Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-10

people of the Trentine district have
never concealed their longing to be
Italian and their monuments are an
evidence of their aspirations.
The Poles Of Galicia in recent years
have been favored, because tho rising
food of Slav population has made II
necessary for Austrian, German and
Magyar to find an ally among the Slav
races. and the Pole has been selected
He has been permitted to impose his
will upon the Ruthenians quite as tho
Magyar has imposed his upon tho Ru-
nanfan.
AS for the Bosnian Serb. he came un-
willingly under Hapsburg rule, fighting
desperately after the congress of Ber-
has prospered since. but prosperity has
not proven In history a permanent sub
stitute for national and racial unity.
Italy and Dalmat1a-
One detail Of the partition is patent
ly fniquitous. The italian purpose to
possess Dalmatia can be supported only
upon historical grounds
This region was once Roman and
later Venetian. Its cities bear Italian
names and contain some OF the most
famous of Roman ruins and Of Venetian
palaces and churches. But the popula-
ton is overwhelmingly Slav. and its
ambition is to become Serb, not Italian.
Against this Italian purpose Russia
protested but in vain. Italian entrance
into the war was conditioned upon the
possession of practically all of Dalma-
tia, and there is small hope, now that
Italy has fought SO long, that she will
forego her price.
But it has been an expensive anbi-
ton. For most of the fighting against
the Italians has been done by the Slavs,
by the Serbs and the Slovenes of the
Adriatic district, who showed no stom-
ach for fighting Serb or Russian armies,
but have fought with very great 10y
atty and efficiency against the Italian
armies.
Travellers returning from Serbia, just
before the disasters of last year, re-
count that the Serb. hearing that the
Italian had announced his purpose to
take Dalmatia, sadly commented there
must. then, be another war, a war be-
tween Serbia and Italy. Nor can Ii be
doubted that If Italy proves false to all
that her own history has proven and
takes Slav lands. she will be compelled
some day to relinquish them. as Aus
tria was compelled to leave Venetiaand
seems now to be destined to leave the
Trentino and Trieste.
The Southern Slavs.
There is an even more grandiose
future for the southern Slavs. if Austria
persists to utter ruin. To Bosnia and
Herzegovina there may be added
Croatia, the Slovene districts north of
Fiume and east of Trieste, and there
may thus be created a new state, near
ly as large as all of Italy and having
population Of between 100000 and
12,000,00Q
Indeed whatever the immediate out
come of the present conflict, 1t is diff
cult to believe that this will not be
the eventual destiny of the Serbs and
the Croats, together with the SlovAnes.
The murdered Archduke Francis Fer
ished the hope of achieving this union
of the southern Slavs. but to make this
union under Austrian sovereignty.
Should this dream be some time real
lied, and 1t is far less fantastic than
Rumanian aspirations seemed three
years ago, Italy might regret bitterly
the policy which raised up Slav foe
on her own shores. waiting, as she
Trentino, for that propitious moment
to attack the enemy, who still held
province and fraction of the Slav
race.
Trieste may yet be the battle-ground
of the slav and the Latin. Or Austria
and Serbia may some day fight as allies
against Italy. the one to regain q port
upon the Adriatic, the other to COM
plete the national unity stll prevented
by Italian occupation In Dalmatia.
Austria's Plight
Putting aside the remoter possibil-
tiles. however. It Is plain to 500 how
great are the immediate dangers for
Austria and Hungary. A little more
war to punish Serbia Because Serb
aspirations were directed toward
Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina Aus
tria felt that her own safety was en-
~
Serb.
She saw in the Serbia that had
victorious from the second
Balkan war a new Sardinia She
eastern shores of the Adriatio OF the
disasters she suffered in the Italian
plain a half century ago.
But now it is not alone Bosnia and
that are in danger. 1t is
not alone her southern boundary that
has been assatled. Today the Ruma-
MAN. the Italian and the Russian are
beating upon her and these neighbor-
Ing nations have as powerful allies
France and Britain.
She hoped for a short war which
should give her security; she 10 in the
third year of war that still gives no
promise Of speedy ending. Her unity
Is assailed on three sides; from three
her frontiers. If Serbia has perished
she seems bound to be avenged on
Magyar and Austrian soil
In London, Rome, Petrograd, Paris.
you may see maps on which the par
.ition of Auctria-Hungary is ALREADY
as an accom- plished fact. Many
II these maps extend the limits Of the
far beyond those de-
'cribed here.
But the irreductble minimum Isl the
division I have outlined, a division
which subtracts Is, 600 Poles. .Ru-
Italians. Serbs, Ruthenians,
,lovenes, from the dominion of , the
and the German-Austrian, anu
n doing this takes less than 100000
dagyars and Germans.