The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-01-23
BALKANS SEEK
| NEW TREATIES
Revival OF German Push
'ro-yhe:East Brings Ac.
cords With Soviet
BY FREDERICK KUN
Urited Press Staff Correspondent

LONDON, Jan. 23.-tUP).-
Realization that Germany, already
strong economic unit, is unlike
ly to recover her role as great
military power within few
wears, has stirred the Balkans t.
diligent political activity.
Drowsily emerging from the
lethargy of feudalism and not YET
caught in the stream of western
industrialism, Southeastern Eu-
rope is slow to react to new po-
litical currents. This may explain
why Hitler's assumption of the
German government shook wes-
tern diplomacy to its foundations
at least six months before Its
repercussion was noticeable III
the Balkans.
Last September, however, the
Balkan governments began to ruo
their eyes, stretch and peer at the
changes which the Nazi upheaval
had wrought in the European po-
litical landscape.
Pricking their ears, the Balkan
diplomatists caught the German
words which had a family familiar
ring.
In pre-war days, Wilhelm II was
the exponent Of what his profess
serial subjects termed Germany's
push-to-the-east (Drang-nach-Os-
tenn. German financial and eco
nomic penetration of Southeastern
Europe bore witness to the success
of that policy, which was to have
been crowned by the construction
of tie Berlin-Bagdad railway. But
the war thwarted the fruition OF
that ambitious project.
BALKANS BECOMING UNITED
Since Hitler's rise to power,
Germany has been enunciating
slogans reminiscent of the Drang-
nash Osten. Just as the Kaiser's
policy of expansion to the east
rallied Serbia, Rumania and Po!-
ish and Czechoslovakian legion
naires to the allied banner, the
specter of an eastward-pushing
Germany today is unifying the
Balkan peninsula.
Alfred Hugenberg, then Hitler
minister of economics, startled
the World Economic Conference,
to which he was a leading dele
gate, by publishing memoran-
dunn, demanding an outlet for
German energy and enterprise in
Eastern Europe. The Moscow gov
eminent interpreted this outburst
as a German bid for Soviet
Ukrains territory; the Baltic
states suspected Hitler of covet'
ing their soil; and the Balkan ma
tions heard echoes of the Drang
nash Osten, of which they hac
been the objects.
Al the same time, Germany
a7neliorated her relations with hel
"new traditional enemy" Poland
The promise given by Hitler tt
the Polish government, that Ger
many would not try to rectify hel
eastern frontier by force, made
the obtrusive Polish Corridor dan
ger recede into the background
Her friendly relations with Pc
land, some commended, might en-
able Germany to concentrate hel
attention on other regions, such
as the Ukraine and Balkans.
| ALIENATED SOVIET
Indeed. the alleged designs OF
Hitler on Soviet Ukraine caused
the Soviet government to turn It's
back on Germany and seek friends
among France and Ter allies. The
Soviets were met more than half
way by Poland, Rumania, Czecho-
slovakia and Jugoslavia, all Of
which signed peace pacts with the
Soviets last August. Turkey was
both a party to these pacts and
the intermediary in bringing them
about.
Russia's approach to these Slav
states, coupled with the recent i'm
provement of relations between
Jugoslavia and Bulgaria, caused
some jealous commentators to
speak and write of a revival Of
pan-Slavism. But to assume that
the Soviet regime intends to adopt
the aims and methods of Czarist
Russia in the Balkans is utterly
to ignore the anti-imperialist pol
lev of Moscow. It is precisely be.
cause the Balkan countries are
convinced that Russia does not
covet an inch Of their soil that
they are turning towards Moscow
in a spirit of friendship after 16
wears of mingled suspicion and
hostility.