The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-07
PICTURESQUE SOLD|ER.RULER Of
WILD ALBANIA FIGHTS WITH ALLIES

Athens. sept. l.--,corresPondencei--
Essad Pasha. the ruler Of Albania. vino
is now leading the Albanian brigade On
the saIoniki front and who viii later
cast the vote Of Albania ~ the peace
congress, today gave a representative
Of the Associated Press one u the -
cret chapters Of the outbreak u the
European war whicn has not before
been dIsclosed-that Austria-Hungary'
wishing to divide the Balkan states and
turn them against Serbia and the en-
tente allies. offered him life pension
Of 5000 900 a year II he would proclaim
Albania as an ally Of the central powers.
The proposal was rejected with con-
fenpt. Essad Pashz said lie dismissed
the representative Of Austria-Hungary
from Durazzo the Albanian capital, and
soon thereafter declared war against
Austria-Hungary and all its allies He
felt then as he feels now. that the in
terest Of Albania was with the entente
allies as the defenders and upholders
OF small nations. and he preferred that
with all the hardships Of war which he
has since experienced. rather than the
luxury and leisure which Austrian dip
Iomacy held out to him az the price OF
AIbania's leading the Balkan states into
the Gernanic camp.
Rob Roy Of Balkans.
Essad Pasha was a striking figure al
sw. Is. -f4
OF a talk on Albania's part in the war;
and what they are looking forward to
at the end of the war. He had just
come from the saloniki front for a short
rest and 10 confer with high officials
here and at Paris He was I'm full uni
form OF tan gray, fitting snugly after
the French form. The red facings on
the collar showed the stars Of his high
command. for as ruler Of Albania he IL
t,onmander-in-chief Of the army and
navy, with the status Of sovereign
accompanying his troops. On his breast
was the cross OF war. placed there only
a few days ago by General Sarrail. the
French commander Of all the entente
forces on this front. His dark face and
black eyes and mustache give him rather
uefct lOCks Aii|
life he has led--a sort Of Rob Roy Of the
Balkans-once one Of the Abdul Hamid' i
most trusty generals. through "A score
Of bloody campaigns. and now the ruler
Of Albania with the casting vote Of that
sovereign state in the final peace con
aress.
Egsad Pasha was asked as to the
charge that Albania is backward and
semi-barbarous and not entitled 10 be
rnked az an independent nationality.
That Is usually the charge" said he,
when powerful nations have political
designs and ambitions on small states.
The first charge always is that the
small state is not capable Of looking
after itself and needs some strong ma
ton to watch over It, This is the pre-
liminary to absorption and conquest.
Albania has naturally bttracted the
coyetous eye of some OF the stronger
powers. II has "a great sea front lying
along the eastern Adriatic. with ports
and harbors which are of great strate
gic and commercial advantage to any
power which possessed them.
Was Under Rule Of Turkey.
That Is doubtless one OF the reasons
that Albania is often represented as
backward. needing some powerful neigh
boring state TO look after her. II has
always been one Of the favorite methods
for political extension and conquest in
the Balkans. Austria felt that Bosnia
and Herzegovina were not capable of
looking after themselves. and needed
her help in order TO be governed.
Judged by modern methods, Albania
has not enjoyed all that progress and
development of the more advanced
communities. But there is a very good
reason for this, namely. that these other
communities have been free to develop
themselves. while Albania has been un-
der the rule OF Turkey up TO a few years
ago. II is really a tribute TO the yir-
nity Of the Albanians that they have
been able to preserve their race and
language through five centuries OF sub
lection to Turkish rule. Through all
this period every method was employed
TO Turkafy all Albania, To do away with
the language and the schools.
1T Is not the only time the Albanians
have shown their remarkable national
unity. for they are the only nationality
which successfully preserved their racial
Identity against the sweep Of the Ro
mans. then the Venetians, then the
slavs. and then the Turks II. has been
a steady struggle for Independence and
TO preserve the nationality from ~On-
quest and absorption by some alien pow
er. As such. Albania furnishes the mod
ern theorists on nationality "A real ex-
ample OF what small country has