In 48 Hours

Representatives of the Little Entente* (Dr. Benes, Foreign Minister of Czecho-Slovakia; M. Jon Duca, Foreign Minister of Rumania; M.

Montchilo Nintchitch, Foreign Minister of Yugo-Slavia) held a 48-hour meeting in Belgrade, capital of Yugo-Slavia.

Discussions were on the relations of the Little Entente with Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland.

As usual, dissatisfaction with Hungary was evinced by Rumania; Dr.

Benes, however, exercised a moderating influence on his colleagues. M.

Nintchitch brought the attention of the conference upon Bulgaria, whose attitude, he claimed, did not make for peace in Macedonia; M. Duca, in this instance, put the moderation damper on his colleague's ardor. Recognition of the Soviet Government of Russia was left to the individual action of members of the Entente. Discussion on the Great Powers of Europe was confined to political considerations.

In the case of Italy, however, it was announced that an important treaty was about to be signed between her and Yugo-Slavia, settling the Fiume dispute and putting "their entire political and commercial relations on a satisfactory basis."

Complete agreement and cordiality marked the proceedings of the conference, which in a short time was considered to have settled some questions of paramount importance. The next meeting of the Entente will be held in June and July at Prague, capital of Czecho-Slovakia.

*The Little Entente is only "little" as compared with its counterpart, the Entente Cordiale. Actually its three members have a total population of more than 43,000,000, an area of 373,657 square miles, a regular army of more than 500,000 men. Compare France with a population of 39,000,000, 212,659 square miles (France proper), a regular army of about 335,000 in France proper.

(There were nearly double this number under arms owing to the military commitments of France in the Ruhr and elsewhere.)