Republican farmer., 1919-01-03
1 PROP PACANDA BY | AUSTRIANS OUT
Italian Bureau Says Croa- tions Aim at Escaping Re sponsibility For Their Part in the War.

was made puDlc yesterday by UT. Felice Ferrero, Director of the Italian Bureau of Public Information in this city:
 T consider it unnecessary for me to enter into an argument with the Jugo-Slav press bureau in Washing ion. Certain phases, however, of the Jugo-Slav accusations against the Allies deserve attention in order that the American public may not be mis- led by what amounts to pro-Austrian propaganda. It should always be re- membered that the outcry against the Austrian armistiCe terms is not against Italy but against the Allies and is not by one of those Allies but by a portion of the former Austrian Hungarian monarchy.
 The Austrian spirit in the present CrCatian propaganda against the Allies Is clearly evident in a recent statement made by the Jugo-Slav press bureau. In this the high moral tone which had heretofore been adopted, was abandoned and in it's place we find an imperialism that would do credit to Austria herself
 
 Jugo-Slavs are even claiming Trieste. although the press bureau admits that it is predominently Italian. We find also that they are threatening to fight for it, if necessary. This threat $. of course, ludiCrous, unless, as some may suspect, the Croatians have been promised military support by their former Austro- Hungarian associates.
 This tone is most unfortunate as 1t has stirred up an excessive nation aistic spirit in Italy While public oplnicn before was divided on certain political aspects of the Dalmatian question, now we find not only public opinion but the government united. The Treaty of London is now consid- cred the very minimum basis for a settlement of the Adriatic question. This strong nationalistic tendency which has also reached the govern ment now finds almost united sup port in public opinion for the claim of the whole of Dalmatia beside Plume
 Tn all this discussion it should not
 
 thing as a Jugo-Slav state. Neither the United States nor any of her Allies have recognized the Jugo-Slav state. There are, however, Serbs, CTcatians, ROsnians and Dalmatians. It may be useful to take up each one of these separate nationalfties and let a little wholesome light into their participation in the war. If this throws light upon the reasons for the present Croatian propaganda against Italy and her Allies, including the United States, the facts alone will be | responsible.
 Americans are familiar with the | outcry of Germany against certain 1 phases of the armistice terms. They | knew exactly what to do about thar | Outcry and were not at all disturbed by it.
 Tt is unfortunate, possibly, that 1 the objections of certain portions of l the Austrian Empire to certain fea- lures of the armistice with that coun- 1 try have been Camoufaged by efforts | to make it appear to the American public that the so-calIed Jugo-Slav nation has long existed as an entity 1 entirely separate from the Austrian Hungarian Empire, but happening to i be temporarily under the political l heel of Austria Hungary.
 The facts are, of course. entirely J opposed to this ideaIistic conception ! This, however, does not apply tc 1 the Serbs. The Serbs are our Allies | and were liberally dealt with by the Allied council at Versailles when the l armistice with Austria was framed Adequate port facilities on the Adri, atlc were granted and harmonious relations between Serbia and the Al lies would now be established had ii not been for the fact that certain DOT. tions of the disrupted Austrian Elm. i pire have again succeeded in stirring up Q controversy between her enc. mics. This is an old Austrian trick but will not succeed this time. And now as to the Creations. Il lS a fact well known to all of ou European Allies, especially Italy, that l Croatia constituted a large part o1 the Austrian armies and that Croatia | up to within a few weeks of the sign- ing of the armistice was an integra | part Of the Austrian Empire and ir | large majority supported the Ger. 1 nan-Austrian scheme of world dom. ] nation. It was largely Croatian 5ul. l lets that killed and maimed the American soldiers who fell on the Italian front When it became evi. dent to Croatia that the Austrian Empire was absolutely doomed tC 1 destruction and that there would bt | huge war indemnities to meet ana | other moral and financial responsi | 5iities attached to their participa. 1 tion in the terrible crime against hu | manity, the Croatians began thei1 campaign to ally themselves witt Serbia. This effort to hide behind the skirts of their former enemy and thus escape responsibility for the crimes they had committed agains civilization will not succeed if the information of the peace conferee! at Paris is as complete as I have every reason to expect it to be. Croatia has been treated like an, occupied land. It has been treated exactly like that portion of German, occupied by Allied troops. an wondering if it would be possible fo I Rhineland to set up a claim simila, to that which has been set up b, Croatia in the name of Jugo-Slav that would seriously be considered by any of our Allies. The situation in Croatia is exactly similar to tha in Germany and no different recep ton can fairly be accorded to Croa tian propaganda (which is reall pro-Austrian propaganda) than tha which would be accorded pro-Germal l propaganda.
 l And now let us consider the Slay