American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-04-11
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Fiume, as well as other sections OF the Dalma"
tlan const, that rocky stretch Of country that is To-
Gated on the Adriatlc shore opposite Italy.
Or. 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
Jugo-Slavs, while Vice Admiral Cngni OF the
Italian navy, commanding the port of Pola, a re"
miles up the coast from Fiume, repeated the accu-
satlon and strengthened 1t.
'The Jugo-Slavs," Admiral Cagnl said, ARE peo-
pies that formed n large portion of the old Aus
trian army. They remained faithful to Austria
until the final defeat. They fought Italy to the
last ditch. Now these same troops are 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, was the kernel of the problem,
not only of Fiume. but Of most Of the lands along
the Balkan side of the Adriatic. No one, except the
most lmpresslonable, pretended to believe the stu
alton would develop into n real war. The solution
was to be some kind of a compromise to be made
ut the peace conference.
Thomas Nelson Page, American ambassador Mt
Rome, WIS of the opinion that a satisfactory COM
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 Adriauc shore
were ignored.
The ambassador did not mean tnnt the peace
conference would award Italy every inch of lands
clnimed in this region. Other American diplomats
who were familiar with the problem expressed vir-
tunlly the same bellef-that Italy is entitled to n
very fair consideration of her lstrian and Dalma-
tian claims. but that these claims will probably
not be fully awarded.
There WINS some talk in semioficial quarters OF
nm lnternationnllzed Fiume-a kind OF free port
serving Hungary. the Balkans, and the Istrian pen.
nsula is the transshipment OF overseas freight.
DrI.m Aorfh CeHkind
Fiume is a prize worth striving for. Whatever
dag finally flies from its government offices will
wnye over a town famous for the beauty of It's
buildings and the amplitude OF Its docking fncilI.
ties.
Ar n cost of more than S40,000.oO0 the Hun.
vnrians built magnificent stone wharves along
nearly half n mile of waterfront, where the bis
oceon.going ships can tie up aud unload. The
docks fnce the principal business street of the
c,tv ON the one hand you have a forest OF mastS
and 400 feet away, across a paved street, is n vista
az stone business houses and hotels.
In the city there are $4,000 people, hundreds OF
whom speak seven languages ms d matter of every
day routine. Italian, French, German, Hungarian
and English are the principal tongues. The othel
languages are the more common tongues OF thu
Balkan states, including the Croatian.
The Italian tongue. however, is admittedly tn,
common language OF Fiume, for the reason that
niority OF the citizens claim Italian ancestry
The MAYOR Of the town claims that 10000 of tn
b6 900 inhabitants are Italian, and pointed 10 tn
fact Tint the schools Of the city are Italian, a
well as the Inscriptions on 30 per cent OF tn
Vynvestones. All OF which he considered as fai
nroof Of the Italian character of the place, whic
had been preserved through centuries Of Austria
rule.