Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-11-12
A THORN is REMOVED.

With the reported settlement of the Adriatic
controversy danger of serious friction between
Italy and Jugo-Saya apparently has been re-
moved
The dispute over the possession of Flume ana
of part of Dalmatia has been thorn in the side
of Europe since the armstice was signed AS
result of the bitter controversy Premier Orlando
once the most popular man in Italy, forced to
resign; and President Wilson's stand in favor of
the Savs alienated many thousands of Italians in
this country, as we'll strained the relations oil
the United States with Italy.
What the merits of the controversy really are
no one can say with any degree of assurance. But
one can safely declare that the peace of Europe
should not be jeopardized over the ownership OF a
comparatively small region of territory that may
be grasped thus" as Brutus expressed it.
An examination of the terms of the agreement
as announced in a London despatch, reveals the
fact that Italy has been generous in her conces-
80 sion to the Jugo-Savs. The lstrian frontier is 10
be decided chiefly in favor of the Savs, and tlume
formerly a part of Hungary, is to be made an IN
dependent state On the other hand, the Roman
government will get the Dalmatan seaport of cara
and the islands of Cherso, Lussin and une.
Many years ago, the present writer visited TINS
region and he has distinct recollection that the
predominant language was Italian, although IL
lyrian-a Slavonic language-was also spoken as a
sort of second tongue" The sentiment toward
Franz osef the late emperor of Austria, was at
that time decidedly cool, to say the least, while
the sympathies of the population Italian. In
deed in Triest the chief seaport of the Adriatic,
the newspapers were published in Italian and most
of the business transacted in that language
Italy has insisted on the possession of the north
Adriatic archipelago the grounds of military
necessity contendng that these islands in the
hands of the Slavs, would constitute a perpetual
menace to her national safety because of their
strategic value. Jugo-Sava, the other hand
insisted that needed the islands but especially
the seaport of Fiume, in order ito breathe she
commended that, being new nation, she needed al
least one port in order not to be economically
strangled. She pointed out that Italy had scores
of excellent harbors from Genoa in the northwest
on to Naples and Palermo in the south. thence
northward again as far Venice the northeast
In the midst of the controversy. Gabrielle DAN
nunzio, soldier, poet. dramatist, adventurer, per-
fumer aviator and what-not. took slash at the
Gordian knot and occupied Fiume with an army
of romantic spirits like himself. He took posses
sion of course really to benefit Italy although the
Italian government protested. What Romes rea
feeling in the matter was, or is, of course we can
not say; but it seems reasonable to suppose that il
the Italian nation had been seriously bent on GUST
ing him. it could have done
At any rate. D'Annunzo succeeded, in spite OF
his opera bouffe methods to keep Jugo-sayia out
of Fiume and thus paved the way for disposing
of the seaport Independent state. Space does
not permit an analysis of this strange man, with Sc
much of the noble, so much of the base and Sc
much of the purely eccentric mixed in him.
AS far as the outside world is concerned The
outstanding fact is that for the time being at least
oil has been poured the troubled waters of th'
AdriatiC.