Evening star., 1933-08-06
By FRANK HI. SIMONDS.

pean continent at rapid pace. Old
combinations have broken down, new
are in the making and some of these
latter may have far-reaching effect.
All begins of course with the German
Revolution and the disclosure OF the
temper and purpose Of the Nazi regime.
This disclosure has had two outstand-
ing consequences. 1t has on the one
hand led Russia away from its German
associations and made possible series
Of treaties with her western neighbors,
Poland. Rumania and the Baltic States
and with France as well-Whlch nave
for q long time laid the once familiar
menace of a Soviet offensive either on
the Dniester or on either side OF the
Pripet Marshes.
As consequence Rumania is freed
from the nightmare of & Soviet attempt
to recover Bessarabia. Poland can turn
her back upon her eastern frontier and
confront the ever-growing German
danger in the Corridor and Upper
SileSia without fear of a Bolshevist stab
in the back The Soviet Government.
fearful of the undisguised purpose OF
the new German dictatorship to use
Russia as a land of colonization and
aroused by the persecution OF the Com
munists within the Reich. has decisive
" broken the old partnership With Ger
many made at Rapallo IL years ago.
Return to the association Of CSarlst
Russia with France directly and with
Britain indirectly Is definite.
No less striking has been the SHIFT
In italian policy Today relations be-
tween France and Italy are better tnan
, at any moment since the Paris Peace
Conference. The basic reason Is not
greater friendship but a growing sense
of common peril. For the AnSchluss
is a far more immediate threat for
Rome than for Paris and fascism mas
no desire for a common frontier with
its northern irnitators.
Italy Gained Prestige.
When Hitler came to power in March,
Mussolini patiently played with the idea
of a German Italian combination ana
his play aroused intense apprehension
in London, Paris, Warsaw and the cap
itals of the nations of the Little En-
. tente. That was the cause Of the panic
fight Of Ramsey Macdonald to Rome
and the opening move In the creatlon
of the Four-Power Pact. At the outset
Mussolini cleverly exploited the Mac
Donald excursion and proposed treaty
revision as one Of the purposes OF the
new association of Britain, France,
Germany and Italy.
France. Poland and the Little Entente
blocked this move. British sympathy
was destroyed by the anti-Jewlsh pohcS
of the NaZs. Then the whole charac-
ter Of the four-power pact was graou-
ally recast, the revision detail was ellinl-
natsd and bv degrees it became not q
partnership within which Germany ano
italy would work together. but rather
combination in which Franco-Itallan
agreement backed by British approval
would control. The four-power pact In
its revised form was praised IN Parls
commended in London and perforce &C
cepted in Berlin.
From the episode of the pact MUS
solini eventually won not little pres
tige and with the Fascist regime pres
tige as vital matter. Moreover the
whole tone of French comment changed
and with the change began one more
move-which at the present time
taking forrn-a move in the Danuolan
region where economic chaos Is piled
on top of political anarchy to the con-
slant anxiety of the statesnanshlp OF
Europe. It will be recalled that three
wears ago the German proposal Tor
tariff union with Austria set in motion
the political events which were in large
mart responsible for the subsequent
financial crisis which brought about the
Hoover moratorium Ultimately-al-
though reluctantly-the Italians were
forced to join the French in Vetolne
this project and Germany had for-
mally to renounce 1t with an enormous
loss Of prestige into the bargain
But when in the following year
Tardieu proposed his plan Of Danubian
AnStria Hungary
and the Little Entente united in eco
non1ic cooperation and the leadership
lodged nominally in Prague and actually
in Paris. italy Joined hands with Ger
MANY and the Tardieu project fell IKE
the Curtius plan before it. What 1ol-
lowed was a period of deadlock between
the great powers and decay IN the
Danubian region, which lasted to the
dav when Hitler came to power.
Economic Pact Seen.
When Hitler sought to reopen the
Aid nroiect OF Austro- German union ne
encountered resistance within Austria
and formal objection both IN PARIS ano
Rome Nevertheless, 1t was plaln 10
French and italian eyes alike that UNI
less some steps were taken 10 feneve
the PARALYSIS in the Danublan area
Austria would presently drift into Ger
man control automatically. And tne
disclosure of Nazi activity and strength
in Austria emphasized the point.
For the moment the resistance OF the
Dollfuss regime in Vienna gave the OPP
ponents Of the AnschlusS time, put tIlas
time is plainly short. In the race OF
Imminent danger, Rome ana RAJ u
,beean to draw together. At the same
time they endeavored to bring togetneI
their respective followers. Hungary ano
Austria in the Italian case, the httle
entente in the French case.
Meantime, Gomboes. the Hungarian
premier. visited Berlin. HIS excursion
awakened discussions which were iol-
loved hv similar gossip when Dollfuss
brought I'D Central European problems
alike in London and in Paris. Later
Comboes visited Rome and new Hooo
Of rluors was circulated. An excursion
of Titulescu, the leading Rumanlan
statesman. to Rome, further stlrreo the
dovecotes and chancellerles. :.
Obviously what is being attempted Is
eone form of economic aSsoclatlon oe-
tween the little entente and Hungary
and Austria Apparently France. aitel
having PLAYED the role OF rival OF ltais
in all the Danubian region Tor years; \
now coming round to see IN the possipie
region the only sure means OF Warolne
off the German danger. 1t must oe
assumed that italy is putting aside the
pursuit of political ends such as treaty
revision in the hope of acquiring solio
economic bsnefits. The first OF thest
would be the restoration OF Trieste ano
Fiume to their pre-war situation as
the ports of the whole OF the terrHor!
orce included in the Hapsburg mon
archy
Within limits this would amount to
French acquiescence in materia! IN
crease of Italian influence and the little
entente would become not an opponent
but an ally of Italy. On the economic
side, trade treaties would reinforce point
ical agreements. But at the pasS OF tns
whole scheme must lie a tacit Italiar
remuneration of all projects for treaty
revision. Moreover. French consent u
an expansion of Italian influence IN tht