The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-09-06

Italy has Just proclaimed a protectorate
One can plainly see from here the bar
ren grey mountains Of Albania. making
a ragged line along the sky. They lie
very near. hardly more than ten miles
-off. and an optical Illusion makes them
seem nearer Many Albanans are seen
,on the streets here. the men eag.boaiei
and rather fierce looking. wearing their
picturesque native costume With Al
bana so near at hand. this is "A good
place 70 LOOK into the Albanian Ques-
fion at close range.
Italy's proclamation OF a pr0tectorate
over Albania has thrown one more prob
lem into the European patchwork which
VIII have 20 be settled at the peace
conference. Just now the question is
boiling here. and at Paris, Rome and
Athens There are three distinct cur
rents-the Italian which supports the
rrotectorate as a measure OF selfde-
Tense for Iulys exposed front on the
Adriatic. the Greek. which looks upon
Albania as northern Greece and calls
Il Epirus and the southern Siavs. that
powerful and growing union Of Serbs
Croats Si0gaks and an other Slavs OF
the Western Balkans. These latter. the
Slavs look upon Italy's protectorate as
a move 90 encircle the Adrauc and
close out the Balkan people from ever
getting % the sea.
What Albania herself thinks of it no
one seems 20 have considered This
seems rather singular az a time when
the great powers are talking So much
about the principle of nationality and
the right of an people % determine their
own political iestinies. The Albanians
are never heard from on this question
as % who shall rule them. and appar-
emily they care nothing about how il
Is settled These Albanian men ana
women who come here are looked upoa
as docle peasants, incapable OF having
any political aspirations or Of the de-
sire 90 form nation
Wld and Primitive.
Albania appears 90 be the one coun-
try abandoned by nature. a. 50 poor
Is resources as not 90 be- worth develop
mer- or progress. Ii has lain for cen
tlres alongside the great centers OF
ancient culture. midway between Rome
ard Athens. and yet IL IS as backward
foiay as % was centuries ago. and the
PEOPLE are as primitive and ulciynized
IS sorle q the Wild tribes OF central
Africa. on northern Albania the people /
are savage mountaineers. There is
nothirE Ike organized industry or az
riculture anywhere. no gathering in
towns and cities and the Development
OF society.
There IS I'd such thing as a bank in
an Albania. There is no railway Roads
are the footpaths Of ages. or the old
military highways of the Romans. Al
though Albania has an Adratic front
rivalling Itaiy's. yet she hasn't a port or
hlrbor from end % end And yet the
AIharans are a distinct race. with their
oun language. but without the ability
through an the ayes % lift themselves
into an organized state.
It IS this Indifference OF Albania it-
SELF that has brought the rival interests
ciashing from three sides. Coming
through Rore. the Italian position was
explained t1 the writer as follows. Italy
has a geographical relation % Albania
much Ike the United States has 90
Cuba. P1rto Rico OF the Panama canal /
Thai IS. - Is the great power nearest I
fa Alhaua. and naturally having the
mCs- Intimate concern in its future
Moreover. I;aiy has exposed coastline I
an sr. r-e. 81. ..--..- e.-..
Alalna. ard only SIXTY miles away az .
the strait OF Otnuto. Italy's eastern /
coast Is exnosed in the sense that it is I
q .cw marshy front incapable OF having .
O fortified port from one end 90 the /
other.
One % self Defense.
Naturally. therefore WIKI Albania j
5lst acruss The way and very near 40 j
band la,ys action was one % self de- F.
fense- rhs was particularly true wiki T.
Italian military lines stretching across /
Albania from Ea'Crl ro Sal0rika. Ml- I
i.arr necessity as wen as sefd-fense /
made IRE rrutec-1rlts necessary. But
Ia1 has no territorial aspirations over I
Alaura beyond the defense 90 us oUn .
interests The rrutect0rate therefore .
8, merely temporary. and Italy wU I
.eaFe to the powers to settle mo- the .
clse % the war what shah be- done as .
O. Albania.
Th. Italian view is not accepted bF .
the Ssrbau and S,av elements one finds 1
here They look upon the protsctorste
- move Cf conquest directly opposed /
90 the h.gh aims proclaimed hy the En- I
tsn,e alies ur Ante Trumbic. the
distinguished head % the southern Slav /
movement explained this Siav view
rclut Dr rrumb.c is a former member I
lf ihe Austrian rar.hment. where be
REPRESENTED the Say-Cr1ats of puima- .
,a he looks upor this whole region I
aiore the eastern Adrntc as essentially /
Sllv. w.tb Silv population az am The i
ports and towns. and with practically .
o. Italians Why then be- asks. should I
,he uphahiers of the doctrine % nation- /
ll-r seek a foothoii where they have
rC nationals. no citizens.
TIE savs resisted the Austrian effort /.
b. dominate the eastern Adratic. and .
ther see co particular difference in /
having the Italians dominate 10 instead I.
~ the Austrans Tire natural sea out. /
Del, fcr the T1ugos.av state. embracing /
Serbia Croatn and au the southern /
Siav territory IS toward the Adriatic.
lri while thts outlet Is north of Albania
gft che Sats look unon the Italian pro
...H.r.. e. ....a~ rI.anar na .a-a ..,...s- H- /