The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1919-01-03
pies the Coast.)
By CLARENCE l.. SPEED

BY CLARENCE l.. SPEED
gWritten for and Approved by the War
Committee OF the Union League Club of
Chicago.)
Conflicting claims OF Italy and the
new Jugo-Slav state, which is to
emerge from the world war either as
"A greater Serbia under the Karegorge-
witch dynasty or, perhaps, as a JugO-
sSlav republic, offer some of the most
Intricate problems which have to be
settled at the peace table.
Even if the settlement could be
made solely along racial and lingu-
aStic lines ii would not be simple. The
boundaries OF the JugO-Siav territory
along the eastern shore OF the Adriatic
as well as further back in both Aus
1ria and Hungary, are far from being
plainly fixed. If self determination of
peoples could be made the sole guide,
the settlement still would present diff
g,eultieS, although with the exceptions
of comparatively few districts, there
Us no doubt that all the Serbs. Croats
and Slovenes are ready to unite under
erne government guaranteeing freedom
of religion and local customs.
Other Questions Involved.
But there are other questions in
solved having To do with ltaiys his
aorical aspirations, the pledged word
of other great nations among the en-
tente allies, and economic and mill
iary plans for the future all Of which
teDd to cOmpliCate the situation still
further and to call for much forbear-
nnce on all sides If the final peace
areaty is to be one which will remove
The causes Of international friction in
shis quarter of the globe.
Reference to the map above will help
greatly to understand the problems
which must be settled around the
Deace table.
1t will be seen that under the arm
dstice terms. Italy now has control Of
she greater part Of the eastern coast
OF the Adriatic from the old Italian
sTontier down almost to- what before
The war was the coast of Montenegro.
Italy desires for several reasons to
Keep This territory, though its popula-
GjOn Is overwhelmingly Slavic
ltaly's Historic Claim.
First there is the historic claim. For
centuries Dalmatia belonged to the re-
public OF Venice. and Venice itself is
now part Of reunited Italy.
On the other hand Venice never col
ennized this territory to any great ex-
cent
Italy bases her claim to the eastern
shore Of the Adratic also on the fact
.hat it contains all the good harbors
on that sea.
Menace Disproved by War.
The Italian claim is that any power
which holds this coast can dominate
che Adriatic sea. closing it to Italian
shipping and putting The whole italian
coast in jeopardy This claim, ii
would seem, has been disproved by
Italy herself during the recent war.
Austria was power far greater than
The new Jugo-Slav state is likely TO
ne. 1t had modern ships OF war and
was REINFORCED by many German sub
marines Yet Italy dominated the
.Adriatic completely because she had
the stronger navy. Her ships were
,skle to keep the Austrian battleships
hiding behind their rocky islands and
even to curb the German submarines
so that, as the war continued, they
became less and less of menace.
JugO-Slayia, by tradition, is not q
naval power. Guaranteed its independ-
ence by league Of great nations and
assured Of Italy's good will, there is
no reason to believe that Ii ever would
fSnd II expedient TO assume the finan-
ccial burden which the building of
Enavy Of sufficient size to challenge Ital-
ian supremacy in the Adriatic would
entail.
Promised Property Of Others.
The third claim Of Italy TO the great
or part Of the east coast Of the Adri-
attic is based on the fact that ii was
promised - her by England, France
and Fuse'a rs an Incentive for enter
hng TN" war.
.Grea; pressure was brought to bear