Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-03-25
JUGO- SLAVIA WILL
FIGHT FOR RIGHTS,
DECLARES WRITER
Leaders of New Nation Say
Italians Are Trying to
Compel Them to Resist by
Force
nv HEnzERr COREY

BY HERBERT COREY
ZAGREB, Croatia, Feb. 2O.-(By
Mall For years before the world
war began the Paris correspondents
had a standing story for dull Sun
days. The American headline artists
regarded it with nausea. They usually
put this Notwithstanding caption
over it:
UNREST in the Balkans"
But eventually the world war came
and those who are trying to trace
back it's source find that the Balkan
unrest was one of the sure indica-
tions Of the trouble to come. Today
a set of conditions exists which is
in measure comparable to those
which famed up in 1913. Unless the.
peace conference finds the right solu-
ton there will be war one Of these
days, sure as eggs Is eggs. Europe
being what Europe is, such g. war
| might conceivably+ start the world
| fighting again. That may seem i'm
| possible. In June, 1914, the man who
suggested that a world conflict might /,
come was set down as little short Of
| an idiot.
Jugo-S1av Raising Army q
! Never mind, for the moment, tha
affairs in which Rumania and Bull
garia and Greece and Turkey are en-
broiled. They seem comparatively
easy of solution. The chief danger is
in the friction between the new state
of Jugo-Slavia and Italy. Jugo-Slavia'
is mobilizing a new army at Lubiana
The Italian forces aro holding Gs
conquered territory that part of the
Dalmatian coast which Jugo-Slavia
| claims as her own.
IF we do not get DaImatia we
shall fight Italy some day." the Jugo-
Slav leaders told me, quite candidly-
mot now, perhaps, but some day"
I'VE fear the Slav menace" is the
malta to protect ourselves"
In the effort to understand an adj
mittedly dangerous situation, l have
come to Jugo-Slavia. I visited a part
of the Dalmatian coast claimed by
the two sides. have seen some
thing of Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croa-
tia, and Slavonia, and saw the new
Jugo-Slav government in operation at
Belgrade. p
Italy's Course Provocative
| Although the fact is of slight inn
portance, saw the first newspaper
men from the outside world to reach
the Jugo-Slav interior. My conclu-
sion is that Italy is now pursuing q
definitely provocative course. She
is trying to bring about an open con-
flict with the ,Jugo- Slays. 4F.s
ii ttMost;&of them were until recents
ly enemy subjects" an Italian Of
ficer said to me. eve have the
same right to occupy an enemy coun7
try with armed forces that the en-
tente has to put an army of occu-
patton on the Rhine. We wish to
present q fat accompli to the peace
| conference"
The Jugo-Slav reply Is:
| 'ltalV irving to compel
resist her by force. Then she would
present us to, the peace conference
as dangerous elements whose coun~
try must be garrisoned. We are too
smart for her. We will accept the
decision of the peace conference, no
matter what that may be. But if
we are robbed of the Dalmatian sea-
coast we shall attack Italy when
want Country of Their own
Later on the Italian reasons for
demanding possession Of the Dalma-
For the moment it is important to
understand just what Jugo-Slavia is
and Jugo-Slavia hopes to be. Her
leaders do not visualize her in the
future as a great nation or a war
like one. They do hope that for
the first time in centuries the Slavs
may have country of their own.
For 500 years Serbia fought tho
Moslem and for freedom. 1t is only
a few years ago, comparatively, that
she won a nominal independence.
Even then she was under the eco
nomic yoke of Austria-Hungary. In
those 500 years there never was a.
nation, perhaps, that was SO often
and so thoroughly whipped: Yet
she always, fought again. Montene-
true that the Austrians occupied
Montenegro, but the Montenegrin
warriors for the most part moved
out and fought elsewhere.
Never Wholly Loyal
The remainder of the present Jugo-
Slavia has not been free in recent
history, but has always been uneasy
The great powers were always too
strong for the little states Bosnia
and Herzegovina were held by the
Turks until Austria-Hungary seized
them Croatia and Dalmatia and Sla-
vonia were likewise Austrian possess
sions. In a later article / shall show
that these parts Of the present Jugo-
Slavia have never been wholly loyal
to the cause of the central powers.
They were always held in subsection
by force. Nevertheless, the Italians
have some right on their side in re-
sarding them as enemies.
1.-THE CroatS always hated the ltal-
ians," I was told today. "Croat regi-
ments asked to be sent back from the
Russian front when Italy went into
the war. They did not want to fight
their fellow Slays, but they delighted
THE Croats are barbarians," the
Italians say: mo troops in the Aus
trian army fought US SO bitterly"
Three Different Religions
Jugo-SlaVia has been brought to-
gether by the pull of race. All Jugo-
5lavs-Serbs, Slavonians, Croats-
he. the same language, barring
minor differences of dialect due to
years of living in closely barred COM
partments. Austria-Hungary kept
them divided as much as possible. I'm
til about fifteen years ago the effort
to secure JuSo-Slav unity was foiled
by artificial differences. There are
three religions in Jugo-Slavia, the
Moslem, Orthodox and Catholic, and
their adhcrents never agreed. Other
causes of disunion were found by
Austria, but the Slavs finally got to-
| gether.
Now Jugo-Slavta is united in one
state, with approximately twelve mil
lions of population. Her various prov
inces are rich agriculturally and are
fairly well equipped with coal and
other raw materials Granted peace
and free access to the world markets,
a modest prosperity is certain to be
! hers. To have that free access to
the world her leaders insist that the
possession of the Dalmatian sea
coast is necessary.
STOMACH TROUBLE OR
T'APEWORM BANESHED