The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1917-12-20

ITALIAN military operations In Al
bania may or may not bear fruit,
but the benefits of Italian Occupa-
ton will prove lasting. In more
than one respect the satisfaction which
Italians have always found In iikening
themselves to the ancient Romans Is
justified. For the Romans possessed
certain quality which one can Gull Dy
no better name than civilizlng genius
Where Rome passed Roman footprints
still linger indelibly, says Edgar Ansel
Mowrer In q letter to the Chicago
Daily News. Though the empire OF
Trajan Is less than a memory, the
Roman road, the Roman bridge, the
Roman building or wall have lasted
long after other later constructions
have crumbled into sand. for the rea-
son that the least of the Roman en-
terprises Incorporated the "Roman
idea," one of the strongest conceptions
European humanity has ever known.
Those old stern soldiers and COVER
nOrS civilized and embellished the peo-
plies and lands they ruled. But they
not only built cities and pushed roads
to the ends of the earth wherever the
cohorts advanced but more enduring
| cities, more substantial bridges and
better roads than this earth had seen
before or has known since.
Modern Italy has inherited much OF
the Roman idea" Italy today shares
| the old love for bureaucratic govern
ment, for order, for solid construction
outwearing the mere "utilitarian
product, for in its way Italy bankers
after the same yicarious immortality
| of lasting monuments which possessed
the builders of ancient temple and
basilica. And, like the legiOns of long
ago, the Italian army of today advances
to civilize and builds for an entire
age. Ample evidence for this state
ment may be found in the roads and
military works" at the italian front,
but, better still, I'm the occupied terri
tories of southern Albania, which Italy
has either taken for itself, as Avlona,
or is holding for the barely conceived
state of Albania, whose approaching
birth 1t has so sententiously an.
nounced.
Only to q limited degree can this
work Of ameliOration be attributed to
any but generous motives.
Race That Does Not Progress.
Southern Albania, q rough, wild
tract of sparsely cultivated land, Is
thinly inhabited by an ola race, the
so-called Toski, forming the southern
branch of the Albanian family. The
district has been conquered more thar
once, but ii has always remained some
what backward. During the civil war:
i'm ancient Rome, number of old sol
diers and other partisans of the beat
en- factions, migrated thither. Blu
their number was too small to enable
them to give durable backbone to tn,
indigines, who, though wild, have rare
, ly managed to present any organized
resistance to an invader. For the Tos
, XII do not apparently share the admir-
able love of independence of the north
ern Albanians. They are indeed
mild race and unless pushed to hope
lessness by extraordinary oppression
. easy to govern. And. strangely enough
all the Albanians. though they prov
themselves In foreign lands amid othe
surroundings to be q Quick-witted pee
ple. capable of many things, thong
they obviously possess many Of tn
7 major virtues. have at home RENAME
essentially semibarbarous. Toda!
though they do not oppose, they d
almost nothing to aid the Italians /
= their great work of Transforming tn
e country. and their general impassivit
e is rather like a stOdgy burden whlc
q the civilizers must constantly be lif
e ing and moving from one place to al
other.
+ First Census Since Augustus.
Space is lacking for more than
brief survey of the accomplishe
;, works. First OF all, 1t Is fitting
sneak of administration. The entir
: occupied region north of the Londo
frontier has been divided on the TIA
Ian model into the province of Avlon
= the province of Argirokastron and n
. district (circondario) of Chimara. wi:
: total population of l65,459 person
. almost equally divided between II
: Moslem and the orthodox Greek faith
. The census upon which the above n
aa..t. - HraeahonnArQ