The reconstruction of South-Eastern Europe

XI

COMMERCIAL POSSIBILITIES WITH THE SOUTHERN SLAV STATE

Many signs are at hand that Great Britain will never return to her pre-war “ splendid isolation; ’’ her vital interests are in Europe, and she must pay greater attention than heretofore to European affairs. The Southern Slav State in South-Eastern Europe, like Belgium in the North-West, is a key country. Having from the British point of view the greatest analogy with Belgium, the Southern Slav State must be the object of Great Britain’s special care. It will not be enough to help the unity and independence of the Serbo-Croats and Slovenes, but it will be necessary to assist them economically and politically in making their country a prosperous State, in order to be able to fulfil the function of a strong barrier against any design for conquest coming from the North or the East. In protecting the British Channel from German command Belgium was an ideal country. But Belgium had a serious disadvantage, she was too weak and powerless to resist the German onslaught. This mistake must not be repeated in the Balkans.

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