Reconstruetiorn—Reconstruction is muct simpler in the Balkans then in countries highly developed industrially like Belgium, France or Austria, because the population is stiH small enougt to maintain itself without a very compli cated organization. In the Balkans there ex isted neither a great aggregation of factory machinery to be carried off or destroyed as was the case in Belgium and in France, nor any highly articulated organization to derange by stopping production and kjlitur large numbers of stieciany trained men. The total prostration of Austna following the war illustrates the point under discussion as dots also the condi tion of the Bancan stetes during the same pe riod. Austria needed food and raw materials from abroad to rehabilitate her industries while the chief wealth of the Balkans consists to-day as formerly in agricultural products raised from year to year. Rumania and Serbia at the close of the war were about thoroughly stripped of the necessaries of life. In the towns people went without the most ordinary comforts — soap, thread, leather-goods, cloth and particu larly everything manufactured out of metal. In the villages life apparently had not been changed to any great extent mostly beciuise its simplicity did not adtnit of change.
In the months following the close of the fighting many persons started to death and more would have perished had it not been for the relief afforded by the American Food Commis sion and Red Cross. This must not lead us to suppose that these organizations saved the countries in question from complete starvation and Bolsheviam. When there is a shortage of food, they reduce their already simple civiliza tions to still lower terms.
In the year following Me close of the war the remarkable thing to note was that although many communities had lost practically ail their draft animals and such rude farm implements as they possessed, in spite of mobilization and a pinching shortage of both Rumania and Serbia managed to plant and harvest fairly large crops. In the raonths just preceding the harvest season the most extreme want existed all over Rumania, Serbia, Montenegro and Al bania. Plenty of grain was harvested and much of it was available for export. A short age of fats was pronounced but in these coun tries the poorer people always lack fats. Ru mania, for example, has more pellagra than any other country in Europe. Americans have a tendency. to overlook this superior resiliency of simple civilizations which are not mecharuzed to the extent that they are.
By the time Europe shall have resumed its fun productive capacity industrially the Balkans will also have practically recovered their pre war appearance (in fact none of them but Jugo slavia and Rumania really lost it). The great problem of European reconstruction here in volved particularly affects the Balkan states be cause their population, while it has outgrown its primitive peasant stage, has not become in dustrially self-supporting. However, while
Europe remains more or less crippled industri ally, It is safe to say that tht Batitans suffer less than the former great industrial centres of Europe.
The Race Problem.— Balkan race problems can be settled only by a general and naturally slow growth of tolerance. Re-drawing the botmdaries in Macedonia and Thrace has not soived the race problem because, as in most of the other disputed regions, the different races are settled by communities or villages and these hopelessly mixed up. In the lands allotted to Serbia from the former kingdom of Hungary are many communities of Magyars, Germans, Rumanians, and Jews as well as Serbs. In the new Rumanian lands are not only the same mix tures in different proportions, but in Bukowina are found Ruthenes as well, and in southern Bessarabia exists as variegated an assortment as in Macedonia itself. For territoty to change hands is generally bad in Itself, especially when it has remained a long time in the possession of one state. An official language is adopted; pos tal, railroad and other officials of the new gov ernment assume their posts and schools get under way. In the Balkans, therefore, a change of allegiance means a change of language, and this in turn involves the dismissal of a great part of the trained personnel, a serious matter in countries where illiteracy is general. The race problem of the Balicans can best be met by a reasonable set of boundaries with a fair de; gree of permanency. arid sufficient governmen: tal liberality in dealing with alien conmuntities to make those boundaries tolerable. It must not be supposed, however, that such a course will put an end to the race prookim although it would do much to lessen fnction arising there. from.
Ykonotnio and Military Problem.— The race problem does not stand alone in the way of a peaceable settlement of Balkan ills; there are other elements, especially those of *a niili tary and economic nature, which enter into the problem and add to its complexity. . With Tur key to the south, Hungary to the north and a mountain wall between them and the Adriatie, there was before 1913 little incentive -or occa.. sion for the Ballcan governinents to further the economic and commercial status of their coun, tries, and they busied themselve.s 'chiefly with military affairs, politics and intrigue. In 1919 the jealousies between the states were particu larly keen because the settlements ordered front Paris pretended to a certain finality and each state was amdous not ,to get, the worst of an irrevocable judgment. . .