Balkan Banker

France, hardly able to make ends meet, is to lend Yugo-Slavia 300,000,000 francs ($18,135,000). This step was decided by the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Chamber of Deputies.

Recently the French Government advanced 400,000,000 francs ($24,180,000) to Poland.

The reason for these loans is that France has particular interests to safeguard in Balkanized Europe. The loan to Yugo-Slavia not only stimulates the Little Entente, but helps French trade coming from the Near and Middle East. The loan to Poland contained a definite sub rosa military understanding that Poland was to assist France in case of attack by either Russia or Germany; or, in other words, she was to act the part of Belgium in North-Eastern Europe.