The Battle for the Balkans
Herr von Papen has returned to Turkey in time to hear the news of the ratification of the Anglo-Franco-Turkish Pact by the National Assembly. There is probably not very much that he can do in Ankara to forward the German cause except in the sphere of trade, and there Germany is handi- capped as she is in the Balkan countries by the difficulty of sending goods in payment. Four members of the German trade delegation in Belgrade have just left, apparently because Yugoslavia will not deliver the agreed quantities of materials until Germany overtakes her arrears in payments in kind. In none of the Balkan countries, except possibly Bulgaria, have German arguments the same cogency that they had a month or two ago. Italy is making progress in her plans for securing a larger share in Balkan trade ; and just as the Balkan countries themselves now stand more in dread of Russia than of Germany, so, too, Italy recognises Russian influence in those countries as the factor likely most to stand in her own way. Italian sensi- bility on this score is revealed in general Press attacks on Russia's pretensions to be the guardian of the peace in the Balkans—a mission, it is claimed, which belongs to " the Italy of Mussolini."
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