The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1918-01-12

7 ITALIAN military operations in Al
hania may or may not bear fruit.
but the benefits of Italian occupa-
ton will prove lasting. In more
than one respect the satisfaction which
Italians have always found in likening
themselves to the ancient Romans is
justified. For the Romans possessed Il
certain quality which one can call by
40 better name than civilizing genius.
Where Rome passed Roman footprints
still linger indelibly. says Edgar Ansel
MOwrer in letter to the Chicago
Daily News. Though the empire of
| Trajan is less than memory, the
Roman road. the Roman bridge, the
Roman building or wall have lasted
| long after other later constructions
have crumbled into sand, for the rea-
son that the least of the Roman en-
erprises Incorporated the Roman
Idea," one Of the strongest conceptions
European humanity has ever known.
Those old stern soldiers and COVER
nors civilized and embelIshed the peo-
DIES and lands they ruled. But they
aot only built cities and pushed roads
% the ends Of the earth wherever the
cohorts advanced but more enduring
cities, more substantial bridges and
better roads than this earth had seen
before or has known since.
Modern Italy has inherited much Of
the Roman idea" Italy today shares
the old love for bureaucratic govern
ment, for order, for solid construction
outwearing the mere "utilitarian"
product, for in it's way Italy bankers
after the same vicarious immortality
Of lasting monuments which possessed
the builders Of ancient temple and
basilica. And. like the legions of long
ago, the Italian army Of today advances
to civilize and builds for an entire
age. Ample evidence for this state
ment may be found in the roads and
military works" at the Italian front,
but. better still. in the occupied terri
tories Of southern Albania, which Italy
has either taken for itself, as Avlona,
Or IS holding for the barely conceived
state Of Albania. whose approaching
birth 1t has so sententiously an
nOunced.
Only to limited degree can this
work of ameliOration be attributed to
any hut generous motives.
Race That Does Not Progress.
Southern Albania, rough, wild
tract Of sparsely cultivated land, is
thinly inhabited by an ola race, the
so-called Toski, forming the southern
branch Of the Albanian family. The
once, but it has always remained some
what backward. During the civil wars
in ancient Rome, number of old sol |
diers and other partisans of the beat
en- factions, migrated thither. But |
their number was too small to enable |
indigines, who, though wild, have rare
~ managed to present any organized |
resistance to an invader. For the Tos-
Iii do not apparently share the admir-
able love Of independence of the north
ern Albanians. They are indeed a
lessncss by extraordinary oppression
easy to govern. And, strangely enough.
all the Albanians, though they prove
in foreign lands amid other
to be n quick-witted peo-
pie, capable of many things, though
they obviously possess many Of the
major virtues, have at home remained
semibarbarous. Today,
though they do not oppose. they do
almost nothing to aid the Italians in
their great work Of transforming the
and their general impassIvity
IS rather like a stodgy burden which
The civilizers must constantly be lift
ne and moving from one place to an
)ther.
First Census Since Augustus.
Space is lacking for more than a
1rief survey Of the accomplished
works. First of all, it Is fitting to
speak Of administration. The entire
occupied region north Of the London
'rontier has been divided on the Ital-
an model into the province Of Avlona.
he province Of Argirokastron and the
district (circondario) Of Chimara, with
/ total population of 165, 459 persons.
almost equally divided between the
Loslem and the orthodox Greek faiths.
The census upon which the above f1C- /