Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-10-12
PRINCELY BRIDES
OFFER TO PASTA
Ruler Of Albania Tells Of s2,000,080 g
Year Pension for Life &c He
Joined Germany in War.

Athens.-lC o-respondencs of the
Associated Press) .-Esssd Pasba, the
ruler of Albania. who is now leading
the Albanian brigade on the saIoniu
front and who will later cast the vote
OF Albania at the peace congress. TO-
day gave @ representative Of the Ass0-
ctated Press one Of the secret chap
tiers Of the outbreak Of Che European
war which has not before been dis
cIosed-thaG Austria-Huugarv wish
ing to divide the Balkan states and
turn them against Serbia and the en-
Leute allies, offered him life peu-
sion OF 100000 year i he would
proclaim Albania as an ally of the
central powers.
The proposal was rejected with con-
tempt, Essad Pasha said. He dis
missed the representative 0f Austria
Hungary from Durazzo, the Albanian
capital and soon thereafter declared
war against Austrta-EIungar and an
its allies He felt then as he feels
now. that the interest of Albania was
with the entente allies as the defend
ers and upboIders Of small nations,
and he preferred that with all the
bardships Of war which he has since
experienced rather than The luxury
and leisure which Austrian diplomacy
held out t0 him as the price of AL
bauIa's leading the Balkan states into
the Germanic camp.
Essad Basha was d striking figure
as ne related this incident
course OF talk on Albania S part Lu
the war and what they are looking
forward to at the end of the war. He
had just come from the SalonIEi front
for @ short rest and to confer with
high officials here and at Paris He
was in fuN uniform Of tan grey. Hl-
ting suugIv after the French form.
The red facings on the collar showed
the stars OF his high command, for as
ruler or Albania he is commandment
chief OF the army and navy, with the
status of a sovereign accompanying
his troops On his breast was the
cross of war. placed there only few
DAVIS ago bv General SarraiI, the
French commander OF all the entente
forces on this front His dark face
and black eyes and mustache gave
him rather q fierce look rejecting the
adventurous life be has led-a sort
OF Rob Roy OF the Balkans-once one
of the Abdul Hands most trustv
generals. through a score OF bloody
campaigns, and now the ruler of AL
hania with the casting vote of that
sovereign state in the final peace con-
Eress.
Essad Pasha was asked as to the
charge that Albania is backward and
semi barbar0us and not entitled TO
be ranked as an independent nation
allty.
That is usually the charge" said
ne. when powerful nations have po-
urical designs and ambitions on small
states. The first charge always is
Shat the small state is not capable Of
looking after itself and needs some
strong nation To watch over il. That
is the preliminary 10 absorption and
conquest Albania has naturally ar
tracted the covetous eve of some OF
the stronger powers. u has q great
sea front, lying along the eastern
Adriatic. with ports and harbors
which are of great strategic and COM
merciai advantage to any power Which
possessed them.
That is doubtless one OF the rea-
sons that Albania is often represented
as backward. needing some powerful
naighbori1g state 10 look after her
1T has always been one Of the favor
tie methods for political extension and
conquest in the Balkans. Austria felt
that Bosnia and HerscE0 were not
capable eft looking after themselves
and needed her help in order 10 be
governed
Judged 6y modern methods. ALI
bauia has not enjoyed ali that prog
Eass and development of the more adj.