The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-01-19

Albania's claims OF independence and
the possibility Of the Balkan States. prov
ing a genuine stumbling block TO world
peace are set forth In a statement Just
given out In Boston by G. A Chokrezi.
Albanian delegate to the United states.
'1n his historic address to the Italian
Parliament on January A." says Mr.
Chekrezi. President Wilson emphati-
oally told the Italian people that the
Balkan States should no longer be In
terfered with. but be let to exercise
their own national independence. Who
ever is In position to realize how the
Ralkan States have been In the past en-
ployed as the instruments of their pow
erful patrons and how they were COM
PEELED to forego pro tdnto, willingly or
not. their own national independence
will fully appreciate the high states
manshlp of the man who has so sue
cessfully grasped the conception OF the
thorny Balkan problem.
III one is bound to say tho bare
truth. one would be compelled to recog
r,ize the fact that UP TO the present
time there have been no Balkan States
at all there have been, instead, num-
Der of mercenary satellites revolving.
more or less, as inert masses within the
orbit OF the mighty planets of CONT
mental Europe. This was, of course, the
corollary OF the old system of the bal
pnce OF power.
OLD Diplomacy to Go.
But to-day when the current Of re-
organizing the world and establishing 1t
on more moral and sound bases Is calcu-
lated to do away altogether with the
older schemes of European diplomacy /;
when the United States broke off the
barriers of her traditional policy TO
help Europe remedy her century long
evils of misery and bloodshed which
could not but directly affect America as
a world power; when President Wilson
personally went to that depraved Europe
to instill higher ideals OF justice, peace
and world freedom into the poisoned
hearts and minds OF the European peo-
pies: to-day. I say. when serious at
tempts are being made to reform the sin
full Europe and TO inaugurate a new
era OF prosperity and world fraternity
Instead of the bankrupt ono of misery
and continuous carnage, one is bound to
thoroughly examine the causes of disaf-
| lection that have been proving on the
| tranquility of Europe. lest there he left
some sore point which may he the gen
| orator of new convulsione and struggles
president Wilson's reference to the
| past dependence and contemplated fu-
| ture independence of the Balkan States
! has been explained as applying chiefly
| 20 the Italian claims on the eastern
| coast of the Adratic Sea, and the Jugo.
| Slavs seized this opportunity to make
| more bitter their attacks against Italy as
claimant OF the Damatian coast. But
If we have to take into consideration MIR
| Wilson's state of mind when he made
! that statement before the Italian Parli.
! ament. and II. moreover. due interpreta
| ton is TO he given to it, 1t would easily
appear that no such restricted construc
ton may be nationally put on the Pres
| ident's declaration.
Dalmat inn Coast Only - Part.
THE Dalmatan coast is only a par
| OF the eastern coast OF this particular
sea. Southwark OF that coast extends
| the Adr!atic seaboard of Albania which
| is equally. and probably more, i'm
portant than the Dalmatian. Likewise
| Mr Wilson's statement in regard to thu
| shadowy independence OF the Balkan
States brings forth the question OF Al
| bania which was made an independen
sovereign State in 1912 and remains Sc
| to the present day, Constructively a
| least.
zone cannot understand thus. why 81
much space is given to the JuGo-Sla'
| claims on the AdriatiC coast while 70
a mention is made OF the preponderaUt
| " Adriatic position of Albania. Should
this be attributed TO ignorance of III,
real situation and import of the Adriati,
! problem or to the feeling that the prin
, cipe OF self-determnation and national
! ity have been abandoned before 1t wa