The Washington times., 1934-03-09
BALKAN PACTS SEEK PEACE


tains a reaffirmation Of her pres
ent boundaries.
Her Premier, Nikola Mushanoff
big, broad, ruddy-faced, with a
cavalryman's white mustache, is
elated over the improvement in
the chances of keeping the peace
in the Balkans.
He is particularly pleased with
the improvement in Bulgarian
Jugoslav relations.
Raids Have Ceased
The two countries ever since the
war have been in a state Of latent
war.
Macedonia lies partly in Jugo-
slavia, partly in Bulgaria. Mace.
donian bands from Bulgaria con.
stantly raided into Jugoslavia.
Belgrade was on the point of
mobilizing a dozen times. Today
the Sofia Government has quelled
the Macedonians to such an ex
tent that raids have ceased.
Belgrade also, impelled by anx.
iety over the gathering storm in
Western Europe, and wishing to
protect her back, made overtures
to Sofia. The two kings ex.
changed visits.
"The most important thing
that has happened in the Bal
kanS in years is the betterment
Of our relations with JugOsIavia.
We are negotiating a veterinary
convention, agreements on COM
merce and on passports, and an
agreement for the improvement
of transit facilities between the
two countries. 1t is a good be-
ginning, and it is truly amaz-
ing to see how the friendship
Is growing.
PREFERS OWN PACT
"LoOk at our visitors from
Belgrade. We have had a dele
cation Of JugOslav painters
hold an exhibition here; the
Jugoslav Pen Club has visited
here; and the JugOslav Aca-
demic Choir gave a concert
here. These things may seem
minor to you, but they would
have been quite impossible a
year ago."
It is clear that Bulgaria would
prefer a bilateral treaty of friend
ship and non-aggression with
Jugoslavia rather than enter the
big Balkan pact which woulo
force her to reaffirm her boun
diaries with Greece, Rumania ano
Turkey, who have all taken ter
ritory from her.
On the general subject of peace
or war in Western Europe tn
premier was not too hopeful. HI
said:
There is only one way to pre-
vent war and that is by remOv-
ing the injustices that lead men
to desire to fight, and then dis
arm. If Germany succeeds in
inducing the other powers to
live up to their promises and
disarm, there will be no war. If
disarmament does not come war
eventually seems to be newt
able.
"But no war ever solved any
problems. New wars would only
create new problems. 1t is absO-
lutely clear to me that after
another war all Europe would
go Communist, and in my Opin-
ion the SO-called 'victors' would
be just the ones who would lose
/ the most"
Civilizations End
These were almost the identica
words that Hitler used. I askec
him what he thought of the Ger.
man intentions.
Hitler cannot want war
against a united Europe. There
are definite signs of a change in
the German attitude. Hitler for
the last several months has
spoken of nothing but peace"
The catastrophe theory, that is
that war would bring the end oi
civilization, is the most wide
spread argument in Europe today
against the possibility of war.
The second most important
argument is the growing inclina
tion to examine the possibility
that Hitler himself really wants
to keep the peace and may want
to do so permanently. Not every
European statesman believes it
but the complete incredulity OF
Europe towards his promises last
year has given way today to a
sceptical maybe"
TomOroU-Kino Boris III ordnts