Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-09-26

In diplomacy Lnere are no 1rlenOS,
nations are classified only as enemies
and greater enemies. Two enemies,
France and Italy, have decided to
hide their knives behind their backs
and shake hands in temporary COM
mon cause against the greater enemy,
Germany.
This move has been expected ever
since the assassination of Dollfuss. A
hard feeling has existed between
the outstanding problems status
Of italian citizens in Tunis, the ques-
ton of naval parity, the Italian ex-
pansion in North Africa as far as
Lake Tchad and other such ques-
tions-can wait for a solution in the
distant. future. They do not affect
the welfare of either country immedi-
ately
But Germdnys tendency to de-
Delop economically toDdrd the
Ddnubidn basin, and the probd-
bility that the plebtscite which uill
be held in the Sadr region Uill
giue that rich country back to
Hitler, are problems Which make
Germany the greater enemy. Hence
the decision of II Duce and the
French government to let bygones
be bygones-for the time being at
ledSt-dnd stick together until
these immediate problems are
SolUed
Otto May Move.
Barthou, the French foreign min
lister, is going to Rome some time
early in october to participate in the
love feast Mussolini wants to give
him. A good many speeches harping
on the racial affinity of the two coun-
tries will be exchanged, and incident
ally little Otto of Hapsburg will again
pack his bag to return to Austria
under MusSolini's wing.
The young prince has had bad luck
recently. Every time his mother told
him to have the gold braid on his
uniforms polished and the moth balls
taken out of his gorgeous furs, some
thing happened and he had to stay
where he was.
This time Empress ZitG thinks
that the return OF her son to
Vienna and eventually to Budd-
pest is a cinch. Mussolini has
promised to obtain Bdrthou's un-
equiDocaI OK. to the restoration
OF the Hdpsburgs, and there is no
doubt that the Frenchman will
giUe it.
II Duce can give something OF
greater value in exchange. Italy has
heretofore sided with Germany on
the necessity of that country being
allowed to re-arm Now that Hitler
has been a bad boy and has annoyed
Mussolini, Italy's dictator has decided
to change his tune and to agree with
the French that the Versailles treaty
must be fully enforced, as far as Ger
many's re-armament is concerned.
Otto will climb on the Hapsburg
throne with Barthou and MuSsolini
holding the ladder. He need no longer
fear the objections of Yugoslavia and
Czechoslovakia.
Deal Typical Oriental
The Russian Japanese bargain over
the sale of the Eastern railway is a
typical Oriental deal. They have
agreed to agree" until something else
can be found on which they can dis
agree more gracefully. They shouted
war" for over year, but nobody took
them very seriously; now they shout
peace" with the same fervor and
are not taken more seriously than be-
fore.
The antagonism between the jap
anese and the Russians has such deep
causes that they cannot be solved
merely by an agreement of the Rus
slams to sell their share in the Chinese
railways But in this chaotic political
situation one has to be thankful for
small mercies and there is no doubt
that the Franco-Italian rapproche-
ment and the sale of the railway to
Manchuokuo eases the somewhat inter-
national situation.