During the sessions of the Peace Conference in 1919-20 these rivalries were exemplified bv the numerous claims laid before that body by the Balkan states. For instance, Macedonia and Thrace, with their seaport Salonica, were sought to be isternationtilized. These regioirs constitute one of the chief economic keys to the whole central Balkan region, of an ineereat at least equal to Constantinople itself to this,par ticular section. A fertile strip of South Do brudja of prime military importance was claimed by. both Bulgaria and Rumania. The former claimed that if awarded to Rumania the latter would threaten the RestchukNarna Rail way and the chief Bulgarian pert; while ,Rai mania claimed that with this, strip in the hands of Bulgaria the latter nation would be within easy striking distance of the Tchornavoda. Constanza Railway to the only port of Rumania which is ice-free. Both sides argued with his torical phrases and presented more or less jug* gled race statistics, but the real, reasone were chiefly military. A treaty of 1916 with, the Allies gave Rumania the advantage here as also in the Banat to which the Jugoslays laid claim; Here too economic and military reasons were of almost equal importance with the racial.
The chief objection of both Rumania. and Jugoslavia was to the proposal of the Peace Conference to limit their soverei,gnty over racial groups within their borders.
Hungary's attack on Rumania in July 1919 furnished the test case for the Ballcans of the Paris Conference's ability and determination to enforce its decisions. After a brief but' very bloody struggle, the Rumanians defeated the Soviet troops. Paris forbade the completion of this victory by the occupation of the Hungarian capital. This proscription the Rumanian army ignored, placed Budapest and eastern Hungary under martial law and requisitioned some 60,000 tons of materials. (This figure is not large, relatively — it is less than 5 per cent of what the Hungarians removed from Rumania during their two years' occupation). The big powers in charge of the Paris Conference apparently did not have the huu.dred thousand or so of available soldiers required to make a sezions demonstration in Hungairy; so the Bal kans witnessed their failure. to coerce either their enemies or their Allies. .The Rumanians offered to. witlx1raw if the Conference could send 'enough troops for police. .It became mor ally impossible to use Italian troops in the Baikal* when D'Annunzio took possession of Fiume in defiance of the,Conference, and the Italian, governinent was -evidently not able to nialre- therm obey that body. The United States Senate +riled to ratify die.pelace treaty, Japan was too. distant •to be •considered, and French diplomata showed no.great hostility to the claims of. either sister -Latin power. Territorial am bitions being Satisfied or laid, aside as impossible, chauvinism will inevitably weaken for lack of focussed attention and the Ballcan goverrunents can and Must at last tarn their attention to the developinent and Modernization of their re spective. countries.
Greeee.—.Greete was tranquil for the most part during 1919, perhaps because she had not the same immediate.cauee for concern over the
settlement as had other Balkan states. Very little of her territory was devastated in the war. She is. a maritime power, and hence was the first to-be.apened up to foreign trade after the armistice. She entered the war late, so that her human losses were small compared with those of Serbia or Rumania. The most im portant fact -of all was that she remained financially solvent —Greek. money being. ex changed at uniformly higher rates than either French or Italian, at least during 1919.
Albania.— Albania lacks wholly a govern mental system and ita probable fate for a decade or more, will be to remain under a mandate to one of the great powers. In this country there is a woful lack of communications and while the Population is rather homogeneous as to race, it is divided among . three religious faiths — Greek-Orthodox, Idoharrunedan and Roman Catholic— a potent source of friction in a back ward state.
Bulgaria,— Bulgaria's payment of 2,2-50, 000,000 francs under the provisions of the peace treaty does not seriously zne-nace her financial solvency. The country was not devastated, and still contains incredible amounts of goods and livestock— a. good deal of this of Rumanian and- Serbian origin. It. is a country of amall proprietors. The people are of sturdy stock, in dustrions and frugal, more favorably situated than were the French in 1870. Both the recent war.and the most unfor.tunate one of 1913 are charged to the late King Ferdioand, who was a large factor in malting the surprisingly liberal constitution, on paper, less so m practice. Both Bulgaria and Serbia have for years had single chamber 'legislatures, elected by proportional representation. After Greece, Bulgaria probably will be the first Balkan country to recover from the war.. .
Serbia.— Serbia lost over half of her men in the war —about a fourth of the entire popula tion. For all of Jugoslavia as at present con stituted, about oue-tenth of the population per ished. To the Serbian national debt of $40,M, 000 in the fall of 1915 have been added about $600,000,000 more by borrowings during the exile, while the, country was being laid waste, Besides this, $500,000,000 and more in debts, the Jugoslays, formerly belonging, to the Dual. Monarchy must assume their proportion of the Austro-Hungarian obligations, This is a crushing burden for the.new state, and one bitterly complained of. The new Democratic party (led bv MM. Pribitehevitch and Davi& ovitch), Which stood for radical agrarian re form and a thorough amalgamation of all the elements Of the nation, resigned in 1919 over the claim of the Peace Conference arid League of Nations for partial sovereignty over national minorities within Jugoslavia. After Ono fait tires, the Old RaiEcals (led by M. Protitch), managed tn form a .gorernment; but Jugoslav politics may be regar ed aavery unstable. The Croatian Radical party is separate from the Old or Serbiim Rudiealii. l'here is a Slovene Cativolk party (Old Serbia is Gret.k Catholic in teligion). There aratnany keelshits kr the est* Hungarian lands, and in Croatia the National Club or Party of the Right stands for .