Evening star., 1916-09-24

- ASAAA .
The question of the Youso slav 10
. large part Of the differences that
divide italy and Aus
Southern Slays tria in the present
conflict. The Yougo
. Problem. slav, or southern
slav, belongs to that Indo- European
ethnographical and linguistic family.
which Is divided into three grand
groups: First. the occidental slavs Of
Russia, Prussia and Austria, Poles,
Cxechs, slovacs, Lusacians: second, the
oriental Slavs, or Russians. divided
INTO the Great Russian, 'Malo or Little
Russian and White Russian: third.
southern or Yougo Slavs, Serbians,
Bulgars, Croats and Slovines. There
are in Europe Of this family total
of 100, 900, 600. of the Yougo Slavs,
80, 100000.
when italy is threatening the very
existence Of Austria at Carso: Mont
reconstructed Serbian army has routed
the Bulgar right the question OF an
Italo-Serb entente is imminent and
urgent.
for clarity. resbrted to arms for the fol.
lowing apparent reasons: Italy demanded
that Austria cede to her the Trentino
and her frontiers OF 1911. rectify the IRON
tiers Of Gradisca and Goritzia running to
the sea between Montfalcone and Trieste:
the islands Of Curzolan, Cur1ola. Lisaa.
Lesine, Lagap. Lasosta, Cazxa, Meleda
and Istria, Pola, Fiume, Dalmatia and
Albania.
Russia. 1t should be recalled. suggested
|
slav states on the Adriatic. Serbia
should be given Bosnia Herzegovina. the
Dalmatian coast from Earente to Monte
negro. In this prospective state Serbia
would have Croatia. Siavonia, Carnicola,
AEram. the greater part OF pa Ha'maaia; malta
have Trieste. western lstria and Pola-
Italy refused.
italy has recently captured Goritzia,
now threatens Trieste and Pola and ac-
tuaLJ occupies Vallona in
italian Albania. a strategic posi-
ton Of the first order. the
0osaAce' bay constituting an ideal
naval base In this Italo-Austrian con-
tiict there is the Slav question, which Is
complex and grave. Bosnia Herzegovina
and Dalmatia are Slav. and that there
has been no general revolt Of that ele-
ment in the Austrian army Is due to the
fact that although the Slav has no love
for the Austrian. they hold the Italians in
defiance. believing that Italy proposes to
oppose the realization Of the dream of
the Siav peoples. their ambition to create
great Slav nation. The Slav question.
it goes without saying, besides interest,"
ing Italy and Austria, interests Russia.
! who must provide for the autonomy
promised Poland, Siav state.
The relations Of Italy and the Yougo-
Slav have been recently treated in the
Corriere della Sera and the Giornale
Italia, which have published the COM
munications of NJ. Wickham Steed of
England and signor Andrea Tore Of
Italy. Both Of these writer's agree that
an entente Italo-Slav 'is a necessity.
| and that it constitutes European In
| terest Of the first order" Both writer's
agree with some minor points of detail
| that 1.-The unity Of the Yougo Slav and
the establishment Of Italian hegemony
| in the Adriatic is the only ground pos
sible of conciliation Of the two peo-
pies"
The Adriatic sea is the apple Of dis
cord, between Italy and Austria, and
must be SO long as the conflict Is not
settled by force OF arms. Italy has
straight coastline without refuge ex-
| cept at Brindisi, and two maritime ar
senals, Venice in the north, and Tarente
in the south. 500 miles distant from
! each other. The Austrians have claimed
the Adriatic as mare, nostrum" or our
sea. Annunzio called the Adriatic "the
| 'amere' Adriatic-the left lung which is
| sick but belongs to Italy and renders
Italy perpetualIy infirm."
When Venice established her pre-
eminence on the Adriatic the coast was
Venetians implanted the italian lam
guage in the ports, and the .Slavs. who
enrolled Themselves at Venice as SOL
diers and sailors, contributed to the ex-
tension of Italian language and customs
along the eastern lttoral.
Italy's official program claims Trieste.
Istria, Fiume. the Isles OF Quarnero, and
those Of Dalmatia in ad-
What italy dition. These, with the
possession of Vallona.
SIS1Ms. would definitely conse-
| crate the supremacy Of Italy in the
Adriatic.
Italy fears that the Serbs. protected
by Russia, may be given too large
place on the Adriatic. and Italy could
not tolerate that the united Slavs
dominance. If Austria disappeared after
the war, Italy would not admit that
the Adriatic should pass into the con-
troll of the Serbs-"to Serbia, the
protege of Russia and the advanced
guard of the Slav world"
At London and Paris committees of
emigrant Yougo Slavs. Dalmatians. Is
trians. Bosnians, and others submit
ted to MN. Delcasse, lsvolsky and Sir
Edward Grey a memoir Of the aspira-
tions of the Yougo Slav. The latter
claimed the coast and isles, with an
interior frontier as far as Udine.
subsequently M. Pachitch, the eminent
Serbian, in passing through the capi-
tails OF the entente nations made the
following overtures toward an entente
with Italy. He said: "All the allies
recognize the necessity of opening a
debouche to Serbia on the Adriatic.
Serbia does not pretend to play the
role Of a naval power. not possessing
a ar fleet. Serbia recognizes volun-
Of the Adriatic sea" Thus the Italo-
Serb accord was completes