The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1915-07-16
scUTAR1 AND 1vANGoRoD
National Geographic Society's War
Primer.

After weeks of silence, the news
comes that the persistent little army
of Montenegro has taken to itself
Scutari, the principal city and fortress
of Albania, which fell before the vic
torous Montenegrins in the first Bal
kan war, and from which the soldiers
of the mountain kingdom were com
PEELED to retire by action of Austria
Hungary. The Montenegrins have
had considerable practice in attacking
Scutari through their 500 years of in
termittent struggle with the Turks
and all of the problems involved in
an advance by the side of the Lake of
Scutari to the city between the noun
tains are doubtless thoroughly known
to the present military leaders of the
tiny state. A description of this CITY.
a strategic point for the domination
of Northern Albania, is given in the
most recent statement of the National
Geographic society, issued in its SER
les of war-geography studies. The
statement reads:
"Suctari has military value as COM
handing Northern Albania, and as be-
ing a key position on the northern
head of the plain that stretches from
the town into the country's interior.
1t is the most important city in the
newly created Albanian nation, hav-
ing population of more than $1,000
and some transit and export trade, 1t
has lost considerable of its commerce
however, to Saloncia and other neigh
boring ports which enjoy the advan-
ages of good railway connections. An
other disadvantage under which
Scutari suffers is the lack Of all port
facilities upon its convenient seacoast.
Situated beyond the fiat, fever
laden coastlands and just beyond the
coastal hills, Scutari is effectively
closed away from the world, even for
Albania. 1t is built upon the south
eastern shore of Lake Scutari, near
the confluence of the Drin and Boyana
rivers. The Adriatic lies little more
than Ia miles to the west. The great
er part of the Lake of Scutari, since
the settlements brought about by the
first Balkan war, is contained within
the Montenegrin borders. The city of
Scutari lies just across the Montene-
grin boundary, but short, evening
hours walk away. The lake is sur
passingly beautiful; its waters are bril-
liantly clear, the growths upon its
banks luxurious, while the heavy
shouldered mountains, which gave it
a setting like gem in a ring, greatly
increase the effect of the picture
There are numerous, heavily-populat-
ed breeding grounds by its shores for
aquatic fowl, and the lake itself is
we'll stocked with fish.
The country all around the city is
wild-as is most of the area of Albania
and very sparsely settled. The in
dividual Albanian builds him home,
a hat, in the forest on the spur of
some hill, near enough to a city to
permit him to send his women folk
for supplies but seldom near enough
to others to aid in forming a village
Very few paths that can satisfactor-
lily be classed as roads run through
this country. The easiest way to pro-
gress from Scutari is along the plain,
which extends from across the Monte
negrin frontier south of Alessio. 1t is
largely owing to the wild, uncharted
mountain-and-ravine ways of Albania
that the Turks were never able COM
pletely to subdue this people, but were
forced to govern them by diplomatic
distribution of favor.
Oriental and picturesque in ap-
pearance, there is, however, little to
suggest well-being or wealth in the
Albanian metropolis. It's bazaars and
mosques are interesting, and its old
Venetian citadel perched upon its
high craig is romantic object. The
citadel and other Notifications of the
town are long out of date. and would
offer little or no resistance to modern
artillery. Mountains crowd in upon
the town, and there is danger of
foods during the heavy rains or sud
den thaws. The exports of Scutari
are grains, wool, hides, skins, tobac-
CO and sumach. 1t imports textiles,
provisions, metal products and arms.
Arms and cotton stuffs are manufac-
tured. Arms are an important article
of commerce in Albania, for, while
the Albanian has accustomed himself
to going without almost everything,