The Washington herald., 1921-03-12

As COMING MODEL STATE.
Albania as a state will serve as
a model for the governments of the
world Is the vision that DR.. Charles
Telfofd Erickson brought to WASH
ington when she came here as rep
resentative OF that country after
fight for Albanian welfare which
began long before the first Balkan
war when he first went to that
country as a missionary worker for
the Congregational Church.
u is q romantic story with pic
turesque sidelights that DIR. Erick-
son tells, the story of a man who
developed from q minister of the
Gospel into a minister of humanity.
No idle chance took DR.. Erickson
! to Albania. Beyond the ministerial
field in this country he saw wider
opportunities across the seas, and
with a wife and Ave children took
up a perilous career in that coun-
try while II was still under Turk
ish domination.
HIS CAREER A SERIES
OF THRILLING CHAPTERS.
From the day he first set foot
on Albanian soil to the end OF
the Paris Peace Conference, life
| was a series of thrilling chapters
of international romance for this
man who might have remained at
home and rusted.
But DR.. Erickson has done any
| thing save rust since he landed
| in Albania.
The whole world knows how the
Young Turk movement in 1905 gave
the Albanians. a proud and sturdy
race. an opportunity to exercise for
the first time in almost four and
quarter centuries the right Of
self-expression. 1t is also easy to
recall the terror of the Turkish
| government upon learning that the
Albanians were beginning to revive
the arts, industries and feelings that
had been dormant for centuries un-
der the Islam blight.
One of the saddest pages of
modern history tells of the invasion
| Of Albania by the Ottoman hordes
| in 1907, of the sack and pillage and
rapine of that bloody period. And
DR.. Erickson and his family were
! caught in the midst of it. Their
| house in Albassan was surrounded
| by Turkish fanatics. From their
very windows they looked out upon
4
| Their house was surrounded, and
despite the fact that they were
Americans they were forced to fee
| for their lives-to Monastir, where
they took refuge with other Amer
| leans.
BALKAN WARS DEAL
BLOW TO ALBANIA.
Then the Balkan wars came
i al hNy he 80
| London-a commercial deal by
which the Ambassadors of the great
powers reduced Albania from a
country of $4,000 square miles to
! one of 1000 square miles, and re.
duced her population from approxi-
mately 100000 to about 1,000,0o0
And all this time DIR. Erickson
and his family struck by the AL
banians, sharing all their trials,
Then came the world war.
Yes, Italy would join with the
allies, provided among other things
she received certain concessions in
Albania. 1t did not matter what
the Ambassadors at London had de-
cided in December, 1912, Italy with
her secret treaty was about to con-
slider the London document as a
scrap Of paper"
Italy got her concessions, for
when the armistice had been signeo
ana the peace conference was called
at Versailles, the Italian govern
ment refused to permit the AL
oanfans to send their own repre-
sehtatives. They must be approved
oy tne itaiian government. for un-
less their passports were issued bv
that government they could nor
leave Albania.
Among those who went was DR..
ErfckVn. He fought steadfastly
for Albanian autonomy. So did Pres
ldent wilson. DR.. Erickson SAYS
that IL President Wilson had not
taken up the cudgel in Albania's de-
tense she would not be an inde-
pendent state today, for the great
powers. to placate Italy. were ready
to refute the treaty of London.
OPPOSITION SETS
AMBITIONS AFLAME.
1t is an ill-wind that blows no.
body good. The opposition of the
Italian government to the departure
Of the Albanian envoys to Paris was
the little spark that caused the
name OF Albanian ambitions for
autonomy. The Albanians organ
| A<eo government ana elected dele
gates to go to Paris. This was the
seed of the present government
which Is under a regency that has
Just been recognized by the league
Of nations.
DIR. Erickson says that the Unit
ed States should recognize Albania.
There are hundreds of thousands of
Albanians in this country who have
contributed money to the cause of
Albanian freedom. poor wretched
toilers in mills and factories. many
OF them, who literally gave the
sweat Of their blood to maintain the
ideals held tenaciously through CEN
turtles of oppression.
Albania already has learned much
from the United States, Dr. Erick-
son says. Not only the money sent
over by Albanians here who have
enjoyed the benefits of liberal gov
ernment, but ideas which Albanians
have taken back from this country
have contributed to the American
influence which is so strong in that
country today.
+. W. G.