Evening star., 1920-07-11
NALY'S FINAL BID
! TO REGAIN FAVOR
lOF THE ALbAN|ANS
Makes Attempt to Salvage
Something From Collapsed
& Balkan Policy.
BY HIRAM II. MODERWELL.
SpecinI Cable to The Star and Chicago
Daily News. Copyright, 1870.


ROME, July (Delayed The de-
parture on Tuesday of Baron Aliotti
as minister pIenipotentiary to AL
bania may be regarded as the last
attempt of Italy TO salvage some
thing out of the collapse of her
Balkan policy precipuated by the at
tack on Avlona.
The Aliotti mission will offer the
Tirana government full civil admin
istration of the city and district of
Avlona as soon as the insurgents
cease attacking, thus conceding the
chief demand both of the Albanian
government and the insurgents.
Nexerth eless. the success of the mis-
sion is regarded as doubtful. The
concession comes too late. 1t is OF
fered when Italian prestige is depre-
ciated and the rebels are exultant
and when distrust of Italy is univer
sal in Albania. To such miserable
proportions is now reduced the mag
nificent scheme once harbored by GER
tain Italian diplomats for making Al
bantam occupation the base for an
Italian empire in the Balkans.
Three Years of Inept Diplomacy.
The collapse of the italian policy
is the result of three years of inept
administrative pDpI
and general unce rtainty. this inCom-
petent dealing being exploited by the
shrewder diplomacy of rival powers
The result has been the suffocating
of what far sighted statesmanship
existed in ltaly's Balkan policy.
Italy has been pulling wires con-
tinuously at both ends in attempting
to do what many of the other powers
are now doing, but bungling the work.
The policy which should have been
pursued, as the best statesmen recog
nize, was simple-namely, that Italy
should make herself the consistent
friend and protector of an independ
ent, integral Albania against all ma
tionS seeking to divide and subjugate
Albania. This would have suited her
imperial schemes perfectly and placed
her in the position of a liberal power
defending the rights of small nation.
Edict Pleasing to Albania.
Italy began with this policy in the
proclamation of Gen. Ferraro at
Agyro Castro in June. 1917. which
said: BY order of the government
and King Victor Emmanuel, we SOL
emnIy proclaim the unity and indie
pendence of all Albania under the
aegis and protection of the kingdom
of Italy" The Albanians were en-
thusiastic All accepted Italy as a
friend, but they did not know that in
the diplomatic archives there already
existed a pact of London which said:
Italy having received the Trentino,
1stria and Dalmatia, will not oppose
the division of the northern and
southern portions of Albania between
Montenegro. Serbia and Greece if such
should be the desire of France, Brit
ain and Russia"
Again in June. 1919. the Italian
foreign minister, Signor Tittoni, and
Premier Venizelos of Greece agreed
on the cession of southern Albania to
Greece. These agreements and also
the similar Nitti compromise of jan
uary, 1920, were not made on the
initiative of Italy, but as the records
show were accepted under the pressuer
of France and Britain, acting. respec-
lively on behalf of Serbia and Greece.
But when these contradictory under
takings were published and compared,
1taly'S position appeared both i'm
moral and absurd. Premier Venizelos
apparently took care to make the
Tittoni agreement known to every
one in Argyro Castro last September
thus destroying at one blow the
Italian prestige based on Gen. Fer
rero's proclamation.
Greece Outplays Italy.
Greco then continued outplaying
Italy at every point, first by with
drawing her threats to reoccupy the
southern part of Albania in force and
then last month by making promise
to the Tirana government not to in
wade Albania until the powers form
ally ceded the promised territory
This left all of the Albanian forces
free to attack Italy at Avlona, as