Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-11


4 deadlock. Six months ago the
French government sent a proposal
| to Italy suggesting that negotiations
| for the delimitation of the African
| frontier in Libya should be commenced
and that the question of the Italians
| in Tunisia should also be discussed.
Italy's answer has been long in COM
| ing and has not yet reached the Quail
d'Orsay. In regard to the naturaliza-
| ton of the Italians in Tunis, the Fas-
cist government intends to stand pat
| on its determination that only on con-
| dition of Frances indemnifying them
richly will the proposal ever be &C
cepted. Political circles In italy con-
slider that the question Of the frontier
will not mean simply, Strengthening
of the present border, but a very large
annexation Of territory will be ex-
pected.
Italy Seeks BOrku District.
What italy desires Is the Borku dis
trict, which, according to the treaty
| contends was coded to her. It now
forms part Of Western French Africa.
This concession was not concluded in
the Treaty of London in 1915, whereby
Italy entered the war. Besides this,
| Italy wishes o mandate In the Came
runs.
In the face of such aspirations, the
! French government Is not in position
| TO grant the requests in return for
Italys permission for Italians in Tunis
to become French citizens. Up TO a
few months ago the Italians were much
more numerous throughout Tunis than
they are today. French emigration has
been favored to such an extent that,
where formerly it was considered i'm
perative for Italians to become French
citizens now this need is not so press
| ing. as French coloniSts are benefiting
by the concessions of land.
100000 Italians In Tunisia.
Grave perplexity is felt by the 100 900
| Italians living in TuniSia on account OF
| the delay in settling the question. The
majority Of them, were it not for the
veto, would long ago have taken out
| their naturalization papers, and even
| now, with the government veto. there
are many who have done so, as only
thus can they obtain fertile lands.
| In 1921 France issued a decree pro-
claiming that all descendants Of foreign
nationality born in the protectorate
whose fathers and mothers were also
born there should be considered French
| citizens. England, on behalf Of the
many Maltese in the protectorate,
fought this measure and brought the
question before the International Court
at The Hague, as by convention In
1896 British and italian subjects were
allowed TO retain their nationalities.
The court decided that the conven-
ton was valid and that France could
not enforce the new decree. England
then settled the question amicably In
this way: The Maltese could become
{ckH 61ff
could not be forced to renounce their
British nationality.
In regard to Italy no settlement has
vet been made There is a provisional
convention which is renewed every
three months by the two powers.
Rush Toward Naturalization.
! About two years ago, when France
! extended the system OF land allotments
; to include naturalized French citizens,
! there was rush toward naturalization.
! The Fascist government realized that
/ unless a severe measure was taken there
| would be no Italian subjects left in the
! protectorate. The government issued
! ve.o to all Fascists. against French nat
uraiization.
The question has now been placed
among those 10 be negotiated. Italy
| is anxious to strengthen her frontier
on The desert, and 1t is considered likely
that in return for these concessions OF
land which straighten out her frontier,
and which France now holds, the ques-
ton could be settled in this way: that
after a term of IS years the decree
could be put into force. There is no
! doubt that once this is settled there will
be friendly feelings between the French
and Italians in Tunisia.
i,,ar rf
! tectorate lies in cultivating every avail
able foot of land The French system
! Of allotments is fair to the settler. The
| price fixed depends on the quality of the
| land the amount of water on 1t, and
| the district in which 1t lies. An effort
/ Is being made to induce French farmers
! to emigrate to TuniSia. Villages have
| already been built and the cultivation Of
the land has proved profitable.
There are many of these villages now,
Francesville. Mutuellement. Bellevue.
Focheville. composed of holdings which
| have more than repaid for the work
put into them Arabs are not by any
means excluded from this vast project.
| At FL Omra there is village composed
of Mosiems, with Moslem officials, each
owning his own land.
Country Becomes Flourishing.
Since the French occupation Of
TuniSia and the declaration of the
protectorate the country has become
fiourishing. isolated regions have been
put in touch with the outside world.
motor communication has been eStab-
lished between towns and settlements
which were cut of from industrial and
agricultural towns except by camel
caravans.
A sound program has been organized
whereby not only are the French agri-
culturistS assisted, but the Arabs as
well, and it includes the education of
the latter. There are schools where
they are taught up-to-date farming
and the French language. Besides this
there are cooperative societies which
assist both French and Arabs. It is a
difilcult problem in the case of the
latter, as the Arab Is often a resigned
victim of his creed. Famine. epidemic,
bad crops, are all the will of Allah, and
the Arab tiller feels he cannot defend
or help himself. He naturally expects
help from the authorities. and thus
disorganizes the work of cooperative
societies. But in time this drawback
will be obviated.
Preference to Married Men.
In the Northumberland scheme
preference is given to men with chill
dren. The price of the lot varies from
1000 to $4,000 francs according to the
water supply and the condition of the
land. This money is paid in 20 years
The annual amount varies from 200 10
$50 francs
The condition attached is in most
cases that house costing $4,000 francs
| will be erected and its occupation to
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