New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-01
Italy and the Jugoslavs
Charges Of Anti-Italian Propaganda
Are Refuted

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In one of your recent issues, under
the heading "Slav Propaganda Against Italy"
:nere was published an Italian news article
announcing the JIgoslav propaganda in the
United States as hostile to Italy and backed
up by the Germans, Austrians and Irishmen!
The author pretends to have his information
from diplomatic source and complains that
his (the Italian) government is unable to
Illustrate this violent propaganda" because
"of the large sums put at the disposition Of
the Jugoslavs."
To my most agreeable surprise, the Italian
journalist, whose information, as he says, is
derived from diplomatic source, designated
The New York Tribune as an active organ
"of the Jugoslav propaganda" hope, there
fore, to be allowed, as member of the Jugo-
slav Committee of London, to publish in your
esteemed paper short reply
do not know if the source of the above
mentioned statement is diplomatic one, but
what certainly do know is that it is an au-
daciously false one.
The Jugoslav propaganda-if it is proper
TO call it so-consists of nothing else than
making the Allied and neutral countries ac-
quainted with the national aspirations Of the
Jugoslavs. Their is so just and clear
that in order to be accepted it only wants to
be explained. That is the secret of our sue
cess. The Jugoslavs, or Southern Slavs, Of
Austria Hungary (Croats, Serbs and Slo-
yenes) desire to throw off the foreign yoke
and to unite in one independent democratic
state with their brethren by blood and lam
guage, the Serbs of Serbia and Montenegro.
Our national programme hurts nobody else's
rights. We desire but what is ours.
IA Al 81. x,~N.
claim some territories inhabited by our peo-
PIE and that the latter are absolutely OPP
rosed to such an attempt against them. What
hey want is not to change the master, but
to get free. Fortunately, these Italian i'm
perialists do not represent Italy. Not only
are we not hostile to Italy, which respects
our national rights, but, on the contrary, we
sincerely wish that our future Jugoslav state
may live on the best of terms with that
country.
1t is not the first time that we meet the
suspicion of being supported by the enemies
Of the Allies The diplomatic" source of
this calumny is always the same. Last year
it was Signor Mereu who hazarded il in
the London Independence Beige | called
then on the editor of that paper, TO whom
presented the main accounts Of our money
affairs. As a result Of our interview he pub
Hshed In the issue or November IL, 1910,
statement, from which | quote the concu-
sion:
"Basing our statement on documents, We
therefore can acknowledge that the prove
nance of the propaganda funds Of the Jugo-
slav Committee is pure, clean and honest,
and we ought to laud the ardent patriots
pursuing with such energy the liberation OF
the Magyar victims"
After this impartial Belgian attestation,
allow me to quote an Italian one:
According to the Rome "Tribuna" Of De-
tober 49, 1917. Professor Labriola declared in
the Italian Parliament: "The Jugoslav cause
is popular as well in England as in the
United States. IL is not backed up by
rooney these people being poor The Jugo-
sav cause is supported by its justice, and |
hope Bssolati and Bonamini, who have not
the same opinions on the ltalanity of Dali
malta as their colleagues have, put their
opinion in the scale OF the Cabinet Council
when this question has been discussed"
The same member of the Italian Psrlia-
ment declared in a leading article in the
"Messagero," September g., 1917: "The Jugo-