Apart from this defensive object the countries of the Little Entente have the positive aim of a resumption of normal economic conditions and the institution of a new order of things in accordance with the new political construction of Central and Eastern Europe. It is obvious that these three States have numerous interests in common which make their co-operation very natural, if not indeed indispensable. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 46: April 16, 1920.] [Footnote 47: January 22, 1920.] [Footnote 48: According to the Rome correspondent of the _Petit Journal_.] [Footnote 49: But the wind was considerably tempered for him: vessels laden with his precise requirements sailed over from Italy and said they had been captured by d'Annunzio's arditi. General Badoglio, in command of the royal troops outside the town, ascertained in November 1919 that Rieka's coal-supply was nearly exhausted and 7000 tons per month were required for the public services alone. He accordingly informed a syndicate of coal merchants in Triest that he would be personally responsible for the first consignment of coal to d'Annunzio. A month earlier, when the town was supposed to be blockaded, it was announced that a limited supply of food-stuffs would, nevertheless, be introduced, through the Red Cross, for very young children. This amounted, as a matter of fact, to 21 truckloads a week. It is significant that there was no rise in the prices charged in the public restaurants of Rieka, and that persons living outside the line of Armistice found it cheaper to do their shopping in the besieged city.] [Footnote 50: February 20, 1920.] [Footnote 51: September 1921.] [Footnote 52: However, in the Yugoslav Parliament, although some of the deputies have spent their lives in far-off, primitive places--by no means all of those who represent the Albanians can read and write--one does not hear such deplorable language as that which, according to the _Grazer Volksblatt_ of January 19, 1922, disgraced the Austrian Assembly. A certain Dr. Waneck, of the Pan-German party, wished to criticize the Minister of Finance, Professor Dr. Gürtler of the Christian Socialists. He remarked that one could not expect this Minister to be sober at four o'clock in the afternoon, and went on to say that no less than five banks, whose names he would give, had received early information from the Minister, which enabled them to speculate successfully. He repeated this accusation several times and with great violence, but when he was invited to reveal the names of these banks--"No, sir!" he cried. "I will not do so, because I don't want to."] [Footnote 53: Cf. "The Tri-Une Kingdom," by Pavle Popović and Jovan M. Jovanović, in the _Quarterly Review_, October 1921.]