Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-11-09
ALBAN|ANS AN OLD.
RACE OF FIGHTERS
Sketch of Remarkable PEG.
pie, Now Under Rule of
Italians.

from us washington headquarters, the
National Geographic Society tells Of the
changes wrought In Albania under the
military administration of the Italians.
The bulletin Is based on communities
ton to the society from Brig. Gen.
George p. Scriven. U. S. A., who has
just returned to America after sew
eral months spent in the Balkans on
an official mission.
In this bulletin Gen. Scriven says:
Throughout southern Albania-in-
deed. probably throughout all of AL
bania in these days-government is
administered by the armies Of occu-
patton. The people have little to say
as regards their own affairs and have
been almost completely disarmed. In
the italian section, however, many local
projects and magistrates hold Office
and administer the law as it now ex-
lists. the old Turkish code having been
partially replaced.
For this administration lower courts
have been established, methods of pro-
cedure drawn up, and, wherever pos
Sible, natives have been appointed to
minor offices. This recognition of the
Albanians and delegation of authority
to them has caused great satisfaction.
No Religious Distinctions.
They are beginning to understand
that under the mild military control
of the Italians they arc treated sim
ply as Albanians. without regard to
religious differences. No Ubiquitous
distinction in law Is now made be-
tween orthodox. as the people Of the
Greek Church are called, and Moham-
medan" In this respect the Italian
perhaps naturally enough. sees little
good in the Moslem.
THE Albanians are regarded as the
most ancient race Of southeastern
Europe. There Is no record of their
arrival in the Balkan peninsula. no
legend relating to their origin. They
are thought to be descendants Of the
earliest Aryan immigrants. and with
praiseworthy persistence have re-
tained their mountain strongholds
through many ages.
Albanians, Honest Fighters.
Except for Byron's casual tribute
like other peoples Of the Balkans,
have not been praised in song or story.
Indeed. they appear to have received
but little attention from the world,
except to be characterized as a turbu-
lent race of mountaineers, whose
principal occupation has been to fight
among themselves when not engaged
in fighting against some one else. But
like the early Swiss. these rude, un-
tutored people possess many primitive
remarkable tenacity the traditions OF
their descent. and are brave. honest
and hospitable. Their lives having
been spent in constant conflict with
1ature in its most unfriendly aspects,
they have been taught from infancy
to fight against men as readily as
against the warning elements Of the air
Albania is notorious as the land of
the blood feud-a tribal, or perhaps
more properly a racial. custom OBJ
served for many centuries. Travellers
and commentators usually refer to the
Albanian mountaineer as utterly law
less. but in reality his actions toward
his fellow men, UP to a few years ago,
were based upon the strictest possible
observance Of lava tribal law found
ed upon most distorted idea of per-
sonal and family honor,
Origin Of Blood Feuds.
The smallest infraction Of custom
"a blow struck in anger. an unwilling
shove in crowd-inevitably led to
the declaration Of q blood feud, and
the honor of the injured party was
sullied until he had slain either the
actual offender or some male member
of his family. The relatives of the
slain individual were then compelled to
take up the man hunt, and thus the
feud spread.
so fatal were these feuds that in
some mountain districts it is said an
old man is seldom to be encountered,
Of the Albanian race. The men were
killed of before they attained patriar-
chal years.
Many are the curious customs and
rituals growing out Of the blood feuds.
It Is the unwritten law Of the land
accompanied by a woman. and, fire.
quently a wife. daughter or sister fol-
lows her manfolk on all journeys
through the mountains in order, by her
presence, to furnish protection from an
implacable foe. Formerly in certain
munity from the vengeance of an ag-
grieved Albanian, the price varying
from $50 to $50. according to the To-
cality.
Rigid Code for Guests.
"A rigid code protects guest in the
mountain Businesses, and If a traveller
bantam the host. according to tribal
law. is obligated to declare a blood
feud against any person who insults
or harms the visitor within a certain
length Of time after he has been en-
tertained.
such Is a picture drawn of the
people Of Albania less than a decade
ago. It Is in striking contrast to the
country as I saw it few weeks ago.
under the control Of the French and
Italian armies. The change is espe-
cially conspicuous in that part of Al
bania which Is under Italian admins
tration. There the children are sent
to school: the natives are paid more
than a living wage for work which
often Is for tho benefit Of the people
themselves; the country is effectively
policed by the soldiers. and not an
armed native. except of the Bandes, Is
seen from one end Of the occupied ter
ritory to the other.
If feuds still exist they are unful-
flIed and secret, for the arms of the
mountaineers have been taken from
them by the troops. and among them
selves the Albanians are practically at
peace, The old conditions will prob
ably never return. Light is coming to
Albania"
coP MAJORITY IN INDIANA.