The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-15
The Alban;ans and Albania.

hAC hhueusehb anu hbVahbos
Albania through which the Italians
have been VIGOROUSLY advancing,
sweeping before them the Austro-
Hungarian army, is one of the dis
puted. coveted lands Of Europe. 1t
Is this fact which gives Significance
to the statement from Allied head
quarters at Paris that the offensive
has political as we'll as military
purpose. The strengthening Of the
allied line In this region means not
only peril to the Austrlans' position
oil all their fronts End to the Bulgar
line in Macedonia. but 1t means the
occupation Of Albania, the western
key to the Balkans, the possible res
toration of Serbia and Montenegro.
and the control of the Adriatic.
The Albanian question from its
very nature has seemed always i'm
possible of settlement. Austria and
Italy could never agree upon which
was to be dominant In this wild land.
because the control of its mountain
passes gave the mastery of the west
ern Balkans and the occupation Of
the ports of Durazzo and Avlona
made possible the control of the
Strait of OtrantO and the Adriatic.
1t served ABDUL HANDS purpose to
foster this difference by making con-
n0yctnnc RI nathan
MED ". his successor, undertook the
first mission Of peace made for CEN
turtles by Sultan to a remote part of
his realm by making a personal appeal
to the Albanians on the field of Kos
sOva. The mountaineers of northern
Albania, who had pictured their Pa
disha as n half divine creature with
sprouting wings and halo. were dis
appointed to find him fat, lethargic
old man In red fez, baggy kneed
trousers and a black frOck coat. They
revolted and attempted to govern
their own land. The Balkan wars
followed and the Powers set up AL
bania as an Independent state with
WILLIAM Of Wied as Prince. He tried
to convert these mountaineers into
Prusslans, and to govern according to
the rules of his cousin, WILLIAM Of
Hohenzollern. His subjects revolted
and he climbed over the sea walls
back Of his palace one night and
found boat to Austria.
The Albanians IRE perhaps the old
est race in Europe. Their devotion to
their barren, wild mountain land. to
their traditions and customs is their
most remarkable trait. When WILL
IAN of Wied attempted to make them
over he incorporated peacock on
their flag, q red field with scream
ing black eagle. They did not know
what a peacock was, but they wanted
no such bird. They were mountain
eagles, nothing else. They are born
fighters; the law of the blood feud,
which carries dispute through gen
erations, makes their lives a continu.
GUS struggle for existence. There are
no old men in the mountains; they
die fighting long before fifty. They
have a certain faculty for govern
ment; but the fact that they have
never succeeded In ruling themselves
since the time Of their national hero
ScANDERBEG, is largely due to the
irrsconcilable difference growing gu,
of their arm adherence to one Of the
three religious bodies, Roman Catholi
cism. Greek Orthodoxy or NOLAN
mechanism.
1t is for this same reason, perhaps
that they have not combined upon Q
national leader. EssAD Pasha IL thu
strong man to-day; not because hi
has the support Of the whole country
but because he represents the Mo
hammedans, the most numerous re
ligious body. He is the richest mar
of the country, the most aggressive
and ambitious. His career, too
makes a vivid appeal to a warlik,
people. As was the case with mos
Albanians Of prominent families, h
and his brother were early in thsll
lives taken over by the Turkish mill
tary authorities, his brother becom
ing an officer in ABDUL HANDS guart
at Yildiz Kiosk and EssAD an Office
in the army.
| While stationed In Asia Minor h
learned that his brother had beel
killed; without asking for leave h
started for Constantinople. He mad
up his mind as he travelled who wa
the assassin. He found him and Il
accordance with the code Of his ma
tive land killed him. He would hav
preferred to have squared the az
count with the Sultan himself. HI
opportunity came when at his ow
request he was selected to notify Al
Dull HAhm that he was dsposed.
was a Job he relished and which h
performed without the use Of unnet
cssary words. In the Balkan war h
was second In command at Scutar
When the Governor was murdere
he surrendered the town, and marcel
a