Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-15

cast over q cOaSC-CO-cOaSJ network Oh
the Columbia BroadcaSting System from
Station WMAL here:
/ have been requested by The Wash
1ngton Star to tell you something of
the political and economic conditions
of the Balkan countries as observed by
me while attending the meetings OF
the Interparliamentary Conference held
at Bucharest, Rumania.
should like, If time permitted, to
give you my impressions of King Carol
and his son Michael, of VenizeloS, the
prime minister of Greece, and other
characters who are at present playing
a leading part in directing the destinieS
of these countries, if not of Europe.
Gives Political Divisions.
Likewise, 1 should like to tell you
of some of the giories of Rumania.
something of my trip on the Black Sea
and down the Bosphorus, through the
DardanelleS, a little of the ancient
ruins of Athens and I should like
- paint you a word picture of the
Stsagnif1cent scene one beholds upon
entering the harbor of Naples. but
fine will not permit, and after all you
hre, I am sure, more interested in a
discussion of the political and economic
conditions Of section of the world
which has been correctly described as
the Cockpit of Europe"
It is not entirely the fault of the
Balkan states that they should be
looked upon this manner. Five ma
tons, not to mention their numerous
minorities and small portion of Tur-
key. are packed into the Balkan PENN
sula, Runlania, Jugoslavia, Bulgaria,
Greece and Albania. They differ in
Language, racial origin, national aspira-
tons and strategic position. All of
these countries once formed a part of
the great Ottoman Empire; most of
them succeeded in gaining their ma
tional independence well before the
World War, and the majority of them
at one time or another encroached
upon the territories of the others.
The real cause Of the unrest in the
Balkan states before the World War
was not the inability of these states to
get along together, but the fact that
two of the then existing world powers,
namely, Austria Hungary and Russia,
would not let these states alone. There
was intrigue and counter intrigue. The
rulers in many instances were de-
bauched by these then great powers.
Each of them, Austria Hungary and
Russia, had its imperial ambitions; each
had its proteges whom they hoped to
use as the instruments of their ambi-
tions. Imperial Russia hoped through
the South Slav people of the Balkan
Peninsula, to consolidate herself there
and assure her eventual control of Con-
Stantinople, the Straits of the Bosphorus
and the Dardanelles. Austria Hungary
was determined to prevent this CONSOLE
dalton of Russian power in the PENN
Sula, but at the same time wanted to
gain control of the Adriatic Sea by pre-
venting Serbia, the protege of Russia,
from getting access to that important
body of water The rivalry of these
great powers in the Balkan Peninsula
contributed largely to the outbreak Of
the World War and the world distress
which we find at the present time.
What is happening in the Balkan
Peninsula today? TIE Austro-Huns
parian and Russian Empires have passed
away, and with them, the influence,
mostly for evil. which they welded In
the unhappy peninsula.
Armed Camps Persist.
But IS years after the war to end
war, we find these countries virtually
armed camps-Greece with total pop
ulation of $500, 900 people, has an
armed force Of 545, 1853, or 8.8 per cent
of her population; Rumania, with a
population of 1904 900, has 1,725, $50
belonging to her armed forces, or 9.64
per cent of her people; Turkey, with a
population of approximately 16,0OO,00
has 1896, 400 belonging to her armed
1OTCeS, OF Z.O1 pei CcIlt Va A1CA POOPA~'
.Jugoslavia, with a population OF ap-
proximately 100000 has total armed
forces amounting to 1,341 ,568, or 9.63
per cent. It should be understood that
these figures include the reserve as well
as the active army, but the active army
in the little country OF Rumanla
amounts to 240,108 souls; in Turkey,
10000, and Jugoslavia, l4l 1853.
The total war budget OF Rumanla
re to f7ar cent Of the total
expenditures for the support of the gov
eminent; that of Jugoslavia is 1919 per
cent for war and TO per cent additional
for war pensions. The so-called de-
tense budget of Turkey amounts to BIT
per cent of her total expenditures for
all purposes. The amount expended by
Greece for the army navy and aviation
is 1877 per cent, and the percentage for
Bulgaria is 172 of her total budget.
The peoples of these countries, the
great majority of whom are peasant
farmers, are extremely poor and their
standards of living very, very low.
Nationalism Flourishes.
What else could it be? In an area
Il should guess-noc much larger than
the State of Montana and with a total
population of 57000,000 all these five
countries support eXtravagant govern
ments, live in fear of each other, preach
extreme nationalism and hedge them
selves about by high protective tariff
walls which have retarded and must
continue to retard their material prog
ress. It is as if the New England States
or all the States of the Union were tc
hedge themselves about with high tariff
walls, each State seeking to build uE
its own industry, maintaining vaS1
armies and preaching hymns of hatf
against one another in order to stir ur
what some call patriotism in the breast
of the unfortunate peasant.
AS said moment ago, the Austria
Hungary empire is no more and Russia
plays no part in the Balkans today
but other great powers do-namelJ
France and Italy.
Italy dominates and controls Albania
politically and economically-in fact,
am told the King of Albania draws hi.
stipend from Italy.
France dominates Rumania anc
Jugoslavia as well as Pcland. Czecho-
slovakia and several other countries o.
Europe She dominates them because
they are poor and need money anc
when France loans money to Euro
pean power, she does it not as an in
VeStment as we Americans would do
but she does it with the idea of making
that nation not only an ally, but prac
tically a vassal state of France. While
/ was in attendance at the conference
at Bucharest, it was commonly talked
that the Rumanian government wa
looking for lean. There was no ont
to whom she could turn but France.
On the boat returning to America,
noticed in the wireless dispatches twt
significant pieces Of news-Rumanii
refuses to renew a five-year treaty will
italy. and another stating that in thu
event of war against con mon enemy
Pisudski, the dictator Of Poland, woult
command the Rumsnian Army. Onl
Yesterday the news dispatches carries