Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-12
The announcement that the Italians hey

The announce that the Italians have
declined TO fulfil the agreement made by
Nitti, msny months ago, in the meter
OF the Fgean Islands serves to emphasize
once more, the difficulties which Inc IN the
pathway of the British plan to make Greece
her agent in the Near East and, IN the
larger view, the obstacles In the pathway
Of preserving any semblance of unit,y,
among the three great powers, who sun
represent the victorious alliance Oh the
world war
The Egesn Islends, the Dodecanesus
or Twelve Islands with Rhof des, have
been thorn in the pathway of Eupopean
statesmen ever since Italy occupied them
during her war with Turkey In leil
Then the Italian action precipitFted pro
tests from all OF Europe. end whlie tne
British and French were opposed TO the
seizure of islands which were, IN mea-
sure the KEYS of the Dardanelles' Germany
and Austria, IT the same moment ehtereu
their ptotcst against Italian operations
IN Albania -, .
The begirning of the present trouble is
found in the fact that ltr han pohcy, when
seeks prcdominance ahke IN the AdriaoG
and in the Fgean has found itself blocked
i'm the former seq, by Allied defense OIL
JIuyo-Slav rights ard in the latter by the
Thus the French with the Americans
and the British hPvc protested against
Italian claims to Fiume and all the Adri-
attic islands. while the British American
and in n far less insistent degree the french
have supported Greek clamsln the fgean'
So far as the question of the fgean
islands is one of right, Italy has not the
smallest claim for hearing. All OF the
islands which she seized IN the Libysn
War and still occupies have Thoroughly
Greek population, have been Hellenic IN
>population since the very dawn OF history
and without exception their inhabitants
desire 10 he united with Greece. III the
matter is to he resolved IN accordance with
principles proclaimed at Paris, then there
Is only one solution possible and ltallan
policy represents a tiagrant violation OF
the principle Of nationality.
But If the discussion Is shifted to any
other bases, then Italy can fairly claim
a hearing in court For example, there
il no reason why Malta should remain
British, II the Dodecanesus are to be re-
turned to the Greeks British occupation
Of Cvprus is no less an sffront against the
principle of nationality and specifically
against Greek rights than Italian posses
SION of Rhodes The defense of Italian
policy in the Hgean rests just as solidly
on self interest as tho British pollcy whicn
has been represented 10y the occupation of
Gibraltar for so long
The moment YOU pass from the strict |
enforcement OF the doctrine of nationality |
to the compromise between the doctrine |
and the interests of great powers, then the |
result is fatal Italy has at least as great .
interests In the Mediterranean and the !
Fgeau as any other country. Malta |
u IN fact the KEY 10 the eastern Medl- |
tcrranean or rather one Of the keys, the /
French naval port of Bizerta IN .Tunls is |
the other But Malta Is a detail IN /
British Empire, link in the chain which
runs from southampton, by Gibraltar
and Malta to Suez. Bizerta IS q clrcum-
stance in the French Empire in Africa,
which now extends from Agdir TO Gabcs
What the other nations are now asking
OF Italy is that she refrain from indulgIne
exactly the same ambitions which they
have realized in the past. The sole diff