HELP AMERICA TO WIN THE WAR | BUY A BOND FOOD WILL WIN THE WAR SAVE FOOD SAVE AND SERVE BUY W. &. 8. THE ADRIATIC REVIEW Published Monthly by The Pan-Atbanian Federation’ of Amerien PATRA: Edited by the Ren Fan S. Noli... Publication Offices 97 Compton Strevt, Moston, Mast. Subyeription Retes: $L pur ywar. Single Copies 20c. b= Go@ale it w —_ |MAR 23 , LiaRany THE ADRIATIC REVIEW No. 1. Boston, Mass., September, 1918. Vol. I. For Free Albania these gentlemen change their attitude and even convert them to our point view. They will discover that Albania possesses a seacoast and harbors; that her seacoast runs parallel to that of Ttaly on the Adriatic sea; that the Al- banian harbor of Vallona is the key to the entrance of that sea on account of its proximity to the Italian naval far more import- base of Otranto; that whichever pow- settlement of the/ er controls the Albanian seacoast is practically the master of the Adriatic Basin for the simple reason that the Tralian seacoast on the Adriatic is hope lessly flat for defensive purposes and practically harborless from Venice to Otranto. They will also discover that Albania is part of the Balkan Penin- sula, whose complicated problems have plagued Europe for the last century, where this war has originated, and where she occupies a commanding strategical position. The cloquence of the map is irresistible. Albania cannot be treated as a negligible thing in itself, but as a part of a whole, or rather as a part of two wholes, the Balkan Peninsula and the Adriatic lit- oral. As such it should be studied2 . THE ADRIATIC REVIEW carefully and dealt with impartially. Various solutions have been pro- posed gby those interested in the die- position of Albania. A foreign pro- tectorate by an interested power has been advanced by some, a partition has been boldly advocated by others. None of these solutions is satisfactory to all those interested, for they will never agree on the division of the spoils nor on the powcr to which the protectorate of Albania should be en- trusted, to say nothing of the immoral- ity and the injustice of depriving a nation of its right to determine its fu- ture. Nor any of these solutions is likely to conduce to the establishment of peace in the Balkan Penisula in view of the violently conflicting interests of Austria, Italy and the other Balkan States. The best solution after all seems to be the just solution, complete inde- pendence of Albania within her eth- nical boundaries. This solution hap- pens to be the second best choice of all the neighboring states and has the advantage of settling their quarrels over the contested ground as well as satisfying the rightful owners of the land, the Albanians, whose aspirations should be considered first. Those who think that the annexa- tion or partition of Albania is a simple proposition we have only to remind that just euch a proposition has nearly precipitated a world war in 1913. Eng- land arbitrated the case then in the London Conference and Albania ob- tained her independence thanks to the tactful mediation of Sir Edward Grey, 48 Prince Lichnowsky’s famous memo- September, 1918. randum has proved. No better solu- tion could be found then by an impart- ial and far-seeing statesman, and the next Peace, Congress cannot, improve on it, at least’ eo far as the principle of Albanian independence is concerned, for the geographical position of Alba- nia has not changed since. The Al- banians were deeply disappointed with their frontiers, as they were drawn by the London Conference, but they hope that justice will prevail in the next Peace Congress and that the future boundaries of Albania will be rectified s0 as to include all purely or predo- minantly Albanian regions, which. were unjustly and forcibly cut off from their mother country without any regard to the expressed desires of their inhabi- tante, Some of our friends are more or less istic about the future. of Albania. This state of mind is illustrated by an article of the New York Evening Sun which we reproduce in this issue. Its author is inclined to believe that Al- bania is going to disappear in the vortex of this world catastrophe and that nothing remains for him but to write an heroic epitaph to the obscure Albanian warrior. We do not share his pessimism. Nor do we believe that America and the Allies will allow Al- bania to be brutally partitioned or deprived of her seaports by forcible an- nexations in order to satisfy the im- perialistic demands of neighboring states. We believe that the Allies, true to their noble principles, will respect the rights of the ancient Illyrian race and restore its independence. The Al- Ties have solemnly pledged themselves we,September, 1918. to protect all small nationalities against Prussian autocracies and we are con- vinced that they will live up to their professions of faith. We give below tome of their declarations in regard to Albania: wThe French government reasserted the independence of Albania by an of- ficial proclamation issued on Dec. 10th, 1916, at Koritsa, Southeastern Albania, when that city was occupied by a French army moving up from Salonika. The Albanian flag was solemnly hoist- ed on the public buildings, an Albanian administration was set up