La libera parola. [volume] (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1918-1969, 1919-07-12

LeOPOTo VaCCaro -
with preface by former Charles r.

not even the omnipotent Mr.. House,
who has been so long in Europe, has
gone on the spot to study the national
and racial problem of the Adriatic.
General Diaz and Admiral Thaon di
Revel should have been entitled little
more than Mr.. Wilson to say some-
thing about the military defense Of
Italy. Has Foch had too much to say
about the French frontier of the
Rhine?
However, what is quite typical in all
this question is that Mr.. Wilson af-
firms that Italy will be quite safe be-
cause of the League of Nations, and
therefore will not need any natural de-
fense for her future security.
Let US be candid: The League Of
Nations is thing of which everybody
speaks with great respect, but in
which nobody believes; not England,
who asked for sea power and refused
to consent to the reduction of her fleet
nor France, who asked for at least the
naturalization of the left bank of the
Rhine, and now is asking for mill
tary alliance with America and Eng
land; not even America, who wanted
to be safeguarded by the Monroe Doc
trine, and is thinking seriously of in
creasing her military strength on land
and on sea. 1t is hard to understand
why Italy alone should be obliged to
believe in it and rely upon it! 1t is
quite natural that, independent of any
other reasons, Italy should prefer to
have the territory she thinks for her
security and to look at things from
the identical point of view as France,
England and America; it is we'll to
have laws, judges and policemen, but
very much better to have our homes
closed; it is good to have a League of
Nations, but very much better to have
the doors of our country closed
Are Jugo-sIavs enemies?
The whole of Mr.. Wilson's state
ment is founded on a wrong belief.
He says that the Jugo-Slavs are not
enemies. But this judgment should
be left 20 Italy They are not Ameri-
can enemies now because Mr.. Wilson
recognized them two months ago, but
they have been and they are still
ltaly's enemies, and the defense
against them interests Italy alone.
Some time ago Mr.. Wilson was ask
ed by Premier Orlando to settle the
Adriatic question, and he answered
that he had not the time to study It,.
How it has been possible for him to
recognize the Jugo-Slavs, not knowing
the question, is a mystery that not
even Mr.. Wilson can solve. 1t is a
mystery of the same kind as this other
one: How was it possible for Mr.. Will
son to publish so decisive a statement
over the most complicated question at
the peace table if he had not studied it
up to a few days before?
But Italy knows what ferocious
enemies Croatians and Jugo-Slavs, the
most faithful servants of the Haps-
burgs, have been to her; more ancient,
more continually ferocious, without
possible comparison, than the Ger
mans have been to France. And Mr.
Wilson, who is right in giving France
every possible defense against Ger
many, dares to ask the Italians to
consider Jugo-Slavs and Croatians as
friends. Is Mr.. Wilson willing to for
get the deplorable demonstrations of
Jugo-Slav hate against the Italians
which were the immediate consequence
of his hurried recognition of Jugo-
Slavia?
In order to put Italy in an unfavor-
able light and Jugo-Slavia in a good
light, there is a tendency to confound
Serbians with Croatians, and the
Jugo-Slavs are trying to represent the
arguments Italy brings against Jugo-
Slavs as directed toward Serbians.
This is a poor artifice. Italy knows
what Serbia has suffered, because
Italy herself has suffered as much.
But Italy does not intend to be the
victim of a trick.
Croatians and Jugo-Slavs fought to
the last against Italy and the Allies.
When Austria saw that the final blow
was coming, she turned everything
over to the Jugo-Slavs, trying in this
way to deceive Italy and the Allies.
Croatians and Jugo-Slavs, seeing that
the trick was unsuccessful, gave them
selves to Serbia, in order to be shield
ed by her and to share her merits and
camoufiage their crimes. Of course
Serbia, Notwithstanding the fact she
has got three or four times as much
territory as she had before the war,
taking with her the Jugo- -Slavs, tries
to have through them more advan-
tages if possible. But Serbians are
Serbians and still Allies. Italy has
for them the same feeling of friend.
ship now as in 1916, when she saved
them. Jugo-Slavs and the Croatians
are Jugo-Slavs and Creations; that il
to say, they are enemies, and if they
succeed in deceiving Mr.. Wilosn by
their trick, Italy cannot be deceived
and knows very clearly that they have
been, still are and will be her enemies
Of course, if Serbia is going to sup
port the Jugo-Slavs in their unjust
claims, Italy will be sorry, but she il
bound to defend her own lands anC
sons, even against her.