Evening star., 1939-04-09
Provisional Rule
Is Established
At Tirunu
BY the Associated Press

visional government was set up today
at Tirana, capital of conquered AL
bania, for the purpose of accepting
Italian rule and Premier Mussolini
was reported planning to fly there
to proclaim the ancient kingdom a
part of his Fascist empire.
The first act of the new govern
ment was to advise all Albanians to
accept Italian occupation and to re-
train from resistance and provocative
acts against the Farcist forces, who
had virtually completed domination
of the diminutive Balkan state.
Expected to Fly Monday.
Fascists said II Duce probably
would fly Monday to Tirana to pro-
claim Italian rule. Count Galeazzo
Clano. his fO'eign minister and SON.
ln-laW, preceded him yesterday to
take care of the preliminaries.
Ahead of Ciano an Italian army
of occupation had marched unre-
sisted into the city.
King Zog was in exile and his
handful of troops was scattered in
the hills-hills that were a province
of ancient Rome 1000 years ago and
many expected would become prov
ince of II Duce's modern Roman
empire.
Annexation Expected.
The Fascist government yesterday
issued an appeal from several Al
banian leaders asking King Victor
Emmanuel to assume the crown of
Albania " development widely con-
strued as sign that Mussolini would
enfold Albania in his spreading en-
plre by inviting the italian sovereign
to become King of Albania.
Zog's army was vanquished by the
overpowering force of Italian troops.
warplanes and warships against
which the Albanian tribesmen made
a futile stand Friday when the
Italians launched their invasion at
four points on Albania's coast.
Italians Near Borders.
Italian forces however, were close
both to the Greek and Yugoslav
UOlbSio Will AlDdIlld. All Ollllldl
dispatch from Tirana said an Italian
column had entered Scutari. on Lake
Scutari. which lies between North
western Albania and Yugoslavia.
Another dispatch said the AL
banian prefect Of Koritza, near the
Greek frontier, had surrendered the
city to Italy "in the name of the
people" and was awaiting the ar
rival of Italian troops.
Some private sources reported
that Italy probably would take dip
lomatic steps to have Greece i'm
pound the money Zog supposedly
carried off and possibly detain the
exiled Albanian monarch himself.
Italians reported that Zog had
taken with him "Albania's entire
gold reserve" which they estimated
at about S16O.OO0.
The authoritative Virginio Gayda,
Fascism's chief newspaper mouth
piece, launched vigorous attack on
France for what he called the
shameful lies published there con-
corning Italy's operations in Albania.
These, he said. include false reports
of Italian defeats and Italian atroci-
ties.
The Fascist invaders admittedly
met resistance at the start and suf-
fered 81 killed and 81 wounded in
making landings on the coast yes
terday at Durazzo and Santi
Guaranta.
Alarm Charged to France.
Gayda accused France of attempt
ing to throw the Balkans into a
state of alarm over what he called
merely "a collaborative action be-
tween Italy and the Albanian
people"
The French maneuvers at the
head of the new confusion directed
against Italy, which is being stirred
up among a scant following" he
wrote in II Giornale d1talia with
apparent allusion to the British
French anti-aggressor bloc, ARE
proven in all their squalid inten-
tions in the light of demonstrated
facts to the contrary"
The Fascist press here said Italy
would be benevolent and generous
toward the proud and noble AL
banian people" but would be "inex-
orable" toward Zog and his hench-
men.
The whole press, including Gayda,
insisted Italy had no plans to drive
(See ROME. Page A-3)