The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-03
FIUME CLEARLY ITALIAN.
The Present Claims Were Stated BY
Dante Centuries Ago.

question of principles, as fortunately no
American rights of, property or Of citi-
zons are affected. There has, been SO
much contradictory information given
by newspapers. Government officials,
public speakers and representatives of
the conflicting interests, In the Adriatic
question that to avoid bitterness and
Observation-Disclosures It IL fair that the
basis of the Italian claims to Fiume be
clearly visualized by Americans.
To be Just to all we must face squarely
the underlying facts disresardlng spe-
cious arguments. 50 from the start We
may disregard any claims based on Sc
cret treaties. as we are only interested
in the principles and not in political bar
gains or even rights of victors In war.
Eliminating all these considerations Of
debatable application to the law of rea-
son and Justice what factors can the
Italians produce in justification of their
claims to Fiume? We ma three fac
tors in support Of the Italian status Of
Fiume:
!. Geographically and historically.
2. Population, language and civiliza-
ton.
.. Sentimental reasons.
Let US review these factors, but be-
fore taking them up by items We must
mako an essential observation. Italy
presents the unparalleled phenomenon
in history of a nation that without hav-
Ing ever been united until sixty years
ago under one Observation-Disclosures been
In fact subdivided in a number of small
states, some with native rulers, others
under foreign domination-yet has de-
veloped a national language and a ma
tional civilization. Furthermore. on ac-
count of the continuous foreign inter-
ference and domination throughout cen
turtles the Italians have continually abb
sorbed. like the Americans, foreign ele-
ments. fusing them with the native ele-
nient to produce a nation which, as DR..
Grosvenor says in the National Geo.
graphic Mega sine, lis a marvel Of hu-
man history for the blessings which II
gave to the world with a succession Of
geniuses, inventors, musicians, authors,
creators of inspiration and advancement,
from which all other people have bene-
flied"
81 u CdHne dDOuI inc lthIlanb
without being blessed with unity Of
government yet throughout centuries
have been a nation resulting from a COM
posite race, but with one common civili-
zation and one common language.
l. Referring now to the claims OF the
present Italians we find that the terri
torial confines which the Italians claim
were first given in the Italian language
by Dante If the Divine Comedy"
ftranslation OF c. E. Norton. Macmillan
& Co, 1902. page 100. up in
fair Italy. at foot of the Alp which shuts
in Germany above Tyrol g" which
establishes the principle that the divide
OF the Alps constitutes the natural ethnlc
borders of Italy.
This is important to understand, as
It was the Austrian possession on the
Italian side OF the Alps divide that Gre
ated the Italia Irredenta," the object
Of patriotic aspiration since 1866. The
chains of Alps constituting the divide
are the Carnie Alps and the Julian Alps
which reachsthe Adriatic in the Gulf OF
Fume at a point approximately ten miles
east OF the city of Fiume.
To show that the Italians have al
ways considered this confine as the
natural border line we may again quote
Dante. same translation. page 81, . .
as at Pola. near the Quarnaro. which
shuts Italy in and bathes her borders
- The Pola and Quarnaro Of
Dante are explained in the footnote OF
Longfellow's translation OF the same pas
sage (TicSnor & Fields. Boston, 1857,
stating, "Poia is a city in Istria. Quar-
marc is a gulf OF the northern extremity
OF the Adriatic." the modern Gulf OF
Fiume.
If We consider that Dante Is the father
Of the italian literature and that every
educated Italian for the last six con-
turtles has studied his Divine Comedy
as the foundation of thorough and true
culture. we may easily imagine how nat
ural It Is for every Italian honestly
to claim as part OF Italy all that terri
tory divided by the Alps. because that
geographical definition has been the
definition used throughout the past his
tory up 10 the present.
2. In the territory enclosed by the
Alps and the Adriatic there are included
400, 900 Croats out of n total population
OF $500, 900. All speak the Italian Ian
guage. The Italians in the city of Fiume
are at least so per cent, of the popula-
ton, according to the Austrian census.
The culture and civilization Of the whole
territory is Italian, being the evolution
OF centuries.
;. Austria was an omelet of different
races. The basis OF its domination has
AWAY been to foster animosity between
the different races, using the people OF
one Race TO dominate the other. For in
stance. during the Austrian domination
in Lombardy Austria employed Croat
soldiers to police the country Upder the
cruel government of a reactionory au-
tocracy these ignorant people were made
the tools OF persecution of the subject
pcpula ton, so that during the last CEN
fury the appellation of Croat in Italy
remained the equivalent OF Boche for
the German. The police spies. jailers,
e4ecutioners OF the Italian political con-
spirators and patriots under the Aus
TRAN rule have always been the Croats.
The Croats were among the bitterest
enemies opposing the italian armies in
the present war There has BEEN there
fore. in Italy a long history OF unpleas-
ant recollections of these instruments of
tyranny OF reactionary Austria.
II Americans are told of these under
lying principles which prompt the Italian
claims for Fiume l believe that they
will grant italy in a truly democratic
spirit the freedom of unfolding her
rights as she sees them without visit
ing upon her the threats along the lines
that few American newspapers have,