Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-06
Italian Situation Serious.

Even more serious at the moment
is the Italian situation. Italy came
to the Paris conference with pro-
gram which included the possession
of southern Slav lands at the head
of the Adriatic. Greek territories IN
Epirus and the Aegean Island, the.
Turkish regions about Smyrna. Al
bania, much of Asia Minor and-'a
claim for new expansions in Africa.
For most of these claims she has
found opposition among the great
powers, she has, in addition found
lack of sympathy which has hurt her
deeply. .-..u.
One must recognize that pride is a
vital circumstance in the Italian CAL
culation. Italy has never yet been
treated quite as an equal by the great
powers. she feels that her neutrality
saved France in 1914. that her en-
trance into the war in 1915 saved
Russia and that her agonies in 19l.
and her successes in 1918 entitle her
to the same consideration as France.
And in Paris. Italy has not found the
welcome she expected. The result is
not to be mistaken; when L was M :
Paris, Italians talked quite openly of
return to the old German alliance
and French and British statesmen
spoke of this as one of the certain
ties, provided only Germany were able
to get together herself and thus offer
a solid basis for common proft.
An alliance between Italy. Austria
and Hungary on the one hand with
Bulgaria as a fourth participant and
Germany on the other. would mean
the suppression of the Jugoslav
claims, which affect all four. Italy
would gain Fiume, Austria recover
territories allotted to the Slav at
Versailles, Hungary get back back
much if not all of Slavonia and
Croatia, while Bulgaria would get
Macedonia, Moreover. Rumania, with 4
a quarrel on foot over the Banat, is
already reported to have made her
bargain with Italy at the expense of
her old allies.
France and America particularly
the British to certain degree, have
sympathized with the southern Slavs
and with the Greeks in their just
claims for territories inhabited BY
people of their races, but claimed by
the Italians. There has been at all
times in Paris marked and growing
GOODNESS between the Italians ana
their associates. Now Italy has had
domestic political crisis and it is
plain that in any event she will
emerge from the peace conference far
less rewarded than she hoped and.
Enthusiastically angry and disappointed.
Moreover, the Jugoslav question pro-
vides a bond of sympathy with each
of the races, which were until a few
months ago united in German
Germany has ground for hoping for "a
new arrangement with Italy.
snH
Russo-German Agreement Feared.
And what of Russia? The allies
have recognized Polish claims to in
dependence, mainly at Russian eN-
pense, they have encouraged the
Lithuanians, the Esthonians and even
the Ukrainians to hope for separa-
ton, and they have recognized the
independence of Finland. But if
strong Russian government energies
from the chaos of the Lenin-Trotsky
regime, will not this government
promptly seek to restore the old
Russian frontiers will it not seek in
agreement with the Germans ~ new
partition of Poland? Above all. If
the new government in Russia has
any percentage of the old Romanoff
Russia in it's composition. will it not
be imbued with an undying hatred of
the western powers. which openly and
secretly negotiated with the bolshe