Evening star., 1942-07-28
Hull Watches INTRIGUE
OF Swallowed Nations
For Post Place
Pressure Groups in U. S.
Seek to Influence
Pottern in Europe
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

ture nature OF the countries selZeC
and swallowed through high-pres-
sure diplomacy by Germany anc
italy and, in the case of the three
Baltic republics and the Northern
Rumanian provinces, by Soviet
Russia.
Secretary OF State Hull tacitly
acknowledged this problem yester.
day when he reiterated at his press
conference that the United States
following its policy of not recogniz.
ing changes of territory accom-.
plished by force, has never recog-
nised the anschluss by which Ger
many annexed the Austrian Repub-
lie in the spring of 1898.
Because the American Govern
ment commits itself no further or
the delicate question of the future
reincarnation of the swallowed
countries in their old form. govern
mentally and territorially, the
United States has become a sort
of testing ground for Centra
European political intrigues carried
on by rival factions and persons
who seek American official and pop
ular support each for his own par
ticular ambition for postwar con-
troll In the regions of doubt.
Serb Intrigue Scrutinized.
The campaign of some Serbians
for instance, aimed at the reconsti-
tuition of Yugoslavia in manner
which would make the Serbs su-
preme over the Croats and other
national groups in the country, has
been pursued in the United States
with such intensity that the Gov
ernment has begun an inquiry into
the intrigue. Minister Fotitch OF
Yugoslavia repeatedly has been in
formally questioned by this Govern
ment for enlightenment on this in
trigue, which has its active head
quarters In Pittsburgh and Gary
Ind.
The names of more than dozen
Austrian groups alone are on file
at the State Department. and each
of these groups asks for official and
popular support of its program and
ambitions. The most energetic of
the Austrians is Otto, Archduke of
Hapsburg, pretender to the throne
whose existence was wiped out by
American and Allied victory over
the Central Powers in the World
War. Otto's great-grandfather was
the Emperor Franz Josef of Austria
Hungary, whose demands on Serbia
launched the World War.
Archduke Otto is frequent caller
at the State Department and he en-
tertains members of Congress in
order to gain support for his ambi-
tion-the birth of a Danubian fed
Grafton with Hapsburg president
or king. The exile governments of
C1echoslovakia, Yugoslavia and Po-
land, parts of each of which used to
be In the Austro- Hungarian en-
pire, regard his plan as a threat to
the integrity of their countries and
Is q cloak for q new Austro- Hun
garian empire.
Causes Hamper Unity.
The archduke's first lieutenant is
Count Stefan Rott, who heads the
United Austrian Committee in New
York City, with a branch in To-
ronto, Canada. The archduke gave
his support to Thor Won Eckhardt,
who headed free Hungary group
In this country until he resigned
two weeks ago, after an attack on
the policies Of the Czecho- -slovakian
government in exile headed by Edu-
ard Benes.
The controversies incident to the
campaigns Of these various groups
have divided the loyalties of many
Americans at a time when wal
makes special demands for unity o1
outlook and thought. Won Eek.
hardt's appeals to Hungarian
Americans caused divisions between
that group and between Czech.
Americans and Slovakian Ameri'
cans. In opposition to Won Eek
hardt, q Hungarian American in.
tellectual. Rostem Vambery, set ur
another group of Hungarian-Amer
cans.
Won Eckhardt resigned from lead.
ership in his organization after Prof
Vambery repelled feeler put ou
from the State Department propos
ing an alliance between him ane
Won Eckhardt.
Religious Issue Raised.
The loyalties of Slovakian- Ameri
cans have been strained also by tn,
appeals Of Milan Hodza, who wa.
Prime Minister of the Czecho
slovakian Republic at the time o
the Munich settlement, which he op
posed. Dissatisfied with the com
position of the Benes exile govern
ment, Mr.. Hodza came to the Unite'
States last November on an immi
grants visa. and since then he ha
made a number of talks which hav
divided American -Slovakians on re
ligious grounds. Protestant VI
Catholic.
Daily pressure is applied on tn
Washington Government to take
public stand calling for the rebirt.
OF the swallowed countries in tn
shape they had before they wer
swallowed. On this point, the At
lantic Charter says only that tn
United States and Great Britai
desire to see no territorial change
that do not accord with the freel
expressed wishes of the peoples con
cerned."
Believing that the people in tn
countries should and will speak fo
themselves, the State Department
has declined to give formal recog
milton to Archduke Otto and tn
others. The European territorie
for which we recognize no govern
ments at all are:
Germany. Italy, Austria. Albania
Lithuania, Latvia. Estonia. Rumani
and Bulgaria. Among the exiles i
this country are spokesmen for var
1ous points of view about the futur
OF Germany. Italy, Austria, Albani
and Rumania. This Governmer
recognizes the diplomatic and cor