTENS
HOLD ON EUROPE
Supports Allies and Seeks to
Complete Wreck of Ger.
man Hopes. a. e..
~ Cable to The Star.

~ Gable to The Star.
VIENNA, Austria, August IA pc
Rod of intense diplomatic activity,
mostly secret, Is reaching some sort Of
climax in Central Europe and the Bal
kans these days.
French policy Is quietly busy seek
ing to make the region from Prague to
Angora safe" in case OF eventual Sc
rious trouble with Germany. II
Germany should collapse, with untold
catastrophe consequences TO the West
ern World it would be Of the utmost
importance for France to keep the rest
Of Central Europe in the French camp.
France is working for two general
ends, flrst to strengthen the French
allies, Jugoslavia, Rumania and Czecho-
slovakia; and. second, to wean states
Ike Austria and Hungary, away from
Germany to France and, failing in this,
10 embarrass, weaken or crush them.
Worried in Rumania.
Help to the French satellite states
has been largely financial. Czecho-
slovakia has stood the reverberatlons OF
the German crisis very well, but only,
1t is said, because French funds were
put at the disposal of at least two big
Czech banks which are suffering.
The French are very worried over the
situation in Rumania. The new power
behind the scenes there Is Constantine
Argetoiano, minister of finance, who Is
or was also president OF the Rumanian
aff1liate of the great German Dresdener
Bank and who Is thought to be more
German than French in sympathy.
The appointment of King Carols
close friend Mihail ManoileScu, to the
presidency Of the Rumanian National
Bank is said to have been inspired by
the French as an Offset to Argetoiano's
influence Mr.. Manoilescu is more or
less on the French side.
interested in JugOslavia.
French policy is anxious to tranquil
lie Jugoslavia The diSsident CroatS
realm in case of a general upset so
French advisors have persuaded the
King to several signed ameliorations Of
the Croat problem.
For instance, it was recently an
pounced that King Alexander will cele-
brate the 10th anniversary of his
accession to the throne August 16 in
Zagreb, Croat capital, not in Belgrade.
This is a sensational step calculated to
appease and satisfy the Greats.
On the other side, French efforts to
SeuuCe Vi WedheIl anu
are lowering in the balance. Austria
seems at the moment safe from further
critical financial trouble, but the recent
British loan of $20,000,000 will not last
forever and meantime the French con-
tinue to withhold the $4,000, 900 due
Austria as the final installment Of last
years international loan.
Financing Has Price.
;,.A 30 - 1an Far ~
vice chancellor, Johann Schober, in
favor of the anti-German, Mgr Ignaz
Seipel, may reopen at any time.
The. French are dangling financial
favors over Austria's head, but to get
them Austria must give up its proposed
customs union with Germany.
In Hungary, French diplomatic and
financial activity Is at its climax. 1t is
getting to be almost major Irritation.
As an Offset to an anschluss, the
French are hoping to promote an
AuStro- Hungarian combination. One OF
the leading Hungarian legttim1sts,
Prince Pallavicini, saw Philippe Berthe
lot, permanent undersecretary of the
French ministry of foreign affairs, just
before he announced to the Hungarian
parliament his open advocacy OF an
Austro- Hungarian customs union.
Restoration Talked.
The question Of Hapsburg restora-
ton with French support is very much
to the fore again. Some effort appar-
emily is being made to force the Bethlen
government to resign on account of re-
sponsibility for the present financial
crisis. Premier Count Bethlen at least
outwardly opposes restoration Of Prince
Otto.
Meantime the acute financial crisis
continues in Hungary and the gist Of
the matter is that the Hungarian banks
simply cannot risk reopening for full
business until the government gets a
loan. Only France can give this loan.
The Bulgarian situation is also inter-
esting in that the present government
seems determined to better its relations
with Jugoslavia. Frances allv, and is
nearer the French orbit than ever
before.
All Central Europe is quite calm but
also apprehensive as these political
complications are added to the financial
and economic crisis.
(Copyright, 1917