Evening star., 1937-01-24
LITTLE ENTENTE FADES
AS BALKANS COALESCE
CzechosIovakia Is Eased Out of Picture
While Five States Bury
Old Feuds.


League of Nations. as 1t would have
done a year earlier; neither did it
mobilize nor send notes to Sofia ac-
cusing the Bulgarian government Of
responsibility in these raids. It merely
strengthened the border garrisons,
provided them with block-houses and
quietly beat off the incursions Of the
commitadjis. This had a twofold
effect on the other Balkan states: 1t
proved that Yugoslavia was powerful
enough to resist an attack from out
side, and it also showed that the Bal
kan states could take care of their
problems without the assistance Of
western brokers'"
Few Social Problems.
From that time on, Balkan diplo-
mats strove to form their own alliance.
The countries of the Balkan bloc have
few social problems. Mostly they
are peasant nations, with enough
foodStuffS to take care of themselves
and young, but sufficiently devel-
oped. industry to meet the immediate
needs of their people. No longer are
the problems of the western world
theirs. they have nothing to do with
the struggle for raw materials. and
with the problem of Communism
versus Fascism, which threaten the
peace of the rest of Europe They
are-temporiarily at least-satisfied
with their present territorial setup
and see no reason for becoming in
volved in another world conflict.
The pact which tied the Balkan
nations together in the original Little
Entente agreement provided for mu-
tual military assistance only in case
the treaty of Trianon were violated
by a third power-Hungary. Their
diplomatic relations with other ma
tions are not governed by a common
policy. Yugoslavia, for example. has
no relations with the SovietS, while
Czechoslovakia and Rumania have.
On the other hand. when the situa-
ton between Yugoslavia and Italy
was at its worst. Rumania was on
cordial terms with Mussolini.
Now more than ever the relations
between the various nations of the
Balkan bloc, which is supplanting the
Entente, with outside nations is a
matter of indifference to the bloc IT.
self. The main interest of the COM
ponent states is to prevent their be-
coming party in the general Euro
pean melee. And, for this reason, it
is interesting to note that Czechoslo-
vakia has been eased out of this new
political constellation.
Used to Be Leading Member.
When the Little Entente vas Gre
ated. Czechoslovakia was one of the
leading members. The Little Entente
was a group of three nations strad-
ding between Western and Eastern
Europe, with Czechoslovakia as the
pivotal power. The new formation,
which includes almost exclusively ma
tions of the Balkans (Rumania and
Yugoslavia sometimes are considered
as Central European states), is afraid
to invite a country like Czechoslo-
vakia, which is purely Central Euro
pean and in more imminent danger
of being involved in war. The move
of DR.. Benes to tie his country def
nitely to France and the Soviets by
military offensive and defensive al.
lance has frightened the other men,
berS of the agreement. The Little
Entente continues to eXist-in name,
at least-but should CZechoslovakia
become involved in a war with Ger
many, for instance, it is hardly con-
ceivable that she will receive more
than moral support from her two
partners to the south.
This new political combination of
nations no longer has as its chief
aim the maintenance of the postwar
treaties. It's principal endeavor is to
maintain a status quo in its own sec
tion of Europe, and prevent its COM
ponent parts becoming involved in a
European war which is not of their
own making.
FriendlineSs toward France, of
course, is one of the cardinal points,
as is the maintenance of cordial rela-
tons with Great Britain. But that
does not preclude maintaining equally
amicable relations with Germany and
Italy. Moreover. the friendliness toward
France does not mean that these ma
tions are willing to follow that re-
public in any adventure The Balkan
bloc is determined to keep out of a
European conflict as long as the terri
torial integrity of its members is not
endangered. They fully realize that
it will be difficult to keep out of trouble
once a war starts in the West. But
they intend to join the melee only
when it becomes inevitable and then,
they hope, their intervention will be
the determining factor in the conflict.
For the time being, the nations of
southern central Europe look for
peace, and there is smile on the lips
of their statesmen when they talk
about Balkanized Western Europe. The
stable element in the old world. they
say. no longer is France. Great Britain.
Germany or Italy-it is that corner
east of the Danube which heretofore
used to be called the powder barrel of
Europe.
tCopyright 1877