The daily times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1902-1936, 1919-05-23
DALMAT|A AND
ADRIAT|C COAST
The Secret Treaty of London
and Territory England
Agreed to Give Italy
TO BREAK THE ALLIANCE


| agreement on the Adriatic question
This time we hear that direct negot
iation between Italians and Jugo
slavs will be adopted measure
short lived harmony year ago, al
the Congress of Oppressed Nation
alities IN Rome. But one of the fea-
lures of the Congress was its con
tive of detailed consideration OF
territorial conflicts. When the wal
~ended more speedily and triumph
antly than could have been hoped
at the time of the Congress, there
had already been much friction
and with victory and hot heads on
both sides got into control of the
dispute. Last December direct ne
gotiation would probably have offer
ed the best hope of a satisfactory
solutioni now, when feeling on both
sides has been heated almost to the
flash point there is less hope of
success.
The question of Fiume cannot be
settled by itself; it belongs with
the dispute over Istria, the conflict
over Dalmatia- parts of a single
whole. Last week it was reported
that the Italians would make con-
cessions in Dalmat;a in return for
Flume. Here, indeed, they have no
standing on the argument of nation
atty SO heartily invoked when FL
ume was in question. Ninety-seyen
per cent. of the Dalmatians are Slavs
three per cent. are Italians. The
Slavs, following the Goths. oyerran
Dalmatia of the Romans; later Ven
ice conquered most of the seaboard.
lost it to the Turks, reconuuered it.
and lost it to Austria, when Venice
too, became Austrian. The long
venetian occupation has left archi-
tectual monuments of undoubtedlv
ltallnn character in the coast cities:
1T also left legacy of hatred amoHe
the Slavs who were treated none
too well by the conquerors. Wheth-
er the coast cities retained their
Latin character all through the Sly
of the Middle Ages is
matter of dispute between Slav
and Italian antiquaries; but there
can be no doubt that today the ma
Jorlt1es ecen in the cities are Slavic
except IN Zara, the capital. The
Macedonian cries from Sebenico and
SDalato, which were so prominent
! feature of recent Italian national
demonstration, were the cries of
The treaty of London assigned
to Italy ad the Da1matian Islands.
strategically of great importance if
the eastern coast of .ne Adriatic
were held by naval power, and
Ihe northern part of DaImatia. in
Zara and Sebenico and run
nlng down to a frontier little north
OF Spalato. The population thus to
oe annexed, according to the census
o1 1910, was about 100000. The
'trateglc argument excellent while
italy had strong neighbor. he
comes OF no consequences now that
Inc conference has decided to re-
lure the Jugo-slavs to maintain no
navy and no strong coast fortifica-
Ions. In about nine tenths of the
occupied territory the Jugoslavs took
pleblscite last Winter on the uues-
ION of union with the Jugoslav
state-the Italians prohibited the
vote In some localities-and by a
arge majority every commune yot-
ID for union. All inhabitants over
= were allowed 70 vote; and while
may be argued that in some To-
''Al1Ses the Itaialns stayed away
ne Probability of this seems very
small IN view of the fact that in
ne C1fy of lara, the centre of 1tal,
an ceiling, enough of them turned
'ut 70 give majority against the
lni9p Even in that city, however
per cent, of the voters favored
ne 4ugoslav eide; the commune Of
ARA including the suburbs, gave a
arge AS1av majority.
While the exigencies of domestic
9oiitics& &required it, DaImatia figur-
ID IN Italian propaganda as a part