Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-08-11
A Bone of Contention.

Rome, Aug. 1.-THE Albanian prob
lem undoubtedly will be settled if the
group of nations with which Monte
negro is fighting win the pending Huro.
pean war.
Montenegro wants Albania 1t want.
ed it at the time Austria organized il
as an Independent kingdom and put
Prince William of Wied, its own seiee-
tlon, in as king. Italy, Montenegro s
friend, indorsed William at the time,
but only because it could see no way
of making its veto effective at the mo-
ment. 1t was not suited with the ar.
rangement.
Montenegro and Albania adioin and
if the former country gets the latter
from an opera bouffe little kingdom
with a population Of 25O,O0O and an
area OF $500 square miles, it will jump
at once to a position of some little
Importance, AS Balkan states 90.
Moreover, it will be strong out of all
proportions to its population and area
by reason of its relations with italy
and Russia.
italy Would Control It.
Italy has had its eye on the eastern
Adriatic coast for a long time. 1t did
not care to own it but it wanted to
control it. 1t would have been salts
fled with the independent kingdom
watch Austria organized if the king
had been one of its own choosing. 1t
objected to William of Wied because
he was pro-Austrian.
The dIpnn nf J+oI,- ;s q
princess. Relations between the Ouiri-
nal and the court of Cettinie are close
and friendly. MOntenegrin rule of AL
banla, with Italy making occasional
suggestions which it feels sure Monte
negro will heed, would be exactly the
arrangement King Victor would like
best.
The Duke of the Abruzzi was men.
toned as a candidate for William of
Wied S place. He would have filled
the bill to the extent that Italy could
have managed him but, as a relative of
the king OF Italy, the latter would have
been responsible for him to an extent
he did not like.
Montenegro May Get It.
Montenegro would be much better
from the Italian point of view.
The Montenegrins and Russians arc
OF the same race. The czar has beer
so good a friend of King Nicholas tha-
he has paid him regular annual pen
sion for years.
There are no reasons-nOw, at any
rate-why Italy and Russian Interests
should conflict. Nicholas, accordingly
can run the eastern Adriatic court t.
suit the czar Of Russia and tae kint
of Italy at the same time.
With Russia and Italy backing hin
and his kingdom increased to severa
times its present size, Nicholas of Mon
tenegro, then, will be a ruler Of consid
cradle consequence in Balkan circles
if his side wins.
All this is one reason why Italy ha
not wanted to fight with its whilor
allies, Germany and Austria. Hungary
Its interests were very much on TIL
other side.
Gives Servia a Seaport.
Servia, which is fighting with Monte
negro-and incidentally, of course, wit
Russia, France and England, beside
such other countries as may join thei
factions anxious for a slice of Ad
riatic seafront, too.
Originally it wanted the Albania
frontage. This, however, was befor
it supposed it stood any chance of get
ting any Austrian territory. The pla
now-again assuming that the British
French Russian Servian Montenegro
combination wins-is to give Servia tn
Austrian provinces of Bosnia, HerzegC
vina and Dalmatia as far south as tn