Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-10-09
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
THE FIGHTING POET OF ITALY
INTERESTS HIMSELF IN RE-
DEFINING PEOPLE

.
were seen coming up the street
| toward the house. They had been
| to the movies and were talking
away forgetting everything around
! them when their Uncle appeared at
the front door and called:
Here they come. Two little kid
woody movies. don't suppose you
| want to hear new fairy story, now
do your"
81 dol" answered Ruth as she
ran up the steps.
"You know I'm always asking you
| to tell us stories, Uncle Ted" was
Jacks answer.
''All right then, I'll have to tell
you one before dinner tonight. Get
your wraps off and we will go into
the front room where I've started a
nice fire in the fireplace"
When they were all settled, Uncle
Ted in big arm chair, Ruth on one
arm of the chair and Jack on the
floor, Uncle Ted began:
"Once upon time not so long
ago, there was poet in far off Italy.
He sat in his window looking out
over the blue waters of the Adriatic
sea and dreamed dreams and wrote
very beautiful poetry. Then the
great war came and his country
joined with Belgium. England and
France to fight Germany just as our
country did later on. He didn't
dream so much then for he Joined
the Italian army and helped his
country and the allies beat Germany.
After the war was over men from all
the fighting countries met in Paris
to make the peace treaty. 1t was
then that President Wilson started
trying to decide matters for every
country in the world instead of max
ing peace with Germany for the
United States and then coming home
to attend to the important work
here. He said that every little
country should have the right of
self determination which meant
that many little countries which have
been included in other big countries
should be allowed to start a country
of their own. This meant trouble
for all. A people called Lithunians
started fighting Russia. Poland
country called Czecho-Slovakia was
started and still another by people
called Jugo-Slavs. These Jugo-
Siavs are made up of Serbians and
some people from Austria-Hungary
and other mixed races from that
part of the world"
Where was the poet all this
timer" asked Ruth, impatiently.
"I'm coming back to the poet in
a little bit. Now when the peace
conference got to the claims Of Italy
the Italians said they must have a
city called Fiume which had been
captured from them by Austria years
ago. They said the people in this
city were Italians and that 1t should
belong to them. But President
Wilson and some others wouldn't let
them have 1t and when the treaty
was signed Fiume was given to Jugo-
Slavia This made some of the
Italians very angry but most of
them got over it. But the poet did
not get over 1t. He said, 'Fiume is
Italian and Italy must have it, So
he called for volunteers and almost
ever night he had an army and navy
of Italians with him. With the po-
ct in the lead they went right over
to Fiume, captured 1t and stayed
there. The poet. whose name Is
Gabriel D'Annunzio, was so success
full that other leaders have started
from Italy to take possession of 9TH
err places near Fiume on what is call
ed the Dalmatian coast. This whole
business may mean bad war be-
cause Italy win not only have the
Jugo-Slav trops against her but the
allies in addition because she has
broken the peace treaty"
as the United States going to get
into it," asked Jack.
1.-THE United Etates has already
gotten mixed up in it, answered
Uncle Ted, "and some of the big SEN
ators in Washington are angry
about it and demand an explanation.
We got mixed up in 1t this way.
When IT was learned that the italian
forces were going past Fiume and
| trying to take other towns below,
Rear Admiral Andrews. who is COM
handing the American naval forces
in the Adriatic, received orders from
Great Britain to land U. s. Marines
on this coast at a place called Trau
to assist the Jugo-Slavs in driving
out the Italians. The navy depart
ment in Washington gives all orders
! to the navy but they knew nothing
| about it. The situation is more Sc
! rious now because Italy is back Of
/ the poet and any action against him
will be action against Italy and
might mean war"
"Why didn't England. and France
land troops instead of ordering
ours?" asked Jack.
Because England at least didn't
want to get into trouble with Italy,
and il looks like she thoughtit would
be easier to order Americans than
\ to go herself. This sort of thing
| just shows what would be happen
! ing all the time II the world club
were going and we belonged to it.
England has acted just as though
I IL were going because otherwise she
would have no right at all to give or
ders to our navy The poet has said
| that he will fire on any ships that
| try to interfere with what he is do
| ing and | don't blame him. 1t is
the business of Italy and Jugo-
I Slavia and we have no business mix
( ing up in il at all. Unless we get
out we may find ourselves at war
, with Italy"
! Are the senators going to do
/ anything about it," asked Ruth.
They dread to think how close
our marines and navy men came to
/ bringing war on the United States
when they were landed to use force
in driving the Italians from Trau.
They will start an investigation of
| the matter just as soon as they can"
! 81 think England and all of them
had better learn that we don't be-
long to any world club and never
/ WILL" said Jack.
II hope you are right. Jack, /"
! said his uncle, cor we will be getting
into trouble like this all the time