New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-26
By GORDON GORDON-SMlTH

know no lasting peace until the state Of af-
fairs which made the explosion possible has
been removed
In the last twelve months have had OPP
portunity of discussing the question with "al
sorts and conditions of men" in the Balkans
and elsewhere and have acquired the convlc-
ton that there is no more pressing and no
more important problem to-day facing the
nation, and that on a just and equitable
solution Of it depends the future peace Of
Europe.
1t is therefore Of the greatest Importance
that the peoples at large should De in a posi-
ton TO understand the question which they
will be called on to decide. As It is compll-
Gated they cannot begin the study Of II too
soon. Henri Meilhac once defined Partisan
as "un monsieur decore qui ne salt pas lie
geographic parisien" in so far that, as rule,
his knowledge of geography is vague. But
il is also notorious that there is nothing like
q war for teaching people geography. Under
these circumstances it is to be presumed that
the present world conflict has added I'M
mensely to the geographical knowledge even
Of the imam in the street" and greatly pre-
pared him for an intelligent appreciation OF
the Jago-Sav problem.
Who then are the Jugo-Slavs and what are
their aims? The Jugo-Slavs Southern Slavsl
lie, the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, are BY
blood, language and tradition, no less than
by economic and political conditions, one
homogeneous nation, with identical aims in
their national life
They form the compact populations Of the
kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro (popula-
ton 5OOO,0OO), of the Jugo-Slsv provinces in
Austria Hungary tJugo-Slav population s.
100000, and of .he Italian district west Of
Gorilla 10000 Jugo-Slavs), while a million
and half live as emigrants in oversee coun-
tries.
In Austria-H Hungary the Jugo-Slavs are sub
ordinate to two dominant state organiza-
tions. viz, the German and the Magyar.
Their territory is broken up into ten prov.
inces; they are politically oppressed socially
prosecuted and in every way hsmpered in
their intellectual, economic and national de-
velopment
There are 100000 Jugo- Slavs under The
German administration Of Vienna. OF
these 100000 live in Southern Styria. 100.
600 in Southern Corinthis. 100000 IN Car
nola, $4,000 in Gorizia-Gradisca. 10000 In
Trieste, 225000 in lstria and Clio coo in Dali
malta.
Under the Magyar domination there are
100000 Jugo Slavs, viz, 100000 in Croatia
and 100000 In Southern and Southwestern
Hungary Gin the Medjumurje along the
Syrian frontier, In the Bsrsnja, Backa and
Banst).
joint Austro-Hungarian administration
controls the 100000 Jugo-Slsvs living in
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Finally there are 10000 Jugo-Slavs under
Italian rule.
The Jugo-Slavs have always desired TO
form an independent state and TO lead their
own national life free from oil foreign
nominations, whether Turkish, Venetian or
Hungarian. Both in Serbia and
Montenegro they have already achieved and
developed their freedom, but all attempts to
obtain even partial unifcation and the con
dtions for national development within the
borders Of Austria-Hungary have invariably
proved unsuccessful.
All "unredeemed" Jugo-Slays look to the
successful issue of the present war, wsged
by Serbia and Montenegro and their power
full allies, to accomplish their complete de-