The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-10
Royal Palace at DurazzO.

Through THE SrN he wished to say
to the United States that after the
organization Of the new Albanian state
one of the first representatives to a
foreign country will be an Albanian
Minister to Washington. His country
has found in America many more real
sympathizers in its struggle for in
dependence than he had ever thought
possible in a land so distant from
Albania's shores. Besides a great many
Albanians had eMigrated to America
during the years Of Turkish persecution
and from all Of them he had learned
that they had been kindly treated and
had been given an opportunity to re-
trieve their fortunes.
1t Is no breach OF confidence to say
that the man who is slated for the
United States mission is Faik Bey
Konitza. a member of one of the richest
families of south Albania who is a
Harvard man and who lived several
years in Boston.
The most urgent need of the new
state at present. said Essad. is money.
The taxes and revenues are still coll
lected on the basis of charges existing
in Turkish times. That is. there is a
tax on land. houses. cattle. alcohol and
on most businesses and professions. The
custom house charges are IL per cent.
on imports. and there is a monopoly in
salt and fish. An entirely new basis of
taxation Is to be established the custom
rates are to be revised and there will
very likely be a monopoly established In
tobacco, salt and matches
The conditions at Scutari are very
distressing. Hundreds of poor refugees.
~. 81.
the Albanian borders, are arriving every
day and thousands are on the way.
II was this that led Col G. r. Phillips,
Governor of Scntari and chief Of the
international forces stationed here, and
a man whose knowledge OF the country
Is as exact az that of any other person.
to say that the situation in Albania lis
appalling 1t fills one with dismay and
gloomy foreboding for the future Of the
new state
He pointed out of the window to a
hundred or more Albanians in rags
sQuatted at his gateway.
"The advance guard of the great
hOrdes moving upon Scutari," he said
"They have been driven from their
lands and homes; their families killed
their houses burned, their farms and
stock destroyed. These people are from
Djakova and its vicinity, on the eastern
border but people are fleeing in the
same manner from the northern and
southern borders There are thousands
here now to be cared for and there are
thousands more back in the hills in a
pitiful, starving condition. | had to
stop them because l had no means to
relieve their distress"
In this brutal warfare waged for the
determination of the Albanians along
the border who do not willingly allow
themselves to be absorbed by other
races it is estimated that 100000 per-
sons have suffered Hundreds have been
killed and whole villages with their in
habitants have been burned.
The strife began when the conquerors
moved into the newly acquired territory
and for the last two weeks, unknown to
the rest of the world outside of official
circles il has reached its bloodicst and
most appalling phase. Note This let
ter was mailed from Scutari, Albania,
on April III To sit in the office of the
Governor Of Scutar and to hear the
stories calmly told by these poor ref
ugees is to listen to recltals of horrors
piled upon horrors that are incomprc-
hensibIc In this axe.
It Is because these things are incom-
prehensiblc that it Is so difficult for
Europe Europe begins here at the Save
River-and America to understand the
Balkans. "A brutal, savage, clean,
loyal. elementary people" was the char
acterization given by one of the foreign
ministers IN Albania. con" must have
a mind attunod to feudal times to APP
preclatc why race here Kills off race,
In the mountains they max" cunpucsts
and hold them Just as other European
States did at the dawn of their histories,
BE converted and assimilatcd or die
1t is no use to accuse Greek, Mon
tenegrin or ScrNian of atrocities. The
Albanlans would have done the same II
they had the upper hand 1.-THE Al
banlans cut threats, the Montencgrns
cut Oft noses" is IA saying along the
border that grew out Of the last war.