Evening star., 1939-04-08


have reached Florina, Northwest
ern Greece, where Queen Geral-
dine already had taken refuge
with their 3-day old son.
By the Associated Press.
ROME, April 8.-An Italian army
of occupation marched unresisted
today into Tirana, capital of leader
less and defenseless Albania.
The Italian forces entered the city
at $50 am. 1890 am, E. S. t.
and were followed by Count Galeazzo
Ciano, Italian foreign minister and
Son-in-laW of Premier Mussolini. An
official Italian dispatch said Count
Ciano arrived by airplane at II m.
Is am, E. S. TD.
Albanian King Zog had fled. An
Italian dispatch said he had crossed
the frontier near Koritza, Albania,
into exile in Greece and was heading
toward Athens.
His Americana Hungarian queen,
Geraldine, and his 3-day-old heir,
Crown Prince Skander, had pre-
ceded him to Greece.
Army Driven to Hills.
Zog's small, badly equipped army
of tribesmen. which had tried to
stave off the first Italian landing
parties on Albania's Adriatic coast
at dawn yesterday, had been driven
to the hills.
In some quarters it was believed
that Albania was approaching the
end of her independence. They ex-
pected II Duce to take the Alban-
ian hills under Italy's protection.
possibly as province as they were
1000 years ago.
1t was believed Albania would get
an Italian governor, perhaps being
permitted to have a national as
sembly for settling local matters
which in no way conflicted with
Fascist policy.
Annexation would strengthen
Italys grip on the mouth of the
Adriatic. although she already has
control of it. with Notifications on
islands of the Albanian coast.
1t was expected in political circles
here that provisional government
would be set up quickly, pending
Premier Mussolinis decision on the
future relations of the new regime
with Rome.
Losses Are Listed.
An Italian dispatch reported the
victory had been gained with the
following Italian losses:
Twelve killed and SO wounded in
yesterdays Decentralization at Du-
razzo. where the thrust at the noun
tain kingdom capital was launched.
Eight sailors killed and "a wounded
in fighting in Durazzo.
One sailor killed and 10 wounded
at Santi Quaranta, near the Greek
border.
Italian dispatches from Tirana
said that regiment of grenadiers
arrived there by airplane from Grot-
taglie, near Taranto. This was one
Of the first known cases of mass
transportation of troops by plane
from the Italian mainland
Tirana's two newspapers published
special editions this morning with
the following headlines:
Friendly Fascist troops COM
manded by Gen. Guzzoni are re-
establishing new order in Albania. :"
Many Albanian dignitaries went
to legation as a mark of respect to
Italy and II Duce, expressing their
conviction that a new era is begin
ming in the history of Albania"
Official Italian dispatches reported
that mass meetings of people had
been organized in Tirana to give the
Italian troops an enthusiastic recep-
ton when they entered the city.
Radio, telegraph and telephone
communications were declared to
have been re-established.
Dynamiting of a bridge on the
Tirana-Durazzo highway had i'm
peded the march of the motorized
divisions moving to occupy the cap
ital of Albania, Stefani said.
Zog's Tyranny" Cited.
As the Fascist penetration contin-
ued, despite admitted stiff opposi-
ton. the controlled italian press told
an unexcited people that the inva-
sion of hitherto allied Albania was
to liberate the country from zog's S
tyranny"
The Fascist legions were estimated
at $4,000 to $4,000 by foreign OBJ
servers. The Albanian regular army
was said to number $4,000, with
enough arms for only half its men,
bers.
The Italian Minister and his staff,
as we'll as other Italians, were in the
Legation in Tirana last night armed
and ready to defend themselves" off,
cial dispatches said, against crowds
of Albanians who engaged in gun
fire outside the building.
Italian detachments which landed
at San Giovanni di Medua, in the
extreme north; at Valona, under the
protection of italian Notifications on
Saseno Island, and at Santi Quar-
anita, in the extreme south, were
advancing, it was announced, with
the southern column occupying Del
vino, 10 miles inland.
Italian reports attributed the re-
sistance chiefly to horders Of GRIM
(See ROME, Page A-6)