Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-12-19

world to what was only few
years ago the most dangerous storm
area in Europe, and to a question
which almost precipitated the World
War a year before it actually did
come.
In the first Balkan war. of 1912. the
league of small Balkan countries,
Greece. Bulgaria Serbia and Mont
negro, finally broke the Turkish power
in Europe and threw Turkish rule
definitely back to the Thracian areas
Immediately covering Constantinople
and the straits and sea which sep
arate Europe from Asia.
In the parceling out Of the estate
of the conquered Turk, the Albanian
area had been divided by a pre-war
agreement between Greece and Serbia.
with the Skumbi River as the part
ing line of the two spheres. This
river very nearly cuts the present
state of Albania in half.
Following the victory. however.
Austria and Italy interviewed to pre-
vent this ALLEGATION of Turkish ter
ritory. Austria was wholly unwilling
that Serbia should have an outlet on
the sea. and thus escape that economic
and political restraint which had ex-
listed and must continue until
Serbia was able to communicate with
the outside world and thus obtain
markets which were beyond Austrian
control. For by closing the Austro-
Hungarian boundary to Serbian prod
ucts, Austria was able to exercise po-
litical pressure upon Belgrade.
Adriatic Sea Control.
For Italy, the possession by Greece
OF Valona and the eastern shore of
the Straits Of Otranto was the denial
of the national aspirations of the Ital-
ian people to obtain and hold the con-
troll of the Adriatic Sea. italian policy
here Is wholly analogous to that of
British in centuries past, when they
occupied and tried to hold Calais on
the opposite side of the Straits of
Dover. Italy, too, saw in a growing
Greece a rival commercially in the
Near East, and possible instrument
in hands of some great power in
thwarting Italian aspirations. both
political and economic in the Aegean.
Accordingly. Italy and Austria COM
bined to veto Greek and Serbian
plans. But since Russia backed Ser
bia, the question became European
and in the state of European anarchy
at the moment threatened to prectpi-
tate a general war, because Germany
| was bound to support Italy and Aus
tria, and Russia could rely upon both
| France and Great Britain, as was dis
closed later when the murder of the
| archduke produced the crisis and ca
| tastrophe Of July. 1914.
In the end Russia yielded and there
| was created the state of Albania,
which exists at the present moment.
While the Albanian people are distinct
raciaIly from the Slav and Greek peo-
piles on their borders, they have no
tradition of national unity and are
divided by profound religious diner
ences, since the tribes are In part
Roman Catholic. in part Mohamme-
dan and in part Greek Catholic.
battle-ground In War.
Before the new state Of Albania
had been actually put In running con-
dition the World War came and Al
baniaL was at once a battle-ground.
Through II the Serbs retreated after
their defeats in 1915. Later, Italian
armies occupied portions OF 1t. as the
western wing of the international
force which covered Sa1onica and ex-
tended from the Aegean to the Adrl-
attic. In this period Italy laid certain
bases for later permanent occupation.
After the war, despite the clalms
were pressed urgently. Italy was able
To maintain the independence and In
teprity of Albania against all other
clairns and settled down to the occu-
nation of Valona. But with the de-
cline Of the strength of italian policy.
incident to domestic difficulties and
az a consequence of Albanian mill
tarv disturbances. Italian garrisons
we're withdrawn and Albania was once
more intact. But always both the
Greeks and the Serbs, and the latter
more seriously. sought TO realize tnelr
national aspirations at the expense OF
Albania.
The new treaty between Italy and
Albania. so far as it can be judged by
the nresent information, amounts TO
double agreement on the part OF italy
to defend Albania from other aggreS-
sion and to refrain from attempting
To annex it In whole or in part her
self. 1t would apparently create IN
this area vital to Italian interests
kind of Belgium-that is. state ful-
filling for Italy the mission belglun
has had in British policy in the north |
NJ Eurone and covered by similar
guaranty.
Serb Aspiration Blocked.
But this Italian guaranty at once
blocks all present or eventual Jugo' |
slav aspirations to acquire Durazzo
that Is, for a port which would be the |
natural outlet Of all of the southern |
area of the new Slav state. Italy, by /
holding Trieste and Fiume and cover
ing Durazzo by her guaranty, STANDS
soI,arely in the pathway OF Serb aspi-
ration as did Austria, more complete
Nv but with the same purpose, before
the World War.
At the Paris peace conference the
of the southern Slavs
claimed all the east shore OF the Adr1-
attic from the head of the sea south
Of Gorilla to Albania. But the Paris
conference gave Italy not only Tri-
este. which was by majority OF It's
Latin. but large areas In
the hinterland which were quite as
clearly Slav. Italy afterward TOOK
Fiume, although her claim had not
been allowed at Paris.
The seizure of Fiume precipitated
crisis between Jugoslavia and Italy
which did not lead to war mainly be-
cause the Slavs were at the moment
exhausted by struggles
which had lasted since 1912 and had
as yet had no opportunity to reorgan'
lie their army on the basis or their
greatly expanded population. There
fore Mussolini was later able for the
time to eliminate the danger of col
lision by the treaty of Rapallo.
But the issue remained because
Italy's policy Is based upon the con-
tinued desire Of supremacy In the
Adriatic italian possession Of Fiume
and of the lara enclave to the south
are intolerable alike to Jugoslav in
terests and to Jugoslav conceptions
Of national and territorial unity. To
\
possession of the eastern shore by a
Of Albania Is thus an act
which does violence to Jugoslav
nlruoEA.