Feb. 6
The communique issued at the conclusion of the eighth session of the Balkan Entente, conference in Belgrade is of considerable importance as indicating complete agreement between the four States which comprise it, namely, Greece, "Rumania, Turkey and Yugoslavia, and there is every reason for supposing that stability will be maintained in that part of Europe for some time to come, The communique recorded the unity and common interests of the four member nations, and voiced their decision "to watch in common over the safekeeping of the right to independence and to national territory." The Conference has resulted in a diplomatic defeat for Germany, which all along had been seeking to stimulate rivalry of interests, so that out of the resulting disorder she would obtain benefits, which are at present denied her. There is now no question of increasing Entente trade exchanges with the Reich. The pressure, which Turkey brought to bear upon Bulgaria to declare that it would not press the matter of the Dobrudja until after the conclusion of the present war, had the result of considerably relieving Rumanian anxieties, while similar assurance regarding Hungary's claim on Transylvania was equally gratifying, In the absence of immediate menace from those two countries, the tendency of Rumania to swing into the German orbit was halted, and though, doubtless, she will continue to supply Germany with goods, consonant with' her status as a neutral, the probability of the Reich being able to bring pressure upon her to do more than that, has been rendered remote in the extreme, and the solidarity of the Entente has been reinforced in a manner which should secure for the Balkans stable conditions for at least another seven years.
may be within that period that Hungary and Bulgaria will be attracted towards mem~ bership in the Entente, when the question of the integrity of "national territory" shall have been settled satisfactorily all round. Such a' possibility cannot but fail to please Italy which all along has desired a tranquil Balkan Peninsula, If the Allies, and Italy are pleased over the decisions reached by the conference, Germany and Russia will certainly not be. The Entente, firmly united as they are now shown to be, will be able to present a united front against further diplomatic manguvres by Berlin and Moscow or any other form of pressure they might seck to bring to bear collectively or individually. There is still one aspect.of the matter which is not clear, and cannot be until Signor Mussolini has made a pronouncement on the subject. How far Rome would act against further German expansion of influence in the Balkans still remains to be'veen. Any attempt by Russia will apparently be resisted by the Entente with the support of Ttaly, which might in certain circumstances become material rather than moral. But the continued existence of the sadly blown upon "Rome-Berlin Axis makes it a matter of some speculation as to what the Italian attitude would be should the Reich decide to endeavour to obtain by force those larger supplies of essentials which Rumania can supply, and which she is at present refraining from placing exclusively at the disposal of Herr Hitler. The invasion and sub-frigation of Rumania by German forces would, in the first Instance, destroy the Entente, or at the least do it' considerable damage. Italian influence In the Balkans would tend to diminish just as it has in the Danubian states, and the possibility of Germany eventually finding an outlet on the Adriatic as well as the Black Sea, is not something which 1) Duce can view with any great degree of equanimity. It 1s true that the seizure last year of Albania gives Italy complete command of the entrance to the Adriatic, for which purpose it was quite patently' undertaken, but there can be no gainsaying the fact that Germany on the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.