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Battle the Balkan·S

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Battle the Balkan·S ' - ) LET OFFIC There are two possibilities. One is a part and parcel of the democratic war itself South Slav Federation comp?sed of Serbs, and that they can be of help not only in Croats, Slovenes and Bulgarians with which shortening the war greatly but in solving the other Balkan nations-Rumania, Greece a variety of problems. and Albania - would collaborate. Russia, In the matter of the terrible devastatiqn The which qoes not look sympathetically on the wrought by fascist Italian troops in the Bal­ idea of any bloc federated on the basis of kans or by satellite Bulgarian fascist groups, regionalism, favors this possibility. The the round table has agreed it is vital that other solution is a Balkan Federation, with full restitution be made· for the devastated all the Balkan peoples participating and areas. You have concurred in recommend­ BATTLE renouncing their small nationalisms in .a ing that all resources (particularly those bf federated state within a democratic frame- the Axis nations) be po9led in order· to re­ work, each country ret.aining a ~ imited .establish prosperity and help·the victimized sovereignty. The great powers must' not peoples to cope with the problems of divide the Balkan community into spheres disease, ruined property and so forth. ·for of influence; a united democratic, inde- In the matter of boundary problems the pendent community of the Balkan peoples members of the round table were of the would constitute the firmest of links be- unanimous belief that those areas which tween Russia and the rest of Europe. have ·been occupied by the Axis countries THE BALKAN·S Dolivet - May I now submit the conclu- and which have suffered so terribly from sions we have reached? The round table the enemy should be returned immediately. has, ·first of all, agreed that we must devise In other cases where there is disagreement a more precise definition of the term "Bal- about boundari'es a complete transforma­ kans," a term that up to now has been tion, both of the political philosophy and wrongly identified with a regime of corrup- of the machinery and the men responsible, tion, disorganization, inefficiency. -In reality is vital if the purposes for which we are MAR there have at times been extremely strong waging war are not to be endangered. Meas­ 9 ~ :J44 tendencies toward national independence 'in ures' must be taken which respect the will the Balkan countries; but there, as else- of the majority of the people in th9se terri­ I.. where, a minority composed of reactionary, tories before fascist usurpations. · - anti-popular forces has been able (with the You have concurred in thinking it would help in some cases of foreign powers) to be highly desirable to entrust the solution impose its regime on the people. of those problems to the democratic, pro- A ROUND TABLE The round table held divergent views gressive forces-because there is a concrete on the influence which those interventions prospect that these progressive forces can LOUIS ADAMIC • LOUIS DOLIVET • JOSEF HANC by foreign powers have had. Some members solve the problems; whereas the nationalists /. SAVA N. KOSANOVICH • BOGDAN RADITSA of the round table believe they were a will never be able to solve them because primary factor in the establishment of reac- as their point of departure they take mys­ GAETANO SALVEMINI• VICTOR SHARENKOFF tionary regimes, whereas others among you tical conceptions which in the end might ' RUSTEM VAMBERY • BASIL VLA VI.ANOS believe that these interventions were not lead to permanent conflicts. decisive.,-that within the various. countries Finally, the members of the round table J. ALVAREZ DEL VAYO th~re were local forces responsible for the have agreed that neither the Balkan coun­ establishment of reactionary regimes. tries nor the other peoples of Europe wil,l But the. round table was in complete permit Soviet Russia or any other country agreement that the United Nations must to be isolated .by a cordon sanitaire. begin now to deal with the various ~ibera- They are convinced it is to the interest tion movements; for they ·are our sole guar- of the Balkan countries to develop the full­ antee that democratic governments can be es.t collaboration within the framework of established in the Balkans and that the dif- European democratic unity and within a ferent boundary and other problems which world organization; and that there should may arise will be solved in line with dem- be full cooperation with the major United Reprinted from the November 1943 Issue of the ocratic principles and w~th the full agree- Nations powers, on a basis of equality. mc;;~eofm~~~~~~re~~e~:ee~~~-d table are. Adamic-1 want to congratulate you on FR~E WORLD .MAGAZINE · the splendid way in which you have sum- agreed about the grave danger growmg marized the discussion. I should also like for the United Committee of South-Slavic Americans out of the fear of revolution shown by. some of the major powers within the United you to note that Mr. Salvemini and I feel 1010 Park Avenue, New York 28, New York . Nations. The members are also agreed that that the problem· of the proper boundary · h b · line between Italy and Yugoslavia is thrown democratic revo1 uuons ave ecome in- evitable and indispensable - that they are open to discussion. 