El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-06-28
LITTLE WAR
BREAKSOUT
IN ALBANIA
Malissori Drive Invaders
From Their Mountain
Businesses.
WORLD IS IGNORANT
OF BALKAN STRIFE

CUISINE, Montenegro, June IL
" War has broken out here IN the
mountains on the Albanian border
Battles have been lost and won, but
only by the chance visit OF an Ameri-
can Red Cross man into these noun
tain wilds has news been obtained.
The mountain war resembles a Ken
lucky feud on q large scale
While It lasted It was OF the dead
Hest character. As a result the last
Albanian has been killed or driven
from the valley belonging to the
NaIissori tribe. Today. as a result Of
this war. Gusinje. which IN April was
a beautiful mountain town. IS in ruins.
Not a house IS standing. The bodies
OF Albanians still lie rotting IN the
ruins
AnAneienf Feud-
The Albanians who escaped are now
encamped near scutari. where they
are dependent upon the army Of oc-
cupation and the American Red Cross
for sustenanee. Gusinje IS not Of the
Ma1issori and its people were the VIC
tins Of the ancient hatred between
Montenegrin and Albanian They were
given to Montenegro after the Balkan
war for no reason they understood
Recently the long snouldering resent
ment famed mp and battles we're
fought in the valleys beyond Seltse
and around Gusinje- In less than ten
days the Albanians were in flight
As a result of driving out the Al
banians. the MaliSsori are now with
out a market. as Scutari IS too dis
tant for them TO reach and the roads
to IL are blocked by their enemies. the
Malissori not daring TO 20 through
the Rapsha pass in Montenegrin terri
tory.
It IS this isolation which IS making
American Red Cross AID TO the Mails
sori essential Without such aid and
without prompt and Just action By
the powers there is sure to be further
warfare in these mountain regions
sturdy Race
Sturdy. well armed mountaineers.
the Malissori are accustomed TO mod
ern warfare and have never been con-
quared by the Turks. IN 1911. when
the young Turks tried TO rule IN their
mountains. the 1lalissori rose and
fought with tremendous courage
against far superior numbers and re-
sources. They ran out OF ammunition
and large areas OF their country were
oYerrun and burned, but they fought
on. hurting huge boulders down on
the Turks as their artillery trains
wended their way through the narrow
mountain passes Even the Roman
Catholic churches OF the Ealissorf
have their rifle loOpholes-
Il was the Malissori determination
to hold out which won them autono-
my and a constitution. and which
paved the way for the Albanian re-
volt in 1912 AS the Albanian revolt
led to the Balkan war. and the latter
TO the general European confiagra-
ton, the Malissori claim with pride
that the great war started in their
mountains
It is worth nothing that the two
leading tribes In the lfaiissorf revo--
luton, the Hoti and Grade. have been
under Montenegrin rule since 1913
Having won autonomy by terrible
sacrifices in 1911 they now find them
selves under foreign rule.
Although hostile 70 other tribes. an
American Is welcomed IN the Malls
sor1 mountains with true Kentucky
courtesy There are no telephones no
teiegraphs and no established pos
tai system in the country. but by word
OF mouth alone the fame Of president
wilson and his Il points has pene-
rated to the remotest mountain
cabin.