The sun., 1918-12-02
lITALY,S RIGHT IN DALMATTA
Based on History. Racial Afflllation
and Safety Of Her Coast.

and Safety Of Her coast.
To THE EpIToR OF THE SUS---Sir! Dr.
plomacy is busy fashioning the new
state of the Southern Slavs, 1t WILL of
course, include Croatia, Slavonia, Bos-
MIA, Herzegovina, Montenegro; and Ser
| bia will be the heart OF it--Serbia that
! we Gll love. But the proposal reported
In some papers TO include Dalmatta
sends pang OF dlsmay TO the heart OF
every lover OF Italy.
Italy has fought with unparalleled
nrdor against every kind OF almost In
superable obstacle. All her forces have
been staked in the supreme cndeavor to
free forever all her enslaved lands. She
| has won gloriously; every city and
every province Is at last freed 1t was
| on Italian Victory, freeing Italian lands.
| But IL did far more. Destroying Aus
| tria. 1t gave the death blow to Germany.
| and so tremendously served the Allies
and the cause of civilization.
Dalmatia owes her existence to an
Client Rome and her reestablishnent TO
! the Venetian republic. Through Dali
malta Venice fought against Islam and
saved tho Adriatio from the Turk. All
! the cities, all tho Islands. ali the civiliza-
ton of Dalmatia, all her memories and
sacrifices are italian.
Rismondo, burned alive by the Aus
! trlans for Italy's sake, was D1lmatian,
and Dalmatia's contribution TO the
| mother country in science, literature, the
arts and military glory has been re-
markable in every age. Dalmatia per-
haps best gives striking proof OF the
fact that throughout the centuries Italy's
| influence in the Adriatic has repeatedly
saved the cause Of human liberty. al
ways fighting the merciless threat of
militarism, now OF the Turk. now OF
Macy ar. now OF Austrian.
BY the bargain treaty of Compofor-
mic Napoleon ceded the Venetian
states. including Dalmatla, to Austria.
/ Immediately the Hapsburg's calculating
I eyes perceived the advantage to be
/ gained by playing Slav against Italian;
and speedily the Greats. protected By
Austrian police. fell upon the unhappy
| Italians with traditional violence and
| brutality. In our own day. just as the
| Imperial German Government has tried
20 drown the native sentiment In Alsace-
| Lorraine by a food of German immigra-
! tion so in Dalmatia the Austrians have
i swanped the country with Croat!ans and
other OF the Slavic peoples.
But Dalmatia, like Alsace-Lorraine,
| has stubbornly resisted this invasion and
| has preserved her ancient and purely
Italian traditions, and her civilization
remains to-day, in spite Of the outrage
| and force, purely Latin--purely Italian.
! Another Justification of tho eloquent cry
OF whitney Warren: "Is there wero only
one native Alsatian left I'm all Alsace his
should be the right OF the land''
But II 10 not only this national right
OF the Dalmatians which impels Italy
| to put forth her claims to protect Dali
malta. that tragedy OF the unredeemed!
Az in the days OF Old Rome and later
| during the Venetian republic. and again
In the time of Napoleon, the security OF
| Italy demands without compromise and
| forcibly that she be guaranteed the free
| dom of the Adriatic. a guarantee within
her own power 10 uphold.
From Brindisi TO Venice. the entire
| length OF tho peninsula on tho italian
| shore. tho Italian fleet has not a single
harbor for it's shelter and protection. An
enemy feet on the opposite Dalmat!an
coast can easily ana often with !npu-
| nifty attack the almost de:enceless shore.
with rich and vulnerable cities.
SO patriotism tradition. racial unity,
| elemental needs OF safety. all demand the
recognition OF Italy's historical and ma
| tIonai rights in Dalnatia. Renuuciat!o-
| IN this nuat not be asked OF Italy. One
| can renounce the superflnous. not tHc
| necessities OF existence.
Tho Czecho-SiovakS through restraint
| and discipline and bravery. lighting side
| by side with the Allies, won their r'gnt
/ to freedom and to transformation iu.o
| a glorious state. so Serbia, which oil
; the world admires for her vaIor, gnthers
! about her q new group OF the oppressed.
But tho Croatian minority among them
must not hope 10 follow the example OF
their late masters. the Austrans. The
! day has passed when they can subju-
gate races and lands that are not theirs
| Justice and humanity forbid 1t.
| Let the long nar:yrdom OF Italian
| Dainatla hav. its crown. Let the sacred
( aaUe which has burned in her heart for
| two thousand years-the flame OF desire
| 20 Lo Joined "a her Italian mothe----havc
its apotheosisi So let Italy develop in
| peace and Justice. Let her say 70 the
world that she has fulfilled her sacred
mission to free her children everywhere,
| south OF the Alps ana throughout The
Adriatic region.
Her sacred mission! For ever during
| tho years there has been q passion for
| freedom thrilling her purpose that has
been profoundly religious. Just the other
| day, following the great victory when
| the Italian Meet et last entered the Da!-
Inatian port OF cara. the whole populu-
ton gathered on the shore. There we're
shouts OF Joy and banners nuttering in
the breeze. But when the army landed and
marched through the streets OF the city
men and women on every s!de fell or
their knees and IN adoring silence
greeted their delirerers. their own Ital-
| ian brothers.
Mrs. AMALIA DALUMt SHAW.
New York. November 80.