Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-24
D'ANNUNz|0A|DS
ALBAN|ANS WITH
WAR MUNITIONS
Serb Force Twice Driven
Back to Border by Farmer
MountaineerS.
BY HIRAM X. MoDERwELL.

VAoDA/As w N~-A@s
| By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright, 1e2O.
ROME, September 24.-iabriele DAN
nunzio has sent many thousands OF
rifles and 100000 rounds OF ammu-
milton to the Albanians, according to
Information I have received from a
feliable source. But the romance of
I4he Observation-Disclosures defending
their liberty against enemies on all
sides has already taken a new course.
Within the past week Serb armies,
which had advanced to within few
miles of Tirana, the capital, were
driven back for the second time to
the border.
Serbs Attack In Dibrn section.
The Serb attack was made in the
Dibra section. where the Serbs had
no right of occupation. under The
armistice terms. and hence the AL
banians were taken by surprise when
unprepared. However. they. sent
couriers through the countryside call
ing for volunteers. and within few
wsre denuded of men. Thousands
streamed over the hills, each man
with rifle in hand and a piece of
bread in his pocket. There was no
| commissary department and no mill
ltary formation. For several nights
the hills bordering the Mathi river
| valley resound with rifle fire.
Finally the Serb advance guards
were cut of and captured and the
main army had to retreat. The AL
tier heavily. determined to prevent
any new surprise. Some 10000 of
them have gathered around Scutari.
| facing a large Serb army, which il
/ assembling in Montenegro.
Mercenary Tribes with Serbs.
The Serbs are utilizing for advance
guards various mercenary Albanian
tribes who, as a legacy from the days
Of Turkish misrule, sell themselves to
the highest bidder. These chieftains
hope to inherit the role of Essad
Pasha as privileged prince after the
Serb subjugation of Albania. They
flight we'll, but are not numerous. 1t is
said that the Serb soldiers are un-
| willing to fight, and surrender quickly.
All my information confirms the re-
ports of the terrible behavior of the
Serbs during the invasion. American
lcivilians just returned from Tirana say
that many villages in the Mathi valley
were burned and that thousands Of i'm
poverished refugees are crowding into
Tirana. They also say that an AL
bantam revolt in the Kossovi region
was suppressed with cold steel. the
invaders wearing American uniforms
with American eagle buttons which
were supplied to them last year BY
the war department.
Meanwhile Italy is making protests
lon behalf of Albania in Belgrade. Paris
and London. 1t is said that England
and France are supporting Italy, but
it is asked here whether America has
done anything to support the policy
Of Albanian integrity which was an
nounced last February. I have as
certained from official sources that
the alleged document on which the
Serbs base their right to invade AL
bania and the consequent burning of
villages and the seizures Of property
does not exist. An agent of the AL
bantam government. NJ. Frascheri. has
sailed for the United States to present
the Albanian case to the Washington
government and Albanian residents
and to place contracts for American
goods. He is expected to arrive in
New York in October.