Evening star., 1934-10-10
BY EUGENE J. YOUNG.

BY EUGENE J. YOUNG.
Assassination Of King Alexander
Of YugoslaVia and Foreign Minister
Barthou Of France has exploded
mine under the European political
situation at a moment when it was
at critical stage.
Alexander'S visit to France involved
enormous issues. They we're: % Re
newed life or destruction for the
Little Entente. composed of Ru-
mania, Yugoslavia and Czecho-
slovakia. ~ Ending or continuation
of the bitter Yugoslav-Italian feud.
| 90 The possibility or impossibility of
a Franco-Italian accord. a. Strength
ening or breaking Of the Iron ring"
around Germany.
For the last few months King
Alexander had been playing a daring
diplomatic game which had set all
Europe by the ears.
When Russia and France formed
their entente and undertook to Or
ganlZe the Balkans against German
aggreSSiveneSS under a no-aggreSSion
treaty, Alexander baked. He not only
refused to enter the combination, but
he refused to recognize Soviet Russia.
Refused independence Guarantee.
He broke with the Little Entente
and with France and Italy on the
proposal to guarantee the independ-
ence of Austria and Hungary.
He opposed an Italian march into
Austria to protect him even to the
extent Of mobilizing his army and
threatening war, and he permitted a
renewal of the bitter press campaign
| against Italy, which resulted in a stern
warning from Mussolini. He also per-
mitted Austrian Nazi refugees TO keep
themselves modified on the border at
points where they could easily cross
into Austria in case Of another NaA
putsch.
In addition by brilliant stroke of
diplomacy, he ended the Yugoslav-
: Bulgarian feud and formed an entente
with Bulgaria He thus detached from
Italy the ally on the east that had
been depended on by Mussolini to keep
YugoSlavia always in danger and
! strengthened his own position against
| Italy and the Little Entente foE the
purposes he had in view.
Seen Pawn in German Plan.
In Rome, Paris and London these
developments were seen as part of
Germany's drive to break the iron
ring" around her. They accompanied
| growing evidences of the break of
Poland with France and further ce-
menting of German-Polish friend
| ship. Also they were paralleled by the
activities of Minister Franz Won Papen
at Vienna in working for detachment
of Hungary from Italy. and for recon-
clliation Of Austria and Germany. The
formation Of new and powerful
Central European combination was
feared by all the neighboring powers.
France and Italy, with the benevo-
lent aid of Britain. have been trying
to keep the ring tight around Ger
many. While neither Rome nor Lon
don particularly cared for the Little
Entente, they did not want to see il
broken at this time and they Joined
in trying to get YugoSlavia to re-
main within it. They joined in at
tempts to form some sort of Danubian
combination which would include
Austria and Hungary and bind those
nations to oppose a German advance
derstanding between the chief Op-
pOnents Of German expansion. In
pursuance of that. M. Barthou COM
mitted France to a reconciliation with
Italy and the effort to effect one had
proceeded so far that Premier Musso-
lini was able TO announce last Sum-
day that an accord was in prospect
and might be concluded this month.
Tried to Solve Unrest.
Yugoslavia stood in the way of this
accord. The enmity between that
country and Italy must be abated be-
fore France could line up the Little
Entente on his side and make terms
with Rome. So Alexander was in
vited to visit Paris.
What France was going to offer him
to bring him back into accord with
the little entente and 10 reconcilia-
tion with Italy has not been revealed,
but the negotiations must have
reached a concrete form else the royal
visit would not have taken place.
Now the whole situation is blown
into the utmost confusion. In Yugo-
slavia there will have to be some sort
VI IeSSLCy 70 carry OH LOT HIIlCe
Peter. the boy heir to the throne
There will be a great conflict over the
choice and afterwards, for there are
bitter factions in the land. The army
has been able to enforce a dictator
ship largely because of the strength
and popularity of Alexander. With
his personality removed, intrigue will
be let loose. The dangerous differ
ences between the Roman Catholic
CroatS of the Adriatic and the Greek
Church Serbs are bound to rise again
In such circumstances Yugoslav
foreign policy will be hard to deter
mine for some time to come and COM
binations in which that nation must
figure will be hard to make.
In France. also. there must be time
for readjustment. Barthou was a
strong man who led the nation his
way. Whether his successor will have
the strength and ability to bring
order in a shattered situation remains
| to be seen.