The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-11-07

never was a Serbian town or port no Serbian flag ever fIoated over it, and no Serbian ever dreampt of Fi- ume in 1914 at the outbreak of the war. Yet today it is claimed for the Serbian kingdom in the name of Ju- gO-SlaVia as their only possible Adri- atic port, and as they cannot have the port without it's inhabitants, they must have Plume and all it's Italian population. This plea was put forward in 1915 by Russia in behalf of it's then protected Southern Slavs, and Italy in those days weakly consented, partly to please Russia and partly be- cause it was then believed that the Austro-Hungarian Empire would continue to exist after this war, and that Plume could be left to it in compensation for Trieste. At any rate, if it remained part of Croatia under Hungarian sway, the situation would be tOlerable, inasmuch as the Government of Hungary left a large share of autonomy to Plume, and never interfered with It's Italians character, it's local traditions and cus- toms, and the Italians of Plume al- ways got in a friendly way with the Hungarians. Conditions are not quite the same when it is a question of making over Plume to Croatia as part of Jugo-Slavia- Austria's traditional policy had been to set the Slavs against the Italians in their possess sions, and generations of Slavs and Italians have thus grown up with mortal and irreconcilable hatred of each other. The inhabitants of Plume cannot bear the sight of an Italian. The Slavs meanwhile also forget that, had they depended only on Russia,
 
 freedom. and that their deIiverance is due more directly to the Italian army on the Isonzo and the Piave than on their own exploits. At the Paris Conference the Jugo- o-SIavs pose as Allies of the Entente, but they conceal the fact that they never con- sidered themselves "aIIies of Italy" So true Is this that Austria could trust its chief command to a Croat General Boroevic, and it's guerilla war in Albania to large bands of Greats and Slovenes, who fought with enthusiasm against Italy, and when Italian troops after the armistice en- tered Pola and other Adriatic ports, they were received with suIlen defi- ance by the Jugo-Slav sailors and soldiers. All this is felt by Italy to- day, and the redemption of Plume becomes a national cause, which D. Annunz1o and his followers trans lated into action.
 Premier's Anger.
 The embarrassment of the Italian Government at the first newc can easily be imagined. Signor Nitti in anger exclaimed to the deputies who came to question him: "Italy is on the verge of famine, and they want to throw us into further comp1ica- tions!' The Italian government feels that 1t depends on the Allies for it's winter provisions, and has to follow a conciliatory policy regarding Plume But the national feeling gets the bet ter Of all bargaining, and D'Annun- zio throws prudence to the wind. Happily the Allies abstaineo from any intervention. Had they threaten ed reprisals on Italy, it would have been very short-sighted wisdom The affection of Italy would have been drawn away from the Allies merely to flavor the Balkan SIavs, who have rendered the Entente no serv1ces comparable to those of Italy. Signor N1tt1 was asked to make a decIara- tion in the Chamber, but after some hesitation he declined to do so at once, stating that the Government would instantly do all in it's power to prevent the incident from cans ing serious complications Various wild rumors were current as to How