Evening star., 1939-04-08
Aggression Unubushed

HSSsSSSSOh SsOO0SuS~
For sheer, cynical international
brutality aggression unabashed-
Italy's invasion of Albania outstrips
even the crimes for which Ethiopia,
China, Austria and -Slovakia
are synonyms.
Mussolini's descent upon his de-
fenseless little Adriatic neighbor pre-
sents but one redeeming feature
the stubborn resistance which King
Zog's army and people offered to the
ruthless violators of their soil and
sovereignty. That the Albanians'
gallantry is doomed to futility
against the naval, military and air
might hurled against them by the
Fascist bully is a foregone conclu-
sion. The Albanian minister at
Washington, Faik Konitza, pictures
the situation graphically when he
says that "a prize fighter, to show
his skill, has knocked down a child"
and the envoy adds, "silence is the
most eloquent protest in such a case"
Rome's alibi that II Duce's legions
were flung into Albania as measure
of protection for maltreated Italians
is, of course, the flimsiest of pre-
texts. 1t is as grotesque as the charge
that King Zog refused to negotiate
for better conditions for them. For
twelve years Italy, through a treaty
OF alliance, has held a preferential
status in Albania, which amounted
to domination. Rome was in position
at any time to impose its will at IT,
rama without resort to the brute force
to which recourse was suddenly had
1t is as unjustifiable and heartless
procedure as our ht-iS-right era
records. 1t reveals periodical Italian
peace protestations as mockery that
takes its place alongside the success
sion of broken words of Germany,
which finally killed the "appease-
ment' enthusiasm of Neville Cham
berlain.
Italy having been assured that
Germany fully supports the indefen-
sible Adriatic enterprise, there is
every reason to suspect that Albanias
occupation is the answer of the total
itarian axis to Poland's entrance into
an anti-aggression coalition and to
efforts to extend that Gordon sani-
taire"-the European diplomatic
equivalent of Mr.. Roosevelt's quar-
antine'-into bloc including Hun
gary and Rumania, and possibly Rus
sia, Greece and Turkey. Because of
its proximity to Yugoslavia and
Greece, Albanias seizure may we'll
have as it's underlying inspiration
the desire of Fuehrer and II Duce to
intimidate King Zog's Balkan neigh
bors from identifying themselves
with the combination of which Prime
Minister Chamberlain has assumed
the leadership.
Mussolini's personal motive is
transparent and notorious. Ever
since the Austrian anschluss and
particularly since dismemberment of
Czecho-Slovakia, he has registered
mounting jealousy over Hitler's hog
ging of the aggression show. That
II Duce hungers impatiently for his
place in the limelight and for his
share of the spoils of axis partner
ship has long been an open secret.
When his hope of compensatory
booty at Frances expense-in Cor
Sica, Tunisia or elseWhere-Was
blasted, it became necessary for the
Roman dictator to turn elsewhere
to prove that Fascist Italy, no less
than Nazi Germany, is capable of
successfully claiming more living
space" Albania is the direction in
which he chose to make his demon
stration of what diplomacy calls
prestige policy"
Above and beyond II Duce's specific
incentive, the dictators manifestly
feel under the compulsion promptly
and dramatically to challenge the
British stop aggression program.
They have elected to show the world
that "encirclement" threats neither
impress nor check them. It should
presently develop whether Great
Britain, which holds that the in
vasion of Albania violates the 1898
Anglo-1talian pact pledging Mediter-
ranean status quo, will view Musso-
lini's defiance with equanimity, to
say nothing of the even wider threat
it offers to British influence in the
Near East, which the self-anointed
"Grand Protector of Islam" is keen
to undermine.
Over Easter, with its peaceful ira
ditions, clouds hover again in that
cockpit of Europe whence the World
War was spawned.