The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-11-08
ALBAN|ANS ASK
AID CONSTANTLY


respondence the Associated Press)
Continued appeals are being made
by the Albanians for the United
States to assume mandate for AL
bania. The Albanian has an amaz-
ing confidence in America. Scarcely
week goes by in which some local
OTIS does not present a petition ad-
dressed to the Americans appealing
to President Wilson to intercede on
behalf OF their country.
When the Associated Press cor
respondent was passing through q
small town south Of here on horse
back, he was stopped by the mayor
and local officials, who presented to
him an appeal seeking the protection
Of the United States because the
Greeks we're reported to have taken
possession of the city OF Koritza, in
Southern Albania.
The Italian protectorate is in op.
Grafton but most Albanians profess
a distinct dislike for the Italians.
saying their desire is merely to ex-
plot the country and to retain q
strategic foothold in the Balkans.
Some Of them say they Jared better
and the country progressed more
under the Austrians. American OBJ
servers say the Italians have
brought great material and moral
good to the country and have sta
/ bilized things in an effectual way.
The country is extremely primitive
and there are continual internal dis
orders. Railroads or telegraph do
not exist, many of the most ordinary
conveniences of life are wanting
sanitation isealmost unknown, and
schools and churches are few in
number, and altogether the country
seems extremely backward. Except
for the southern part, which is fair
ly fertile, it is a barren waste OF
rocks and woodless hills and noun.
| tains.
Albania produces scarcely enough
| crops to support it's inhabitants. The
population is upward Of 100000
| divided about evenly between Chris
tians and Mohammedans. Only
about per cent Of this number is
able to read or write.
! The women do all the work. They
are veritable beasts of burden. In
deed, they compete with the ponies
and donkeys as pack carriers, but
are not considered by the men as
valuable, because they cannot beal
up under such heavy loads. In the
frequent, sale of young women fol
wives, the price paid often is not
as high as that given for good
horse. This severe life among the
| women shows itself in premature
old age and in many forms of seri
GUS physical disability. Fifteen pei
cent of the mothers die in child
birth.
| The men sit around coffee houses
discussing politics, or attend to th'
business of repelling by gun or the
sword the frequent Serbian or Mon
tenegrin invaders. The hostility tt
the Serb and Montenegrin never
ceases. Feuds, pistol duels and ven
dettas are of daily occurrence. The
Albanian, once he believes himself
| or relatives wronged, never rest:
until complete and fierce vengeance
is secured The American Red Cros:
hospitals throughout the country are
constantly called upon to treat the
victims of these feuds and vendet
| tas ...-... .r..
The Italians have force of abou
$4,000 troops in Albania. The ma
jor part of these are in the vicinity
of Valona. The rest are used il
police and garrison duty in differen
parts of the country. Their pres
ence has tended to tranquilize -th'
country and keep down the trouble
some elements among the popula
tion. There are recurring sporadi'
clashes, however, between the Al
banians, Serbs and Montenegrins, il
which frequently the Italians ar
forced to take part. 1slg "a