THE DANUBIAN STATES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22173, 29 July 1935, Page 8

THE DANUBIAN STATES

A further move has been made to stabilise conditions among the States created or affected by the breakingup of pre-war Austria-Hungary, and for convenience known as the Danubian States. Recent endeavours to reach this end, which has important possibilities in the general pacification of Europe, date back to the Stresa Conference of April. At that gathering, attended by Britain, France and Italy, the desire of the States governed by the Treaties of Neuilly and Trianon—Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria—for a revision of the military clauses of the two war settlements was discussed. It was decided that the other States concerned should be informed of what was on foot, and be asked to examine the position with a view to a settlement by mutual agreement within the framework of general and regional guarantees of security. Since then there has been a considerable amount of sectional discussion of the issues. The desire of Hungary and Bulgaria to increase their armed strength has been regarded with suspicion, since both are discontented with their boundaries. However, a conference of the four Powers most concerned, Czecho-Slovakia, Yugoslavia, Rumania and Greece, held early in May, showed a disposition to agree with the new proposition, provided Hungary and Bulgaria would join them in a pact of nonaggression and mutual assistance. At much the same time Austria, Hungary and Italy met in conference at Venice, and, though clear-cut decisions were not reported from that gathering, the outlook was regarded as promising well for a general and complete agreement. Now Italy and France have issued draft proposals for a pact to assure Austrian independence, and to guarantee non-interference by any of the signatories in the affairs of any other. The very brief cabled summary does not indicate complete coincidence with the conditions previously discusSed, but some of the elements are there. In any event, general acceptance should help toward that elimination of unrest which must be a preliminary to real recovery by the Danubian States.