The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-07

banian government said that the people were forgetting their feuds- including many blood feuds against King Zog-and rallying to defend the country against Fascist Italy's plan to force them to accept protector ate.
 Mediphrasali, mountain chief tain, was quoted as having sent 8 message to Italian Premier Benito Mussolini saying:
 "When your forces have been an- initiated, our men and women will then fight you"
 "The people are fighting and have inflicted heavy losses on the Ital- ians," one official communique said. "The Italian troops landing under protection of warship guns and bombing planes are meeting with strong resistance"
 King Fog sent message to AL banian diplomats abroad, including Washington, advising them of the Italian attack and announcing that the people would defend Albania with all forces"
 Albanians Strengthened
 Tn a radio proclamation to the people the king declared that the Albanian people would be strength ened by conditions under which you are forced to fight" even as they triumphed against the best armies of the central powers during the World War conflicts in northern AL bania.
 Hold to your love for the father land," the proclamation concluded. Long live Albania! Long live the Albanian people!"
 The proclamation was signed: "zog r..
 The sisters of King Zog-who wis., tied the United States some time ago-were understood to have re- fused to accompany the queen to Greece and were reported to be planning to recruit Albanian wo- men in an amazon" battalion to do whatever they could to aid in tho resistance.
 The government emphasized in its official announcements that the Italian invasion was violation of all treaties between the two coun- tries and that the Albanian gov- ernment had offered-and still of- fered-to negotiate settlement with Rome. Qn Rome, the govern- ment said it was merely acting to protect Italian interests in Albania)
 At noon, after long cabinet meet ing, the premier (Koco Kotta) broadcast message to the nation that included an "open message" to Mussolini. He described the inva- sion as "barbaric" and demanded cessation of hostilities.
 King Makes Appeal
 King Fog was reported to have made an appeal to Belgrade for support of Jugoslavia and other capitals. (Although the Jugoslav government took military precau- tions along it's frontier, it was indi- cated that neither that country nor any other European power would intervene.)
 The morale of the people is very high," the government announced, in pointing out that Albania was forced to fight an overwhelmingly superior armed force.
 "The people are united about their king in a sad moment" the official radio broadcast said. The Italian government by new demands on Albania attempted to infringe on our sovereignty. The government will never agree to such action. The king calls upon all the Albanian people to defend their fatherland to the last against impairment of their independence"
 Landed At Dawn The Italians had landed at dawn with orders to occupy the entire country within 48 hours and to make it a protectorate of Italy. Three Italian warships had steamed into Durazzo harbor yesterday morning This morning, Italian bombing planes scared over this city. the capital, dropping leaflets warning the people not to resist their "frien is" who were occupying the country to restore peace to it. Then came reports that Premier Benitc Mussolini had landed troops on the coast.
 Kings Proclamation The official wireless broadcast proclamation by King Fog to his people, asserting that Italy's de- fnands on the government violated the national sovereignty and add- ing: "The Albanian people will new CT accept such demands. They will fight the invaders with all theii force to the last man. Do not lose