Evening star., 1927-04-03
ITALY BARS SOLUTION
OF ALBANIAN PROBLEM
Possession of Key Port of the Adriatic
Sought to Block Influence
of Outide States.

1t was bound to be replaced by a new
control which would take It's orders
| from Belgrade and not from Rome.
But, on the other hand. If the Italians
| landed troops TO support Zogu, then it
was far from likely that there
would be a national rising against the
| invaders.
Italy Favors Independence.
| Italys interests would be completely
served by the independent Albania.
which was friendly to her, Despite
! the various charges coming from
Paris and elsewhere. it is no part of
| Italian policy or interest to occupy
Albania. The reason is simple-to oc-
cupy Albania would mean to enter
! upon an operation which would in
volve great expense and continued
| fighting.
| Italy thus found herself suddenly
! brought up hard against the first Seri-
! GUS obstacle of the Mussolini time.
| Her purposes and interests were clear.
| She desired to see Zogu remain, and
| she was eager to avoid the cost and
danger of sending an army across the
| Adriatic. Thus her desires fell In
easily enough with those of the great
powers, which desired to prevent
new conflict in the Balkans that might
extend in all directions and could In
volve France as the ally Of Yugo-
| Slavia.
For the moment Paris. Berlin and
London joined hands. significantly dis
closing what might have been accom-
plished could a similar cooperation
have taken place in July. 1914. What
ever plans the Yugo-Slavs might have
had for sending Comitaji bands into
Albania had to be abandoned. The
Serbians were rather bluntly informed
| that Europe was not prepared to risk
new confiagration, beginning at
| Scutaria as the other had begun at
| Serajevo. And for the moment this
general agreement of the great pow
ers seems to have exercised the dan
ger of conflict.
Relations With France Tense
| Nevertheless, it is essential to see
| that the Albanian affair has untov-
cred the great weakness of Italy. To
day the relations between France and
Italy are hardly less tense than those
between Italy and Yugo-Slavia Right
ly or wrongly, the mass of the French
people believe that the aim Of Musso-
lini is to replace France in north
| Africa.
But the situation of italy is hardly
comfortable once there is a complete
accord between France and Yugo
| Slavia. 1t is always possible for
| France, by giving Yugo-Slavia even
/ the remoteSt measure of encourage
ment, to insure activity along the Al
banian frontier which must occupy
Italian attention.
To put the thing perfectly bluntly.
France feels herself threatened by
| Italian policy. For years France has
been attacked daily and hourly by
italian press and public men. Only a
few weeks ago there was a. panic
along the Riviera frontier, prectpitated
| by the rumor that Italian troops had
| crossed the line. Facing such a situa-
ton, what would be more simple for
the French than to relieve the strain
| on their own frontier by exerting
| pressure In Albania?
Situation May Become Acute.
The lesson of the Albanian crisis
| is simple. If Italy continues to pur-
| sue a course which seems to the
French threatening, IL Franco-Italian
| relations continue bad, nothing Is
more likely than that the situation In
Albania will become more and more
acute.
| Sooner or later, then. Italy win
| have to send troops to Albania. II
troops are sent that means a long
period of mountain fighting and an
enormous strain upon Italian re-
sources.
Actually. too. the thing goes much
| deeper. Mussolini has now estab
lished himself in Italy so strongly
that. barring a foreign disaster, his
| domination seems sure to last for his
| lifetime. The single possible foreign
disaster. so far as one can see, could
come from the Albanian side.
| In a word, then, in the extended
4 hof "a Htron
for political influence in the east Of
Europe, the long string of successes
/ which Mussolini has scored have at
| last eliminated in an episode which.
| however lacking in any French in
spiration. has disclosed the grave
weakness of Italy in the face Of
France. With the breakdown of the
Latin-Slav entente which was created
at Rapallo. Italy finds herself caught
between a suspicious France and
| hostile Yugo-SlaVia
| Nor Is it less clear that while Greece
Is at the moment powerless, Greek
| policy and interest in Albania are
anti-Italian. Greece not less than
Yugo-Slavia, therefore, offers a fertile
! field for French activity if the Franco
Italian rivalry is to continue.
Playing Dangerous Game.
1t is obvious that in this situation
Italy will seek to weaken Yugo Slavia
by activities at Budapest and at Sofia
! But this is dangerous game, be-
| cause Rumania feels herself threat
ened by both Hungary and Bulgaria,
( and 1T would be a simple matter for s
italy to lose Rumania in gaining Bull
garia and Hungary. But this would
be to restore the triple entente and
to fortify French influence in II.
ICzecho-Slovakia, too. would hardly sit
! idle while Hungary attacked Yugo.
Slavia in the rear, for Hungary is
| always a menace to the central SIavs
as we'll as the southern.
One may multiply the complications
of the present situation indefinitely.
Since 1t is Balkan. it involves a men.
tality which has no western counter
part But what one must see Is that
| IT Is not in the last analysis Balkan
put European. Were France and
Italy united in a firm and friendly
understanding, the Albanian question
| would nave no real menace to Eura.
pear TSi.oe. ITALY would nave q rree
nand, and this fact would restrain
Yugo-Slav activities.
In sum, then, while danger of war
over Albania as a consequence OF the
present crisis is slight we have been
brought face to face with a continu. s.
ing danger. Moreover. while Mus
solini has patiently handled the pres
ent episode skillfully, he has beer
put on the defensive for the first
time. He has also been put on notice,
and in this sense the A lha Mar, a fPa4r +