TROUBLE AND INTRIGUE

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 April 1936, Page 5

TROUBLE AND INTRIGUE

SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE. The Czechoslovakian Premier, Dr. Hodza, left. Prague recently for Belgrade. Although the Yugoslavs are a suspicious people, Dr. Hodza can count on a warm reception in Belgrade, wrote the Vienna correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian.” Unfortunately the optimism which was registered after the journey made by Dr. Schuschnigg, the Austrian Chancellor, to Prague has somewhat receded. The Austro-Czechoslovakian trade negotiations which were started as a result of Dr. Schuschnigg’s journey are not proceeding favourably, and the leader of the Czechoslovakian delegation left Vienna, apparently to get new instructions. It is asserted that the negotiations will be continued after his return. The Austro-Rumanian commercial relations have also been in difficulties lately. If Czechoslovakia and Rumania which in principle are more favourably inclined towards the ideal of Central European co-operation, have difficulties in arranging their commerce with Austria, it is obvious that with Yugoslavia it will be even harder for Austria to come to terms. While Italy regarded with growing alarm Austria’s improving relations with the Little Entente, the Austrian

! Foreign Minister’s journey to Florence, where he had conversations with 1 Signor Suvich, has caused new distrust towards Austria in Belgrade. (GERMAN PROPAGANDA Moreover, German propaganda is strong in Belgrade, where it reaches very high quarters. Though even the . army is affected by this propaganda, • it is believed that in case of war, Yugoslavia would need France more than she did Germany. France has ■ been unpopular in Yugoslavia ever since the Marseilles murders, and , she has also failed to carry out promi ises she made to compensate the [ Yugoslavs for losses suffered through Sanctions. , On the other hand, the hopes held | l by the Yugoslavs for an increased i trade with Germany have not been [ fulfilled, and the Germans have also . accumulated debts in Yugoslavia amounting to £3,000,000. [ it is obvious, therefore, that there ; are still great obstacles in the way of . co-operation in the Danubian terri- - tory. Political suspicions, intrigues, ; and propaganda are still constituting > a great impediment towards better re- - lations. In spite of these obstacles the more optimistic students believe - that Dr. Hodza’s journey may considerably help to allay at least part of 5 the Yugoslav suspicions. K j The economic conference of the Liti tie Entente will meet, in Prague, and

the experts of the three countries will [ tor the first time analyse the possijnli- I ties of co-operation with countries out-1 side the Little Entente. If the Little Entente's economic re-j lations with Austria are still expert-1 encing difficulties it is probably a poor [ consolation that Austro-Hungarian I trade relations have also been handi- j capped recently and that the semi-' official “Pester Lloyd” had to com- i plain that Austria was buying Russian J wheat instead of Hungarian, as she i promised to do in the Rome Treaty, j The Austrian Government organ, the “Oesterreischische Zeitung,” denied I that Austria had acted in an, unfriendly spirit in this matter, and' said that Austria had paid 3/- a quintal more for Hungarian wheat than was agreed in the Rome Treaty. The paper also says that Austro-Hungarian trade relations would be resumed in March. One must also register the report of the Hungarian papers that the Polish Premier intends to visit ..Budapest in the near future and that Colonel Beck, the Polish Foreign Minister, will visit Belgrade. There is, however, no confirmation available of these two reports.