and an Al- Danian army of volunteers was organ- ised by the French miltary authorities to fight against the Austro-Germans. /The Italian government proclaimed the independence of united Albania at Argirocastro, on June 3rd, 1917, when the Italian armies occupied South- western Albania, driving out the Greek wldiery of the viciously pro-German King Constantine of Greece which had devastated that unfortunate region. The English Secretary of State for THE ADRIATIC REVIEW 3 Foreign Affairs, Right Hon. J. A. Balfour, speaking in the name of the British Government before the House of Commons on Dec. 10th, 1917, de- elared that “His Majesty’s Government have the, warmest sympathy with the Albanian peoples and would welcome any solution which, accompanied by adequate security against future strife, was of a nature to safeguard the full. exercise of their national rights.” Last but not least, President Wilson in his famous speech on peace con- ditions declared that the independence of all the Balkan nations abould be restored along racial and historical lines and guaranteed by international agreements. ‘We refuse to think for a moment that all these solemn declarations are so many “scraps of papers”. We be- lieve in President Wilson and we are fully convinced that America and her Allies will do justice to each and all amall nationalities struggling for nation- al freedom and thus establish peace on a sound basie. The Allied Drive in Albania successful Allied drive in the Balkans has brought Albania to the foreground and for the first time since the Balkan wars her name appeared again in big headlines on the firt pages of American newspapers. Moreover, various military critics have commented on the results and possi- bilities of thie drive, which has netted valuable ground for the Allies, has en- dangered the position of the Austrians in Albenia and threatens to flank the Bulgarians in Macedonia. This important event came just in time to help a large section of the American public to locate Albania. To a good many Americans the name of Albania sounded very much like that4 7 THE ADRIATIC REVIEW September, 1918. of Armenia. Consequently they were surprised to discover that Armenia is situated on the easternmost part of Asia Minor near the Black Sea, while Albania is to be found on the west- ernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula, perched on the cliffs of the Adriatic Sea and overlooking Italy. It became clear then that Albania is not an alias of Armenia, that these two different countries belong to two different con- tinents, that they are washed by two different seas, that they are inhabited hy two different races speaking dif- + ferent tongues and are divided from each other by thousands of miles. It must be pointed out, however, that both of. them have been sisters in sorrow in the past and are much in the same uncomfortable position now. Albania has groaned under Turkish misrule for hundreds of years and broke loose on- Jy in 1913, when she was declared in- dependent by the London Conference; during this war she was devastated by invasions and counterinvasions; her fu- ture prospects are as dark as those of Armenia, if not darker. In the meantime, the Albanians are fighting on the side of the French and of the Italians to drive the Austrians from Albania. It has been confirmed by the official Italian and French com- muniqués that thousands of Albanian volunteers are doing their bit in the cause of democracy and civilisation. Their gallantry, their traditional fitness for mountain warfare and their know- ledge of the ground have contributed to a large extent to the success of the Franco-Italian offensive in that im- portant front. These facts were the most welcome news to the Albanians of ‘America because they give the lio to various malicious myths spread broad- cast in Allied countries by those in- terested in the dismemberment of Al- bania. “America is an especially fa- vorable ground to these propagandists in view of the fact that Albania, in the mind of the general. public, was and is still a land of mystery as little known as certain unexplored regions of the dark continent. Their refrain, since the war started, was that the Al- banians were not pro-ally in sentiment. The official statements of the Allies, giving details about the drive in the Balkans and paying tribute to the Al- banian contingents, have nailed that lie to the ground. And what is more sig- nificant, the Albanians fighting with the French and the Italains are all of them volunteers. Their numbers are increas- ing daily and the world will hear of them again. The Albanians of America are considering ways and means of reénforeing these contingents by re- cruiting volunteers in America and hope, if properly supported by the Al- lies, to raise an Albanian army, which may play a very important réle on the Albanian front.September, 1918. President THE ADRIATIC REVIEW $ Wilson and Ex-President Roosevelt for Albania the list of their friends, the Albanians have now added two of the most illustrious names in America and in the whole world, name- ly President Wileon and ex-President Roosevelt. Undoubtedly the sympathy of these great men for unfortunate Al- bania does not date from yesterday, but the discovery was made very recently and no one could blame the Albani- ana for greeting this event with an en- thusiasm that beggars description in view of the fact that it may mark an epoch in the history of their long struggles for independence. ‘The momentous discovery took place on the same day, on last July 4th, un- der the following circumstances: Representatives of all racial groups in the United States were invited to ac- company President Wilson for the ce lebration of Independence day at Mount Vernon. More than thirty three races responded by sending delegates with Mr. Felix Streyckmans, the Belgian de- legate, as their chairman. The Al, banian representative was Rev. Fan S. Noli, then president of the Pan-Alba- nian Federation of America “Vatra”.