New-York tribune., 1918-07-14
"Key to Adriatic," Now an
Entente Ally, Long Has
Been Buffer State
Valuable to Italy
Recent Allied Advance Indi-
Gates Rome Is Strengthen
ing Her Protectorate
By Ralph Block


WASHINGTON, Jury 13.-The Allied
advance in Albania is regarded here as
having more Importance than would
attach merely to a fifteen-mile advance
on the scattered Eastern front. The
Balkans have a way or putting them
selves into the news. The Albania Of
fensive is another reminder that the
Balkan question is not a negligible is
'sue, however much the fighting in the
West overtops it in the strategy of
the moment
The obvious Importance of the last
Austrian offensive and its failure has
helped to hide the significance Of
Italian operations across the Adriatc.
But Its significance is not hidden in
Italy, where the great value of an
Italian foothold on the Albanian coast
has been established in the Italian
mind by a long process of education in
Atoanlan mlsadventures and a subse-
quent familiarity with Albanian ambi
tions.
The presence of Albanian troops in
the Allied forces under the command
oi Essad Pacha recalls the whole trou
oled history of Albania in the last foul
years, Its integration by the powers
early IN 1914 as state under the
hlngsnlp OF German prince, the flight
or Prince William of Wied from His
palace after three-months reign an
tne subsequent occupation by italy
the port of Avlona and the later dec,a
Iatlon OF Albania's independence b
!taiy last year, under a guarantee OF
Italian protection.
Now an Entente Ally
Essad Pacha, a powerful Albanian
chief, at one time closely associated
with the Young Turks, played an i'm
portant part in these events. 1t was
the potential threat of Essad Pacha's
power that drove Prince William from
Durazzo. and it is now his alliance
with the Allied powers, rather than
with the Turks, that makes it possible
Tor Italy to make secure her A banian
protectorate when the war has ended.
AViona, which was the western ter
minus OF the present Allied advance,
ana ana which was seized by Italy early in
thc war, is not merely the most impor-
tant Key to Constantinople from the
Adrlatlc. For Italian hopes and am
bitions, the possession of Avlona and
control of the eastern Adriatic coast
IS matter of life and death. The
oid Italian fear on the Adriatic was
the tear OF S.avic encroachment. This
mas passed, with the passing of Russia
as an actual integrated state owning
deye oped programme of ambitions
In the Near East.
But 1t has not in any way changed
the essential Importance of the Adri
atlc as an accompaniment to Italian
progress. Itaiy and Austria have been
the Two European nations most inter
ested IN Albania's destiny. and both
of them agreed to the suzerainty of a
German prince as a protection against
Kussla. But that was before August,
1914. Austria is now Italy's great enc
my, and Italy is faced with the ne
cesslty OF greatly strengthening her
hold on the Adriatic to compete
against the Austrian hand, with its
fingers stretched out at Pola and Cat
taro.
Necessity for Italy
The Adriatic always has spelled the
difference for Italy between stains
as frst class power or dependency.
Ihls was recognized so clearly in the
days of Venetian primacy that Venice
strong y fortified certain places on the
A'oanlan coast Venice is now useless
as a great naval base, gradually filling
up with silt. Bari and Ancona are
open roadsteads. valuable cniefy for
commerce across the Adriatic, and the
great Italian naval harbor at Taranto
is across the heel of the Italian boot
and so shut off from command of the
strategic straits of Otranto The pro-
lection of the Italian hold upon Ayiona
is therefore essential
The political implications Of the AL
banian drive again point to the alb
sence OF any concerted political action
with respect to the Balkans between
the European Allies and the United
States.
Albania is pointedly one of the
Small nations" that looks to the
United States for moral and political
encouragement in its struggle for au-
tonomy. 1t is nation of vigorous.
energetic people, with an ancient Ian,
guage; race derived from the oldest
Aryan stock among European peoples.