The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1919-03-28

Fiume, as well other sections Of the Dalma-
tian coast that rocky stretch Of country that is To-
Gated on the Adriatic shore opposite Italy.
Dr. Antonio Grossich, acting president of the
Fiume international council, a political group
elected by the citizens Of Italian descent In the
town, directly accused the French OF backing the
JugoSlavs while Vice Admiral Cagni Of the
Italian navy, commanding the port Of Poa, few
miles up the coast from Fiume repeated the accu-
saton and strengthened it.
1.-THE Jugo-Slavs," Admiral Cagni said, ARE peo-
pies that formed large portion OF the old Aus
TRAN army. They remained faithful to Austria
until the final defeat They fought Italy to the
last ditch Now these same troops being
armed by the French, against Italy. We under
stand the move perfectly"
Other Italian officials of lesser rank repeated
the assertion In one form or another.
This, In BRIEF the kernel Of the problem,
not only Of Fiume but of most Of the lands along
the Balkan side OF the Adratic. No one, except the
most impressionable pretended to believe the stu
alton would develop into real war. The solution
was to be some kind OF compromise to be made
at the peace conference.
Thomas Nelson Page, American ambassador at
Rome. of the opinion that satisfactory CON-
promise solution could be arrived at But he as
serted that, In his belief the Italian people would
fight for what they considered their rights In case
the Italian claims to the eastern Adratc shore
were ignored
The ambassador did not mean that the peace
conference would award Italy every inch of lands
claimed In this region. other American diplomats
who were familiar with the problem expressed vir-
tually the same belief-that Italy is entitled to
very fair consideration of her Istrian and Dalma-
tisn claims but that these claims will probably
not be fully awarded.
There was some talk In semioficia quarters Of
an internationalized Fiume-a kind Of free port
serving Hungary the Balkans, and the Istrian pen
Ursula is the transshpment OF overseas freight
Prize Worth Seeking.
Ffume Is a prize worth striving for. Whatever
nag finally flies from its government Offices Will
wave over town famous for the beauty of Its
buildings and the amplitude of Its docking facIli-
ties.
AT cost of than $40,OOO,OOO the Hun
parians built magnificent stone wharves along
nearly half mile of waterfront, where the big
ocean-roIng ships tie up and unload The
docks face the principal business street of the
CITY. On the hand you have forest of masts
and 300 feet away, across paved street, Is vista
OF stone business houses and hotels.
In the city there 5000 people, hundreds Of
whom speak seven languages as a matter of every
day routine Italian, French. German, Hungarian
and English are the principal tongues. The other
languages are the common tongues Of the
Balkan states, Including the Croatian.
The Italian tongue however, is admittedly the
common language of Fiume, for the reason that a
majority OF the citizens claim Italian ancestry.
The mayor of the town claims that 10000 Of the
5s 600 inhabitants are Italian, and pointed the
fact that the schools OF the city Italian. rs
well rs the inscriptions on 80 per cent Of the
grayestones. All of which he considered as fair
proof of the Italian character of the place. which
had been preserved through centuries of Austrian
rne.