OCR Text |
Show x Europe too long paying the price in war and revolution, death and destruction. If no wonder their countries are undeveloped and - their peoples poverty-stricken. The real hope of the Balkan nations for peace and progress lies not so much in the influence in-fluence and protection of the great powers as in themselves. An Italian-sponsored Balkan entente might save them today from Russian or German aggression, but tomorrow who will save them from Italian aggression T Their best answer would be to settle their individual differences, join hands In a strong defensive alliance, and then cut loose from all the apron strings tying them to great powers. Rumania, at present the most vulnerable and menaced of the group, would have to make some concessions to Hungary and Bulgaria In' return for the security such an alliance would offer. But It would be a cheap price to pay. Hungary would have to sever ties with Germany and Italy; Jugoslavia with Italy; Rumania with Britain and France; Bulgaria with Russia; Greece with Britain. Once freed of these entangling and war-provoking war-provoking alliances, and united for defense, the Balkan nations, with a total population popula-tion of some 55,000,000, would be a force for any aggressor to reckon, with. Their combined com-bined armies, freed of the threat ef conflict on common Balkan frontiers, could concentrate really lmnrtiBlvitrejgthnn-ironUeri facing, the major powers. Invasion would then promise to prove such a costly adventure that it would be very unlikely even the most sanguine san-guine power would attempt It. NAZI BLUFF Germany warns Sweden and Norway to cut off their assistance to Finland on pain of running into trouble with the relch. Bunk! What do the nazls expect Sweden and Norway to do twiddle their thumbs while Russia Rus-sia gobbles up Finland and then moves on to capture or dominate the whole Scandinavian peninsula? Sweden and Norway can only be conquered once. They might as well risk the German bluff as give In supinely to the mere threat of force and thus have the reality Itself on their doorstep. United Balkans Would Ba Sacura ITALY Is reported making strenuous at- tempts to straighten out tangled Balkan national rivalries in order to present a united - front against Russian (and German, too, although al-though Italy soft-pedals that phase of It) aggression. For the sake of world peace, a strong Balkan Bal-kan bloc would be excellent That corner of Europe has been the breeding ground of trouble lar the world for a good many years. Although not all the blame for the situation can be visited en the nations themselves, still the fundamental fun-damental responsibility is theirs. The major powers of Europe Britain, France, Germany, Russia and Italy have for years fostered the rivalry and animosity of the Balkan nations for each other, using them as pawna In the great game of European power politics. The Balkan nations have been fools to per-at per-at Kj Thejr have played a suckers game In |