} They all laid wreaths on the tomb of George Washington and the Belgian delegate addressed President Wilson on behalf of the delegates of the various races, reiterating their allegiance to the flag of their adopted country and ex- Pressing their determination “to per- severe in the struggle until lasting free- dom is secured not only for this na tion but for all the nations from which we sprang—yes, and for all the other nations.” Then President Wilson de- livered his famous speech, which was flashed to the four corners of the world and was eagerly read by millions of. human beings. The fall of autocracy, the reign of law in international inter- couree, the liberation of all nations and their protection against “private plots or conspiracies” were vigorously em- pbasized as the only basis of perma nent peace. On the return trip from Mount Vernon aboard the presidential yacht Mayflower, the Albanian re presentative had the occasion to pay - his respects to the first lady of the land —lodies first—and state informally the F] case of Albania before President Wil son, appealing to him for her restor ation. President Wilson listened to his \ plea with a benevolent interest, assured him of his sympathy and expressed his solemn determination to help Albaniaé THE ADRIATIC REVIEW “ly enough to be able to find » detailed in her hour of need. President Wilson knows the facts of the case, is con- vinced of its justice and he will certain- Jy use his voice in the next Peace Congress on behalf of Albania’s just claims. His views, prompted by justice and backed by force, will conmmand the respectful attention of the civilised world. Ex-President Roosevelt, in a public statement of American war aims, made at a luncheon in the home of General Bird W. Spencer at Passaic, N. J, on July 4th, included Albania in the list of the countries, whose independence miust be restored and placed under the guarantee of the Allied powers. Rev. Fan Noli had an interview with Col- onel Roosevelt at the Harvard Club of New York and was astonished to find that the Colonel was extremely well informed on the Albanian question in’ particular and the Adriatic problem in general. His memory is extra- ordinary. He related to his interlocu- for an ‘incident in Albanian history which a good many Albanians have al- ready forgotten since it took place many years ago while Albania was still a Turkish province. The internal and external problems of Albania are not at all a sealed book for him; on the contrary he has studied them careful- September, 1918, solution for all of them, a solution which is the more remarkable owing to the fact that it hardly deviates from that desired by the Albanians them- selves. In” his opinion, territorial questions in the Balkans and in the Adriatic littoral must be rearranged in accordance with racial lines and Al bania must own her seacoast from Montenegro to Greece. The following message was sent by Colonel Roosevelt to the Albanians through Rev. Fan S. Noli: “The independence of Albania must be restored at the next Peace Congress and put under a disinterest- _ ed guarantee by the Allied Powers. I shall do anything in my power for the achievement of that result and for the recognition of the just claims of the ancient and brave Albanian race.” In view of the high position Colonel Roosevelt occupies in America and in Allied countries, the value of his sup- port could be hardly overestimated. The fact that two such great Ameri- can leaders, like President Wilson and Colonel Roosevelt, unite in sympathy for Albania is highly significant. The Albanians are deeply grateful to them for leading the way in the defense of their just cause.September, 1918. THE ADRIATIC REVIEW 2 An Appeal to American Friends [The following appeal was addressed to various American friends of Albania by His Excellency Mehmed Bey Ko- nitza, the London delegate of the Pan- Albanian Federation of America VA- TRA—Ed.