Evening star., 1923-09-02
BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN.
.HE conflict for the control OF
the Mediterranean has begun.
The Italian-Greco affair Is


been smoldering for centuries, but
which were not revived actually until
the allies. successful in war, sat
themselves about the council tables
in Paris and began to hew and carve
in accordance with respective ma
tonal wishes.
The results Of the present en-
broglio-dargerous as it may be be-
cause of the strange and devious cur
rents in European politics-will
hardly result in general conhagra-
tion.
The clash will spread only in pro-
portion to the determination OF the
larger powers OF Europe to see their
national purposes preserved in the
general battle for domination. either
in particular spheres of influence or
the continent as a whole.
Situation TO BE Deplorcd.
But. owing to the general chaos
prevailing. economically. socially and
financially, the length and breadth Of
' the continent, the situation generally
ls deplored, much as sympathizers for
either Italy or Greece cling relig-
i"usly to the uprightness of re-
srective causes. The spirit OF unrest.
discomfort and even hatred prevail
ing among Balkan peoples again will
b. famed and the continent AS a
whole will be put back in its gen
eral striving for progress after the
great war that supposedly ended
with the treaties OF Versailles,
Trtancn and Sevres
I,A
constant danger that tie larger pow
ers of Europe. all kcenlv interested
III preserving their interests TO the
southeast. will be brought in sharp
alignment against each other, the
little Balkan peoples being used as
pawns in the general process of per-
pnCuating political and military in
fucnce OF their big brother nations.
Viewpoint of Italians.
1t cannot be truthfully stated that
Italy has seized upon the assassina-
tion of five of her members OF the
interallied military commission on de-
limitation Of Albanian frontiers as the
full reason for her precipitous action
against Greece. In every move is
seen the firm desire of the italian
government to once and for all time
: impress upon the Balkans that no
longer can she be flouted, as has been
customary. At the same time she has
served notice on the larger powers rof
Europe, notably England and France,
that if heretofore Italy has been
complacent in European settlements,
oftentimes, as Rome believes, to the
;.in oe 1,-'.
terests, this situation no longer ex-
lists. In other words, Italy's interests
must be considered at all times and
in all settlements. Rightly or wrong
ly all Italians believe that for cen
turieS Italy has been made the but
Of adverse decisions in London and
Paris. This opinion grew markedly
during the conference of peace in
Paris. When the Italians We're flouted
when they presented their claim for ter
ritorial extension. embracing the union
OF the Trentino and sections on the
Dalmation coast with Italy, Premier
Orlando and Baron Sonnini predicated
many of their claims on the preserva-
ton and future safety of Italy against
encroachments OF hereditary enemies.
When Italy sought control of a south
crn base on the east coast Of the
Adriatic, France and England. both
realizing that this would mean Ital-
ian domination of the Adriatic OBJ
jected so seriously that Italian claims
were shunted aside. So bitter became
the fight at one juncture that Premier
Orlando and Baron Soninni, foreign
settlements as were later brought
about have never, it is claimed, been
10 the interest of Italy. AS a conse-
auence there has been n growing de-
mand in all Italy that there be seated
some government that would cease to
tolerate sights from other nations
1t is for this reason, and this reason
alone, that the era of Mussolini came
to pass. Mussolini at the time of his
assumption to power represented, not
the facisti as an organization, but the
Italian peoples desire to see Italy
respected among the nations of the
world through her own strong courses
and her statesmen given ear in inter-
national councils
/, Want Control OF Adriatic.
One of the things the Italians long
have objected to is their inability TO
completely control the Adriatic.
Again. rightly or wrongly. they claim
to be the one power that should have
control Of this body of water which
nas SO far-reaching bearing upon
italian welfare. as well as politics in
the Balkans. The Fiume incident re-
suited from one of many efforts of the
Italian government to gain the phys
ical protection they declared was so
aacessary to Italy. Effort to obtain.
ports along the Dalmatian coast was
another The Italians however, pred
icated their demands upon the Italian
ity of the peoples there, and the de-
sire of these peoples to become asso-
ciated with Italy. After months and
months Of pickering patched-up ar
-aegaRnxnt was effected with Jugo-
sIavia in regard to Fiume and the
Dalmatian coast, but both the Ital-
ians and the Jugoslavs ever since
have been as two mastiffs ready to
spring to carry out nationalistic de-
sires completely.
When Albania was about to be cary
ed by Greece and Jugoslavia TO the
complete satisfaction of these two
powers, though there was some jeal-
oksy, rs to who would obtain the big
ger slice of pie, the Italians took a
determined stand for the preservation
of the Albanian regime and dispatched