The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-02
PROPAGANDA BY
 AUSTRIANS OUT
Italian Bureau Says Croa- tions Aim at Escaping Re- sponsibility For Their Part in the War.

New York, Jan. 2-The following statement on the Adriatic situation was made public yesterday by Dr. Felice Ferrero, Director of the Italian Bureau of Public Information in this city:
 T consider 1t unnecessary for me to enter into an argument with the JUgo-Slav press bureau in Washing ton. Certain phases, however, of the Jugo-Slav accusations against the Allies deserve attention in order that the American public may not be mis- le1 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 Croatian 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
 
 place we find an imperialism that would do credit to Austria herself. We find from this statement that the Jugo-S 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 .a. 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 i1 has stirred up an excessive nation aistic spirit in Italy. While public opinicn 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 natienalistic tendency which has also reached the govern ment now finds almost united SUD- port in public epiHsen for the claim of the whole of Dalmatia beside Plume
 'In all this discussion it should not be forgotten that there is no such thing as Juge-Slav state. Neither the United States nor any of her Allies have recognized the Jugo-SIav state; There are, however, Serbs, Crcatians, Bosnians and Dalmatians. Tt may be useful to take up each one of these separate nationalities 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 phases of the armistice terms. They knew exactly what to dc about that outcry and were not at all disturbed by it.
 Tt is unfortunate, possibly, that the objections of certain portions of the Austrian Empire to certain fea- lures of the armistice with that coun- try have been camouflaged by efforts to make it appear to the American public that the so-called Jugo-Slav nation has long existed as an entity entirely separate from the Austrian Hungarian Empire, but happening to be temporarily under the political hee! of Austria-IIungary
 The facts are, of course, entirely l opposed to this idealistic conception. This, however, does not apply to tEe Serbs. The Serbs are our Allies and were liberally dealt with by the Allied council at Versailles when the arnhTtIee with Austria was framed. Adequate port facilities ,on the Adri- ate were granted and harmonious relations between Serbia and the AL lies would now be established had it not been for the fact that certain DOT tions of the disrupted Austrian Elm Dire have again succeeded in stirring , up a controversy between her enc | mes. This is an old Austrian trick 1 but will not succeed this time. 1 And now as to the Creations It is O. fact well known to all of our 1 European Allies, especially Italy, that | Croatia constituted a large part of N-AS ~ANN'N1 -'AaI t1l Ll!lGo 11u lIldI CTOdIld Up to within few weeks of the sign l ing of the armistice was an integral part of the Austrian Empire and in l large majority supported the Ger nlan-Austriaa scheme of world dom lnation. It was largely Croatian bull lets that killed and maimed the American soldiers who fell on the Italian front. When it became evil dent to Croatia that the Austrian Empire was absolutely doomed to destruction and that there would be huge war indemnities to meet and other moral and financial responsi- 5ilities attached to their participa- ton in the terrible crime against hu- manity, the Croatians began. their campaign to ally themselves with Serbia. This effort to hide behind the skirts of their former enemy and thus escape responsibility for the crimes they had committed against
 civilization will not succeed if the information of the peace conferees DOn,