16 Dolivet-Would you agree with ROUND ESSENTIAL FINDINGS THE this, Mr. Vlavianos? Basil Vlavianos-In so far as . For many years the word "Balkans" has been used the Balkan spirl.t is identified TABLE I derogatively with the implication of corruption, dis­ with the . spirit of fighting for order and anarchy. In reality the Balkan peoples have liberty. That is the essence of set amazing examples of heroic battle for the prin- BATTLE No. 20 . ciples of freedom and independence. Therefore a re­ the Balkan spirit. It is also definition of the term "Balkan," in the sense of its identified with Balkan troubles real meaning, is necessary. because various powers have al­ ROM inside and outside FOR THE ways considered the Balkans as The overwhelming majority of the Balkan peoples the Balkans powerful Allied 2 were and are in favor of truly democratic regimes but falling within their sphere of forces are closing in on the up to now they have been oppressed by tyrannicar influence. minorities who have often received help from outside F Axis armies. Almost daily in­ Ad,amic...:... I should like to add powers. side.the Balkans the splendid guerrilla a little to the definition of the and partisan groups are striking at The most important pro-United Nations forces in the Balkan spirit. I believe that the the enemy with a courage and de­ 3 Balkans are the vari9us liberation and underground Balkan spirit is now coming to · termination unsurpassed in history. movements, composed of men of all shades of political a head and that it is much more conviction. Without distinction of race or nationality From the outside the powerful Soviet, they are fighting not only against the Axis and satellite T OUIS DOLIVET-The Balkans will concrete than it used to be. Formerly there Br·itish and Americ_an Armies ·a..re regimes but for the freedom of the Balkans and for L undoubtedly play an important role was a great deal of nebulous thinking about social transformation in line with the interests of the in any peace settlement on the Euro­ liberty and so forth. Now, I believe, that daily closing a _ring of steel around majority of the people. the Nazis. Therefore no subject pean Continent. I wish Mr. Kosanovich idea is becoming concrete in that the Balkan would start the ball rolling. nations want to withdraw the peoples and seemed more appropriate to the Edi- The liberation movements and armies are composed of the lands of the Balkans from the grasp and , .. tors of FREE WoRLD than the "Battle 4 p~asants, workers and intellectuals and include various Sava N. Kosanovich-}'ugoslavia is the kinds of political forces, ranging from . democratic and mOfit interesting part of the Balkans. I be­ from the interplay of the imperialistic pow­ for the Balkans." That is why we socialist groups to Communists. have invited reptesentative demo­ lieve the fact that Yugoslavia has been fight­ ers, whether they are ·Axis or not.· ing the occupation for more than two years Dolivet-May I ask Mr. Salvemini's opin­ . cratic leaders and experts on the The liberation movements are opposed to any cordon , Balkan question to participate in a sanitaire directed against Soviet Russia or any other is the expression of the true Balkan spirit. ion on this subject? power. They want, on the contrary, the full cooperation Gaetano Salvemini:-The Balkan peoples thoroughgoing discussion of the vari- Dolivet-What do you call the true Bal­ of all the United Nation powers, on a basis of equality. kan spirit? have, no doubt, fought for liberty if by ous aspects of the Balkan. problem. Kosanovich-It is a big mistake to use liberty one means natio;nal independence On behalf of FREE WORLD\ Louis Do­ All the territories taken over by the Axis and satellite the word "Balkanization" derogatively. It from the Turks. In their national revolts livet presided. 6 regimes must be returned to the peoples to whom they . is an offense against peoples who for cen­ against the Turks they set a matvelous e.x7 Those who took part in the discus- belong; and the fate of those areas. which are con~ested must be decided in accordance with the free· will of turies fought for liberty. The Balkan ample to all of Europe.
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