LITTLE ENTENTE: New Great Power?

Always busy is the brain of Dr. Eduard Benes, “Europe’s Smartest Little Statesman,” perpetual Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia and recently the League’s successful arbiter between Persia and Great Britain in their squabble over oil (TIME, Feb. 13). Last week Dr. Benes sprang something new: the abrupt and solid interlocking of three small European states into what may soon be considered a Great Power. Angry German editors even gave it a name: “RUMANOJUGO-SVAKIA.”

Rumania, Jugoslavia and Czechoslovakia have long been loosely associated in the so-called “Little Entente.” At Geneva last week Foreign Minister Nicolas Titulescu of Rumania and Foreign Minister Boske Yevtitch of Jugoslavia signed with Foreign Minister Dr. Benes of Czechoslovakia a joint treaty of military, political and economic alliance running without limit. “It is eternal!” cried Dr. Benes. “It provides our countries at last with a stable, organic base.”

In their official communique Statesmen Benes, Yevtitch & Titulescu used if possible even stronger language. “In order to mark sharply the transformation of the [Little] Entente into an international community having a distinct personality.” they declared, “the three Foreign Ministers have decided that every political treaty of each State of the Entente, every unilateral act changing the existing political situation of one of the Entente States toward an outside State, as well as every economic agreement involving important political consequences require henceforth the unanimous consent of the Council of the Entente.”

Subject to ratification of the treaty by the three Parliaments concerned, the Council of the Entente will set up a permanent secretariat in Geneva. Typically Benes was the smart decision that whichever one of the three little states happens to have a seat on the Council of the League of Nations at a given time will act with full powers for the other three. Thus, compared to other small nations who reach the League Council only at long intervals, each member of the Little Entente is assured of what will approach a permanent seat, something possessed today by only five Great Powers: France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan.

Italian Backfire. Dr. Benes, to whom the arts & wiles of propaganda are second nature, was accused last week of turning to France (longtime ally of the Little Entente countries) to produce a sensation which would divert Europe from his deed.

The sensation burst when French newsorgans scareheaded a secret alliance between Italy, Germany and Hungary. This alliance was declared “already complete” on the alleged authority of former Premier Edouard Herriot who was said to have laid secret information before the French Chamber Foreign Affairs Committee.

Promptly from Rome, Premier Benito Mussolini backfired. “Such reports would not be worth the trouble of denial,” he officially declared, “had they not been discussed before the Foreign Affairs Committee in Paris. The published reports are pure inventions, from the ground up!”

Next day the whole Fascist Press lashed out with revelations of a secret note, jointly dispatched by the British and French Governments to Vienna on Feb. 11 and requiring the Austrian Government to return to Italy a shipment of 50,000 rifles and 200 machine guns now being “repaired” at Hirtenberg in Austria and allegedly destined for Hungary by the Italian shippers.

“In the violence of the language of the Franco-British note one may easily recognize the work of the Little Entente, for which France continues to act as patroness!” cried Giornale d’Italia. “This is an attempt violently and undeservedly to humiliate Austria!”

Ardent Teuton longings for a union with Italy (and “revenge” on France) caused German newsorgans of all sorts to chime in. “The French treat the Chancellor of Austria like a Negro chieftain!” stormed Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung. “Nobody protested,” cried the Catholic Reichspost, “when in 1932 Czechoslovakia sent to Jugoslavia through Austria enough arms alone to equip several army corps!” Amid frenzied pother the Austrian Cabinet of Chancellor Dollfus tottered, and excited Europe scarcely had time to be alarmed last week by sly Dr. Benes’ new Great Power.