Douglas Island news., 1919-05-23
FAMOUS HISTORIAN
 TELLS OF PLUME
Why This Town Has Given SO Hucl Trouble in Peace Negotiations
 Lately
CBy Guglilcmo Fcrrero Famous
 Italian Hisl1rian)

take Che peace conference has mad, both in Che solution" Of thc German problem and its policy toward Rus sla Has Che luatrious body had more success in handling tho Adri utlc question? Facts speak for themselves.
 There was a time not many days ago. when Che world bchcId semi rupture in tho Allied ranks and when it was feared that Che rclo tlons of friendship and mutual ad. Imiration between Italy and Che United States might bo broken im- probable as that eventually seemed. What is Che explanation for Chat miniature diplomtic catastrophe?
 TO answer that question it is succ- cssary above an to define precisely wherein consists tho Adrauc prob- lem It presents itself in two form. military and national The west crn. or Italian shore Of Che Adriatc has no islands. no ports no gulis. The eastern shore is dotted with nat Iural ports. gulfs and island go yer itablc paradise for pirates or sub- marines.
 It is for this reason that through out history Che peoples who have possessed the cas,crn coast have ol- ways becn in am excellent position Co dominate with their fleet Che whole Adriatic and Co threaten Che opposite shore. Tho latter. on tho other hand. has had to defend Itplf against that menace and, on che whole. has done SO by seeking, whom ever it could. Co seize Che other shore. whence Che monaco came.
 That is what Rome did m trans forming thc Adriatic into % Latin lake. Venice did it in occupying Dalmatia And that is what a part Of the Italian people would like to do today
 But this solution ot this iuucturc would present serious difficulties The "hmtcrluud" of the castcru shore is populated by sIavs. who naturally clamor for possession Of the shore itself.
 Italian occuueton oi thc cnsicrn coast. or even a considerable cStcu- sion of the Italian sphere there. would bring us into war with Che slav populations and with thc state or states that have been formed by those populations Such war; once embarked upon, might easily grow m extent Co have serious rcparcua. sions throughout Europe.
 In other words. by trying to rc. move Che possibility of future dan. gers. we would be thus creating im- mediate dangers, more grave than Che menace that might arise at some later time Certainly such a war would be fought To thc knife until one or Che other side were com plctcly crushed.
 Europe, i'm Che condition in which she finds herself as thc results ol Inc great war. cannot aGord Go look with cquanlmity upon tho ycycd sit- uatlon which is suu far from a har- monious solution.
 But Che military side of the Adri- auc puzzle is not the only one fraught with danger for tho whole of Europe. There Is the cthnoIogi- cal problem also. Among tho popu- latlons of thc eastern shore. Italians and slavs are mixed up in am ol- most bizarre fashion.
 Plume is an essentially Italian city. while its suburb, suzzak, ir preemeninty Slovenian in popula ton. scdjara is a purely Italian town. but outside its very gates is an area thickly populated by slavs spalato and Soblnica have mixed populations. the Italians and sloys being equally attached Co their re- spectiyc languages and traditions
 In these circumstances it is im- ! possible Co trace Che frontiers in 1 following cthnological lines What ever one may do it win always bc necessary Co leave certain Italian populations under slav domination and certain slav sections under Ital. ian domination. 10 is, therefore easy to understand why this combin. ation of differences has brought about a situation that seems m bud insolublo
 Tho Italians claim Dalmotia, or ai least the most important islands in Che Adriatic, fronting Italy plead. ing the necessity of strategical de- fensc. The slays refuse these claims on the ground of national princi pie.
 | Italy claims Plume as nm Italian city. The slavs, on the other hand claim it as a port which they 80, they need for the economic develop mcut Of their young republic. Ital ians who before the war were sub iccts of Austria, have beon through out manifostlng great repugnanc' against passing under tho domina ton of the Slavs, that is to say, un der Inc rule of greater Serbia.