The Benson signal., 1919-03-29

Fiume, as well as other sections of the Dama-
tian coast that rocky stretch of country that is To-
Gated on the Adriatic shore opposite Italy.
Dr.. Antonio Grossich, acting president Of the
Fiume international council a political group
elected by the citizens of Italian descent in the
town, directly accused the French Of backing the
JugO-Slavs while Vice Admiral Cagni of the
italian navy, commanding the port of Pola, few
miles up the coast from Fiume repeated the accu-
satiOn and strengthened it.
"The Jugo-Slavs," Admiral Cagni said, "are peo-
pies that formed large portion of the old Aus
trian army. They remained faithful to Austria
until the final defeat They fought Italy to the
last ditch Now these same troops are being
armed by the French, against Italy. We under
stand the move perfectly"
Other Italian officials of lesser rank repeated
the assertion in one form or another.
This, in brief the kernel Of the problem,
not only Of Fiume. but Of most of the lands along
the Balkan side of the Adratc. No one, except the
most mpressiOnable pretended to believe the stu
alton would develop into real war. The solution
was to be some kind of a compromise to be made
at the peace conference.
Thomas Nelson Page, American ambassador at
Rome, was of the opinion that a satisfactory COM
promise solution could be arrived at But he
serted that in his belief the Italian people would
fight for what they considered their rights in case
the Italian claims to the eastern Adriatic shore,
were ignored.
The ambassador did not mean that the peace
conference would award Italy every inch of lands
claimed in this region. Other American diplomats
who were familiar with the problem expressed vr-
tually the same belief-that Italy is entitled to a
very fair consideration of her Istrian and Dama-
tan claims but that these claims will probably
not be fully awarded.
There was some talk in semofical quarters of
an internatiOnalized Fiume-a kind of free port
serving Hungary the Balkans, and the Jstrian pen
insula is the transshpment of overseas freight.
Prize Worth Seeking.
Fiume is prize worth striving for Whatever
flag finally flies from its government offices will
wave over town famous for the beauty of it's
buildings and the amplitude of its docking facili-
ties.
At cost of than $40,0OOOOO the Hun
garians built magnificent stone wharves along
nearly half mile of waterfront, where the big
ocean-going ships can tie up and unload. The
docks face the principal business street Of the
cty On the hand you have forest of masts
and 300 feet away, across paved street, is vista
of stone business houses and hotels.
In the city there $4,000 people, hundreds of
whom speak seven languages matter Of every
day routine. Italian, French, German, Hungarian
and English the principal tongues The other
languages are the more common tongues Of the
Balkan states including the Croatian
The Italian tongue, however, is admittedly the
common language of Fume, for the reason that a
majority of the citizens claim Italian ancestry
The moyor of the town claims that 10000 of the
56 600 inhabitants are italian, and pointed TO the
fact that the schools of the city are Italian, as
we'll as the inscriptions on 90 per cent Of the
grayestones All of which he considered fair
proof of the Italian character of the place, which
had been preserved through centuries of Austrian
rule.