Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-01-03

By CLARENCE L. SPEED
CWritten for and Approved by the War
. Committee of the Union League Club of
Chicago.)
Conflicting claims of Italy and the
new Jugo-Slav state, which is to
emerge from the world war either as
a greater Serbia under the Kafegorge-
witch dynasty or, perhaps, as Jugo-
Slav republic, offer some of the most
intricate problems which have to be
settled at the peace table.
Even if the settlement could be
made solely along racial and lingu-
istic lines it would not be simple. The
boundaries of the Jugo-Slav territory
along the eastern shore of the Adriatic
as well as further back in both Aus
tria and Hungary, are far from being
plainly fixed. If self determination of
peoples could be made the sole guide
the settlement still would present diff
ficulties, although with the exceptions
of comparatively few districts, there
is no doubt that all the Serbs, Croats
and Slovenes are ready to unite under
OhC SONCI SddI pnlCCllIS Il 1CCdOAL
of religion and local customs.
Other Questions Involved.
But there are other questions in.
volved having to do with Italy's his
torical aspirations, the pledged wore
Of other great nations among the en-
tente allies, and economic and mill
tary plans for the future, all of which
tend to cOmplicate the situation still
further and to call for much forbear
ance on all sides if the final peace
treaty is to be one which will remove
the causes of international friction IL
This quarter of the globe.
Reference to the map above will hell
greatly to understand the problem:
which must be settled around th'
| peace table.
1t will be seen that, under the arm
| istice terms, Italy now has control O
the greater part of the eastern coas
| of the Adriatic from the old italian
| frontier down almost to what befor
| the war was the coast of Montenegro
Italy desires for several reasons t.
keep this territory, though its popula
ton is overwhelmingly Slavic.
ItaIys Historic Claim.
First there is the historic claim. Fo
centuries Dalmatia belonged to the re
public of Venice, and Venice itself
/ now a part of reunited Italy.
On the other hand Venice never co
onized this territory to any great e1
tent
Italy bases her claim to the easter
shore of the Adriatic also on the fac
that it contains all the good harbor
on that sea.
Menace Disproved by War.
The Italian claim is that any powe
the Adriatic sea, closing it to Italia
shipping and putting the whole Italia
coast in. jeopardy. This claim,
would seem. has been disproved b
Italy herself during the recent wa
Austria was a power far greater tha
the new Jugo-Slav state is likely I
be. 1t had modern ships of war an
was REINFORCED by many German SUI
marines. Yet Italy dominated IL
Adriatic completely because she hs
the stronger navy. Her ships wei
! able to keep the Austrian battleShil
r hiding behind their rocky islands ar
even to curb the German submarin,
! so that, as the war continued. the
became less and less of menac
Jugo-Slavia, by tradition, is not
naval power. Guaranteed its indepen
e ence by a league of great nations al
e assured of Italy's good will. there
no reason to believe that it ever wou
find it expedient to assume the fina
cial burden which the building of
navy of sufficient size to challenge Its
ian supremacy in the Adriatic wOu
= entail.
Promised Property of Others.
:, The third claim Of Italy to the gres
e er part of the east coast of the Adj
attic is based on the fact that it WI
promised to her by England, Fran
and Russia as an incentive for ente
e ing the war.
e Great pressure was brought IS b0