Evening star., 1926-12-09
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

The crisis of the Balkans again
looms. An Albanian Of note, living
in Washington, but in daily toucn
with official developments In the Bal
kans. views the sudden resignation
of the Jugoslavian cabinet, aitnousn
it ia but a. gesture Of protest against
italy. as a most serious lndlcatioh.
He points to the formidable concentra-
ton of French forces upon the Italian
frontier as significant OF 1mpenong
war. The effort to construe tne
French concentration as mercy
police defense against irresponslple
raiders over the Italian border. he
claims. is inadequate as an explana.
ton. since the French are reported
as bringing up heavy artillery. such
as is not used in minor defenses'
where tear gas, rifles and macnlne
guns would be the usual weapons.
Italy is charged with being the dis
turbing element, bent on plunglng
Europe into another war, In order 10
expand her territory and seize 1uii
control Of the Adriatic Sea, convert
ing it into an Italian lake. She looks
with covetous eyes upon Albania, JUST
across the sea, as the eastern post OF
the portal, of which her own heel
is the western post. Italy nearly
plunged the peace negotiations OF
Versailles into chaos in her demand
for Fiume, and has never rested In
her Machiavellian efforts to gain con-
troll over Albania. Now she has
achieved her protectorate. What Will
Jugoslavia and France do about 1t!
"what does it all mean?" asked the
Albanian, above mentioned. 1T means
that Italy has blackmalled my coun'
try, and gained her end In protec-
torate, giving her the right to take
over military control whenever she
sees fit to do so. She engineered the
so.called revolt against the Albanian
government three weeks ago. when
group of 100 exiled Albanians-an Of
ficers-organized the movement in
Zara, an Italian city. From lara the
officers invaded Albania, expecting an
uprising to give them supporters. but
the government put down the revolt,
with a loss Of only 10 or IL loyal AL
banians. The leader Of that revolt
escaped-he was a Catholic priest. II
he had been captured. he would have
been shot Immediately. All the priests,
whether Roman Catholic, Moslem or
are misled by the priests, who are
after power and bribes.
within one week after that un-
successful revolt, comes the treaty
forced upon Albania by Italy. That
confirms my statement that the re-
volt, coming out of the Italian city
lara, was of Italian encouragement,
and financial support. Here are thu
provisions Of the blackmailing treaty,
not yet ratified by either Italy or AL
bania, but look at the naval demon
stration that Italy Is making alonS
the coast of Albania while the treaty
Is under consideration by our Parlia-
ment. Here it is:
"'Article l. Italy and Albania recog-
nize and accept in principle that any
action directed against the political.
juridical and territorial status quo of
Albania Is contrary to their reciprocal
political interests.
"'Article 2. In order to safeguard
the interests above mentioned, the
high contracting parties herewith take
upon themselves the obligation to ex-
tend each to the other mutual sup.
port and cordial collaboration.
""They undertake at the same time,
not to conclude with other powers
any political or military agreement
detrimental to the interests of the
other high contracting party or detri.
mental to the interests which are com
prised in this pact.
"'Article 3. The high contracting
parties accept the obligation to sub
NIT to friendly procedure or to arbi-
| tration the settlement of those ques.
tions which they are unable to settle