Evening star., 1933-01-08
FASC|STS IN DRIVE
ONL|TTlEENTENTE
Insist on Arms Equality for
Bulgaria, Hungary and
Austria.
BY Cable to The Star.

By Gable to The Star
ROME, January THE Fascist gov
eminent is giving every sign Of intend
ing to launch a major diplomatic
offensive on the Central and Eastern
European fronts in the near future. In
dications of French goodwill and the
general state of flux and uncertainty
on the continet seem to have inspired
the italian decision to act at this time.
This big push apparently Will in
volve gigantic effort to improve Italy's
position in relation to Frances in that
sector. The major objective of Fascist
foreign policy remains the same, how
ever, and it would not be surprising II
Italy also launches a fianking move
ment aimed at the acquisition of ter
ritory in Africa most likely the
Cameroons.
Italy's pet strategy in Central and
Eastern Europe is to weaken the group
of French allies in the Little Entente
and Poland and TO strengthen its own
friendS-Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria.
To weaken the French group, fascism
would Nike to detach the four allies
from each other and from France and
impair the strength of each one by
emphasizing any internal divisions
which exist, such as those among the
Serbs, Croats and Slovenese In Yugo-
Slavia.
Insists on Arms Equality.
To strengthen their own friends the
tactics which the FaSciStS seem to be
employing now is inSiStence that
equality Of ornaments, already given
IN principle to Germany, be extended
to Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria.
The French sector seems to be the
one where Italy will make its next
frontal attack: A direct offensive Is
being prepared for the impending ar
rival here of the new French Ambassa-
dor, Henri De JouNenel. The Facists
will try again, through De JouVenel
to convince the French government
that its alliances with the little entente
are costing France the friendship of
Italy, and that this friendship would
be more valuable TO France than the
alliances.
Italy argues that the smaller states.
especially YugoslaVia, are likely to en-
broil the great powers, as they helped
to in 1914, and that France would be
wiser to cultivate Italy.
To emphasize this point, the Fascist
press is engaging in an orgy of attacks
on the alleged warlike anti-Italian ac-
tivitieS in Yugoslavia. The moral given
| here to these supposed plans is that
they would be impossible without q
Franco Yugoslav alliance. The Italians
| attacks also serve the purpose Of di-
verting attention from the real source
of trouble between Italy and Yugo-
slavia, which now once again Is Al
bania.
Seek Pact With Rumania.
At the same time that Italy is try
| ing to persuade France to reduce its
| support of the little entente and Poland,
it is trying to WOO each one from
France and from each other. The
Farcists apparently are asking Rumania
to renew the Italo- Rumanian friend
ship treaty for several years. Rumania,
however, seems to be holding back ur-
til it sees what becomes of the Franco
Italian negotiations.
Nicholas Titulescu, Rlmanian for
eign minister, is said to intend coming
to Rome for Italo- -Rumanian converse
tionS. Demeter Gusti, Rumanian min
ister of public instruction, is in Rome
now, ostensibly only in order to assist
| in the inauguration of the new Ru-
manian Academy here.
| The Polish undersecretary of foreign
| affairs, Count Szembek, Is due in Rome
on Tuesday for "visit with Premier
MusSolini and the foreign undersecre-
tary and to confer with the Italian gov
ernment on some interesting problems"
The bonds which united the Serbs,
| CrOats and Sl0venes of Yugoslavia are
| hopefully believed here to be not of the
| strongest, and Italy does what it can
| fO ban hac rel cte 1xf
] described the Slavs as an uneivilized
and dangerous element of Yugoslavia
and tried to appeal to the Croats, whom
| the Fascists described as a civilized and
| intelligent people.
Venetian Lions Mutilated.
Enthusiasm has sometimes gotten
this policy into slightly ludicrous pre-
dicaments. Recently for example, the
FaScists have been very indignant over
the mutilation of stone statues of Vene-
tian lions in Dalmatia. Only barbar-
Gus Slavs could be guilty of such atroc-
tiles, the Italians have said. The only
trouble with this argument Is that the
places where the atrocities occurred
are almost entirely Croatian, with hardly
one Slav inside the city limits.
The appointment of De Jouvenel as
new French Ambassador to Italy is re-
garoeQ nQpe1uHy nere-proDaDly TOO
hopefully. De Jouvenel is a politician
and journalist and is, therefore, ex-
pected to approach Franco Italian prob
lens with more practical spirit of
give and take than a career diplomat
might. Also, he is considered to be
friendly to Italy.
But De Jouvenel has a fatal facility
of speech. He talks too much. Six
years ago when he was appointed high
commissioner in Syria he began talking
in Paris when his appointment was
announced and talked SO garrulously
thereafter all the way to Syria that
before his boat landed at Beirut, he had
completely destroyed his usefulness.
He has begun to do the same thing
now. Unless somebody can keep him
away from listeners, he may spoil his
new job as thoroughly as he spoiled his
last one.
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