Imperial Valley press., 1923-09-12
Italy Straining
AtLeash;; Would
Battle Balkans
BY LLOYD ALLEN

OUlUcQ ITGSS QUAIL OOIIcSpOuUcuL
LONDON, Sept. 12.-Italy,
having forced her will upon
Greece, now is prepared to take
military action, if necessary to
defend italian rights in Fiume,
dispatches from Rome, Athers
and the Balkans indicate.
A new Adriatic crisis, with
Corfu and Fiume as immediate
pawns and Italy, Jugo-Slavia,
Greece and Albania as possible
participants in new conflict,
appeared at hand.
Mussolini has charged the Jugo-
Slavs with seeking to take advan-
tage of the Italo-Greek dispute to
break contract that gave most of
Fiume to Italy. The Serbs have
disclaimed any such intention and
insisted they will abide by agree
ments made, but reports from
Athens, possibly inspired, declare
Italy military preparations are un-
der way.
The Athens correspondent of the
Daily Chronicle cabled:
''In Trieste troop trains are held
in readiness with steam up and
heavy contingents of choice Italian
troops are being concentrated, pre-
sumably for use against Jugo-
Slavia, if that nation does not ac-
.cept the italian terms for settle
ment of the Fiume controversy by
Saturday.
'Ten steamers have been requisi-
toned by Italian government for
conveying troops to the base at
Pola.
Troops Have Embarked
"At Bari the Italians have em-
barked the Sixth, Tenth and Forty
seventh infantry regiments for an
unknown destination. The units are
completely supplied with artillery
and munitions. Their destination is
not known
The correspondent said the re-
ported landing of Italian troops at
Santa Quaranta still was uncon-
firmed in Athens, but had created
intense excitement in the Greek cap
ital where it was firmly believed
Italy is intent on forcing the hand
of go-Slavia by threat of in
vading Macedonia through Albania.
Officials in London considered
the whole Balkan situation as
alarming and feared Italy is ready
to go to extreme ends to carry out
her plan for making the Adriatic
an "Italian lake.
They saw in the virtual ultima
tum to Belgrade for acceptance of
the Italian thesis for settlement of
the Fiume controversy, determin-
alton on the part of Nussolini to
carry out the plan originally con-
ceived by d'Annunzio d in his seizure
of Fiume.
The history of the case was out
lined briefly as follows:
Following expulsion Of the dan
nunzio legionaires from Fiume, Itn
ly and Jugo-Slavia signed the
treaty of Rappalo, making Fiume
an Independent state with the port
under joint Italo-Jugo Slavia con
troll. Neither nation, however, rat
flied this treaty and Italy later re-
fused to accept it on the basis de-
manded by Jugo -Slavia which in
cluded a covering letter of interpre-
tation written the Jugo-Slav for
eign minister by Count Sfroza, then
foreign minister of Italy.
Review Situation
The Sforza letter finally was cast
aside and on Italy's suggestion ne
gotiations for Interpretation of the
treaty were reviewed by joint
Italo-Jugo Slav commission sitting
part of the time in Rome and part
IN Belgrade.
The work of this commission fin
ally reached place Where the chief
controversy centered around Port
Barros, a part of the Fiumian har-
Dor which Belgrade demanded be
placed under Jugo-Slav control
Italy refused this suggestion de-
claring the entire harbor must be
under supervision of the. joint COM
mission, with the italian and Jugo-
Slav areas retained to the west and
east, as originally planned. Final
ly, during last month s sessions in
Rome, Premier Mussolni sent a let
ter to the Jugo-Slav delegates curt
1y demanding acceptance of the
Italian thesis and leading up to the