New-York tribune., 1919-02-03
Italians Reported
To Have Landed ON
Dalnatian Islands
Government Takes Step to
Keep by Armed Force
What Was Pledged Under
London Treaty, Is Heard
By Reginald Wright Kaufman
NeW Yoric Tribue,s
SDecidl Cubic Service

cpeCtut Cupte peFUtCe
Copyright 1919 New York Tribune Inc)
PARIS, Feb. 2.--Is it true that q fort
night ago Italy landed 10000 soldiers
on one Of the Dalmatian Islands as an
evidence of the Italian governments de-
termination to keep what was promised
under the Treaty of London and what
it understood was promised by Presi-
dent Wilson's fourteen points There
is no Italian in Paris to day who would
confirm the story of the landing of the
troops, but there is none who would
not, if pressed, have declared his coun
try had decided to control the Adriatic
Sea.
The present situation regarding the
1talian-J -Jugo-Slav controversy amounts
to this:
England considers that the armistice
and President Wilson is apparently in
tentative agreement with England.
Against these powers, Italy Islands
pat" for, ,,.'all that portion Of Dalmatia
promised" in 1915, which was part of
the reward pledged for her participa-
ton in the war gainst the Central En-
pires, and she is firm that the reward
must be paid
Italy, it may be said on excellent au-
thority, admits that in 1915 she agreed
to the Kingdom of Hungary having free
access to the sea at Fiume, that port
being coined but not submitted to the
Hungarian crown" But there is now,
the same authorities argue, neither
Fiume is Italian in spirit and in Ian
guage, and, under Mr.. Wilson's doctrine
of self-determination, it should be
Italian in fact, the Italians argue.
Close Relation Seen
According to the Italian view, indeed
even the Slavs of Dalmatia are closer
akin to their transatlantic neighbors
than to other ugo-Slavs. The Dali
matians and the people of Croatia and
Slavonia, just to the north, are Cath
clcs of western, or Roman, faith. Those
of the hinterland are, on the contrary
members OF the eastern, or Byzantine
church The economic and historic ties
differ accordingly So do the very
literatures .and alphabets of the two
districts.
When the Serbs in the interior built
up powerful empire in the fourteenth
century under Stephen Dushan, the
Croats sought the protection of Aus
tria, but the Dalmatians, behind their
high mountains, came under the sway
of the Venetian republic and have ever
since remained essentially Italian
Only the arbitrary fiat of the Congress
of Vienna gave them to Austria, and
nothing, not even treaty from without,
joined them to other Jugo-Slavs.
Seek to Remove Menace
I'VE are quite willing" say the
Italians in effect, "to help the Jugo-
Slavs, but we are not willing to allow
d menace to the peace Of the world by
not maintaining our hard won control
OF the Adriatic. The Jugo- Slavs are
welcome to all the commercial advan-
tages that this sea differs, but between
the possible second and more powerful
stephen Dushan on the one hand and
the civilization of western Europe on
the other, Italy must stand guard.
"To accomplish that military control
OF the Adriatc, the key to the Mediter-
ranean IL necessary. 1t was the en-
emy's lake during the recent4 war and
1T must not again be so.
There are but two military ports on
the Western shore. Therefore, we must
have such ports in Dalmatia, on the
east. These were promised and we
mean TO see that the promise is kept.
Our claims are justified historically.
they are justified by the Treaty of Lon
don and they are justified by the four
teen points of Wilson,"