Evening star., 1924-06-21

Tho revolution is over in Albania.
1t came to a surprisingly successful
end, after three weeks Of almost
bloodless hostilities. when the insur-
gent forces entered Tirana, the capi-
tai, on June 10.
The insurgents of the other day
are the government party of today
They have already formed their own
cabinet, a very remarkable one, with
no one TO oppose them. The members
of the old government, including
Ahmed Zogu, the would have been
dictator and real power behind the
throne, left the country before the
, capture of Tirana, fleeing in all di-
rections, some by airplane, others as
best they could. Some of them sought
refuge in Jugoslavia; others in Italy.
Yet every one expected a sitter and
more desperate stand on the part of
the old government. 1t was believed
to have the control of the army
Moreover, while the hostilities lasted
grave fears of international compli-
cations arose. Italy. JugoSlavia and
Greece, old claimants of various AL
banian territories. were reported to
be sleeping, if they slept at all, with
an eye and an ear on the Albanian
situation. The American minister
Ulysses Grant-Smith, was reported to
have offered his personal mediation
between the contending parties. At
his suggestion, also, American de-
stroyers We're dispatched into Alba
nian waters. a hitherto unprecedented
event in the relations between the
two countries.
But, happily for Albania and the
peace of the Balkans. this upheaval
came to swift and decisive end. At
present, the helm of the Albanian
snip OF state is in the sturdy hands
OF level-headed helmsmen.
4
The cabinet formed by the erst-
while insurgents is a guarantee for
both peace and better government.
In fact, 1T comes into power as a
new era government" 1t promises,
first of all. to sweep away the rub
bish of medieval conditions, accu-
mulated during the long Turkish mis-
rule. and later scattered about in un-
slightly heaps by the events Of the
world war. Under those accumula-
tions the vitality Of the Albanian peo-
pie was giving signs of suffocation,
resulting in famine and peStilence.
And that was. by the way, the gist
and objec. of the revolution. The
party and government that was in
power until the outbreak of the in
surrection. composed, as it was. of
great landowners and puny aristocrats,
was in favor of maintaining those
stifling conditions as their inherit
ance of the past. In trying to pre-
serve them they transgressed, time
and again, the constitutional restric-
tionS placed on the governmental
n inr crria raS
OF the insurgents was that the old
government had tampered with the
results of the last elections to the
National Assembly in order to return
a substantial majority for itself. The
new government is, therefore,
pledged to dissolve the assembly and
hold new elections.
The new government has, likewise,
pledged itself to bring to trial and
punishment the murderers of the two
Americans, George B. de Long of New
York and Robert Lewis Coleman of
San Francisco, and of the Albanian
assemblyman, Avni Rustem. The fact
is, again, that the indignation
aroused among the people by these
dastardly crimes cast a fatal reflec-
ton on the old government and
turned the tide in favor Of the late
insurgents. In Furnishing the assas
sins the new cabinet aims to re-
establish the rule of law and order,
which has been dangerously shaken
bytthe policy of favoritism indulged
in by the old government toward its
own adherentS.
Another important feature in the
program Of the new government is to
bring Albania into closer collabora
ton with the league of nations. AS
mo ha a
dual position in the councils of the
league-she is member of the
league and at the same time it's Off
cial ward and protege. In the full
fillment of it's obligations as a pro-
tector of Albania the league appoint
ed staff of expert organizers for the
various branches of administration of
this new state. But. one by one. the