IMPORTANT EVENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1934, Page 9

IMPORTANT EVENTS

REGROUPING OF EUROPE

Signor Suvioh, on his arrival in Budapest, stated that "while rejoicing at finding himself once more in Hungary, he regretted that it was not the greater Hungary, but only ■ a mutilated one," reports the diplomatic correspondent of the ;London ; '.'Daily Telegraph" under date February 23. The significance of this remark is fully recognised in London diplomatic circles. /

It conveyed, with characteristic terseness, the Duce's retort to the recent statement in the French Press of M. Titulesco, the Rumanian Foreign Minister. ••'■•,.-

In that statement M. Tituleseo asserted that Dr. Dollfiiss ana his supporters, are now almost wholly, dopendent for' their maintenance upon Italian assistance. The price they would have to pay would be acquiescence in Italy's plan, for the creation of an. Austro-Hungaro-Italian combination—economic in.tho first place, but later political. Perhaps it^ is not too much to say that the remark, attributed to Signor Suvieh in Budapest may have farreaching consequences on the European chess-board, apart from giving a new fillip to Hungarian revisionist claims. RUMANIA AND YUGOSLAVIA. On the jAiistrian question Euniania and Yugoslavia are' now. definitely aligned with the opponents of Italian policy in the Middle Danube, and, therefore, in sympathy with Germany. Their partner in the Little Entente— Czechoslovakia—is thus placed, like France, in ah embarrassing position. She, too, is afraid of Italian influence at Vienna and Budapest. But, owing to the geographical position, she is even more, afraid of Germany, and of. an Austro-German merger, which would entail, more especially in view of her largo and prosperous German minority, her complete encirclement, economic and political, by a-greater Germany. For this reason, although pre-emi-nently a democratic, if not a socialdemocratic State, she would resign herself to a Fascist Austria as a lessor evil than an Austro : German reunion. She would demur vigorously only to a Habsburg Bestoration. For the time being, therefore, she will continue to follow Prance •in collaborating with Italy; whereas Eumania and Yugoslavia are, in effect, summoning Prance not to support Italy! The difficulties before France are not lessened by the consideration that Poland has now made it clear that she intends to remain strictly neutral in tho Austro-German dispute. What is really now 'beginning to take shape is a wholesale regrouping of the leading European Powers.