Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1918-10-25
IsrATClIES inll thni lhn Al


with the soldiers Of democ'
mcy. From the pan.Albaman
Federation Of America, Nntrn. which
has its headquarters in Boston, comes
word that the 10000 AlbaninnS IN the
United States have purchased nearly
81 100000 worth Of Liberty bonds
through the organization. The news
indicates that most ancient and
hardy nation ut last mas made the
proper choice, observes the New York
sun.
Albania stretches along the eastern
coast of the Adriatic sea, opposite
Italy, having Montenegro on the north,
Serbia on the east and Greece On the
place upon the landlocked sea, and
her harbor at Aylona, one Of the nm
est in the world, is considered by mill
tnry critics an Adriatic Gibraltar. The
country is n rugged. Wild heavily
wooded mountain. complex, undevel-
oped and unpalhed.
Albania became nOmnally prov
ince Of Turkey in ll6S and remained
such until 1913. when the London CON
ference granted national indcpend-
enCe under "A prince chosen by the
great powers. The AlbaninnS bitterly
complained ut that time about the Dor
ders dclmited for them on the grounds
that many purely Albanian districts
had been given to Montenegro, Greece
and Serbia. Albania was In Il sulkl
mood ut the outbreak Of the grea
war. However. its isolation was char
acteristlc. for Albania has stood alon'
throughout its history
In this time of flaming nationa
prides the Albanian, or Shkypetar, de
serves a ilecting notice. lie has
fought the longest and the hardest OF
All historic struggles for native lane
and independence, hut wild, inhospit
able and untutored In the uses ol
propaganda, his heroic story has AT
tracted rare and sCant attention. Tn
supported by allies, sympathy. song 81
story. the Shkypetars, II little M
ton" with their backs to their bar
rem cragS, war for freedom yoiceles'
throughout the centuries.
1000 Years Struggle.
Serbn'S or MOntencgro'S endurance
is pale compared to that which ha'
preserved this remnant of Il "a,
against all corners through truceles
ages. For more than 1000 years tn
Albanians have stood their ground
Welding their patrinony foot by foot
but guarding the fragment of thet
native land SO well that il today re
mains the least known region in Eu
rope. They are the oldest race Il
Europe to survive upon the lam
where the morning light Of histor
| found il aud this stubborn tenure u
their fatherland has been possibl
only by Il longer Drawer and more IL
domitable struggle than that waged b
any other Balkan people. The tacitur
and dour Shkypetar, however, In
fought silently, with mor0se and III
broken spirit and ut lone venture. A
other Balkan peoples have continuous
~ clamored for the sympathy of IN
world.
Today, however, their hills, swa
lowed up In the overwhelming mae
strom of world war, their land crosse
by the battle lines Of great power
they are living the last chapter
their troubled history. Whatever tnr
the great battle In the Balkans ma
take, II apparently can only mean TN
The time has come at last for Albania
submergence. Italians, Austrians an
Serbians are ccntending bitterly Il
the last strip Of the Shkypetar herl
age, and II seems that the measure
their existence has been reached. The
will emerge from this world shoe
Italians, Serbians or Austrians, m
the ancient Illyrian will vanish I'M