Evening star., 1924-12-22

For seyeraI weeks the news from
Eurone has contained references TO
unrest in Albania, and recently there
have come frequent reports OF insur-
rection, with invasion by armed BANDS
from .Jugoslavia, her neighboring nation
upon the north
The smallness of Albania, its sparse
population of uneducated shepherds
and mountaineers-almo savages IN
their blood feuds-might tend to an
underestimate Of the Importance or
their present unrest. but 1t should
not be forgotten that Albania was the
bone of contention" which threaten
ed to bring on a great international
war two years before Serbia won that
bloody distinction, and that she re-
mains the key to the Balkans, the
gate to the Adriatic Sea and the
highway perhaps to the Orient. Her
territory is the object OF the
covetousness of Jugoslavfa on the
north, of Macedonia on the east and
of Greece on the south. threatening to
fnfiame the quarrelsome Balkan
states into a new struggle to seize
territory and thereby to involve the
great powers, as 1t did Just prior to the
World War.
Albania Is also the field Of fanatic
jealousy between the three religions
dominating her population--Moslem
Orthodox Christian and Roman
Catholic. Her people are differen-
tiated, not upon ethnic lines but by
their religious. Moreover, for CEN
turtes-as far back as history records
the land has been held by great
estates, and her people enslaved by
feudal lords, where today there is
demand of agrarianism for the
confiscation of the land and its dlVi-
sion amongst the workers.
For decades there had been an
effort of the Albanians to throw on
Turkish dominion. In 1912 they sue
ceeded in driving out their Turkish
oppressors, only to fall into the hands
of the great powers of Europe
Jealous of each other and fearful that
an independent Albania would upset
the balance of power in the Balkans
and ultimately the balance OF power
in Europe.
Secret archives OF other great
powers might disclose as signifcant
documents covering international
agreements concerning Albania, as
did the Russian secrets which were
exposed by the bolsheviks in 1917,
after the downfall of the Gar. These
proved that Great Britain, France and
Russia, on the one hand, and Italy on
the other, entered into a pact April
26. 1915, to divide Albania among
her neighbors and thus annthilate
her as nation. Yet two years after
that secret treaty Italy proclaimed
the independence OF Albania, under
the shield and protection OF the
Italian Kingdom"
At present irregular bands (said to
be Juroslavians) are stirring up un-
rest along the northern border and
creating anarchy. Will Italy inter
yene with her shield OF protection?"
The Albanian premier, Bishop Noli.
makes a formal appeal to the League
Of Nations that 1t request the gov
ernment Of Jugoslavia to cease per-
mitting its nationals to disturb his
country.
= Sir Eric Drummond, the general
secretary of the League of Nations.
is an Englishman, and Premier Noh
appeals to him, saying that a state
of affairs exists which "gravely men
aces the peace of the Balkans"-not
merely the peace of Albania. Friends
and critics of the efficacy of the
league are watching to see what ac-
tion that body VIII take as q world
league, and whether England will
sanction Naly's protectorate--they
hath being members OF the leagnes