Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-01
Leaders i'm Stormy Balkan States
All DESTROYS of Peace, They Claim

, been moving to a head and the next
! six months should tell whether Sc
rious crisis may come. No one thinks
| that war can result. But 1t Is ap-
parent that Jugoslavia has been pre-
| sented with a practical ultimatum tc
knuckle down to Italy once for all In
Adriatic matters-or do something else
| And the Balkans are uneasy at the
open diplomatic strain.
Italy has no actual territorial am
billions in Dalmatia.
we could have marched right into
Dalmatia and taken It, Gen. Boil
drero. italian Minister In Belgrade
told me. "It was our right. But the
discipline Of our troops asserted itself
and at the armistice we stopped"
Wants DaImatia First.
But spiritually Italy considers Dali
malta hers. 1t completes the Adriatic
as an Italian lake. 1t was for cen
turtles part OF the Venetian empire
Ragusa and Spalato are towns In
which distinct Italian influence for
generations has worked. and all
along the coast you find Italian as
the language spoken next to Serbian
What Italy wants in Dalmatia is
first OF all, protection of her n1inori-
ties there True, there are only 1900
italians In Dalmatia (by Italian fig
ures). az against 100000 Jugoslavs in
Italy; but this minority Is to be pro-
tected and italian schools maintained
Additionally, Italy wants important
commercial rights, ranging from par
ticipation in the Antivari railway
project in Montenegro to protection OF
fishing rights near cara. Most I'M
portant of all Italy wants in Dali
malta a field for emigration.
A whole series of conversations
treaties and arrangements have taken
place over this issue in the past few
years. One was the Rapallo agree
ment. One, the pact of Brioni regu-
lated Italian fishing rights; another
the treaty Of Santa Margherita MAY
1929. gave the delta of Barosh to
Italy. The Belgrade convention of
1924 followed, but was not ratified by
Italy: 1t dealt with rights OF Italian
citizens in Jugoslavia Finally in July,
1929 came the celebrated conventions
OF Nettuno.
These represented the furthest con-
Citation Jugoslavia has yet made to
Italy They cleared up number of
minor issues-there are 81 conventions,
and the text is 800 pages long-and
STdIlLeu CeIldlIt IiBnIS vi oSttiCIIlCLIb III
Dalmatia to Italian emigrants. This
was what Italy was after. Rome was
iubilant. But reaction came in Bel
grade, and the Nettuno conventions
were never ratified. 1t Is on this ques-
ton that present Italo-Jugoslav rela-
tons hang.
Forging an Iron Ring.
This year, early in January, matters
again came to a crisis.
The pact of Rome. treaty of amity
between the two countries TO preserve
Adriatic good relations, is dated for
fire years. But at the end OF four
years, ON January n. 1928, 1t was neces-
sary. according 10 the original agree
ment. TO denounce or renew 1t. jan
uary was a nervous month in Balkan
relations, and to have denounced the
treaty would have been unfortunate.
on the other hand. the tension be-
tween Rome and Belgrade was so acute
that renewal was sincerely impossible.
In the end the treaty was renewed.
by a compromise, for six months !;
rather, the period for denouncing or
finally renewing 1t was extended for
six months, until July q, 1928. BY
that date Italy and Jugoslavia must
make up their minds. Unless the Bel
grade Parliament finally does ratify
the Nettuno conventions italy will de-
nounce the treaty. That is understood.
1t is Italy's price for friendship.
Meanwhile, forged by Italian hands.
Belgrade sees what IL calls forebod-
ingly the iron ring"