} Dear Sir, know of the benevolent interest you have always manifested with regard to Albania, and I have the honor to put before you the following developments concerning Albanian affairs: Under the auspices of the Pan-Al banian Federation of America the Hearth (Vatra), a committee has been formed in Europe composed of four members namely, Dr. Michel Turtuli, lute. Minister of Public Instructions, and Dr. George Adamidi-Frasher, late Minister of Finance, Mr. Midhat Bey Frasher, late Minister of Public Works, whose efforts for our national cause have met with widespread recognition from all patriotic Albanians, and myself, ‘xminister plenipotentiary for Albania in Athens and member of the -Inter- national Commission éf Control in: Al- bani. The: Vatra is the only responsible body of Albanians able to have any bearing on the future in Albania. It comprehends all the influential Al- banians, Moslems and Christians alike of Southern Albania, who, to remain free agents, have left the country to a- void foreign pressure. Northern Al- bania being under Austrian occupation, the influential chiefs of the region have not been able to join us, but we know that they adhere to our movement, and will give us all their support when the time comes. ‘When the Conference of London took place Albania had no press or Diplo- thatic corps to press forward her claims; all the other Balkan States took advantage of this to launch against her a pitiless propaganda. ° ‘Albania must have her full national rights acknowledged to be respected’ és a state, or she will be the victim of a new injustice at the end of the terrible conflict now raging on the continent of Europe. At the cessation of hostil- ities, the Balkan question will come very much to the fore, being part of whole of the future peace of Europe, and no settlement in the Balkans ean be lasting and satisfactory without giv- ing due attention to the claims of Al- bania, in the line of her ethnical front- iere and historical rights. The Albanian race is the most an- cient in the Balkans, and national vi- gour has enabled the Albanians to keep their native land in spite of repeated invasions through the centuries from their stronger neighbours. Had Albania been treated with equity in 1912, instead of being mutilated, how different events might have been.8 THE ADRIATIC REVIEW The unsettled state of affairs in Al- bania caused complications which ul- timately led to the European war. The Balkans cannot be solid without Al- bania, and there will be no peace in Europe in the future as in the past, if the Balkans remain the cockpit of European intrigues and ambitions. The first injustice that Albania suf- fered at the hands of Europe occurred at the treaty of Berlin, when the Pow- ers aiming to weaken Turkey, gave Al- banian territory to Montenegro, Serbia and Greece. ‘A protectorate over Albania by any power directly interested means colo- nisation of the land, annihilation of the national rights and economical subserv- jence. Any other light put upon the subject of a protectorate does not de- Iude the Albanians. Independence with a European guarantee, such as was granted whenever a Balkan State was Taunched by Europe upon the path of independence, will alone satisfy the Albanians. Such is the Albanian standpoint. From a wider range of Balkan interest, all the Balkan States would resent the interevention of a Great Power in their internal affairs, and would become the source of end- Jess trouble. Again, from a European standpoint, the possession of the Adriatic coast by +any Great Power, means dissatisfaction among other Great Powers likewise in- terested, and a possible cause of con- flict. I will now come to the point. It is often asked which form of govern- September, 1918. ment the Albanians would like. Up to five years ago Albania was a Turk- ish. province as far as internal organ- isation is concerned. She cannot be- come a sovereign state without being guided into it, while avoiding coloni- sation. America has given her moral support to Albania in years past, by enabling her to have the only free schools that were not a pretext for foreign pro- paganda. The Albanian is a democrat at heart, that is to say, he has the democratic inborn understanding that one man should respect another, on a human footing of equality, although they are of different social standing. ‘At the same time a republican form of government would be too novel an undertaking to succeed. The people have always wished for a monarchy. A monarchy on a consti- tutional basis, is the desirable form of government for Albania. A prince, hav- ing personality and character to appeal to the Albanian heart, would smooth over all the difficulties inseparable from a state in the making. When the independence of Greece was declared the country underwent many terrible convulsions, but Europe had patience then, and a will to see Greece thrive and succeed, Albania, too, should be given breathing time, and not rushed into an unlucky venture at the cessation of hostilities. In any case, it is the un- animous desire of the Albanians to turn to America for help, and ask her to send a Commission for a period of five years, to give the country time to bring into action all ite organising forces.September, 1918. THE ADRIATIC REVIEW 9 As a friend of Albanis, I lay our case before you. At this critical moment we ask for your moral support to help us with your high influence with the The French Entente Powers and America in favour of our just claims. (Signed) MEHMED KONITZA, Delegate of the Pan-Albanian Federation Vatra. at Koritza By MISS M. EDITH DURHAM (From the MANCHESTER GUARDIAN, Eng.) S recent events have brought Al- bania into public notice, a short account of how that land has been facing its many trials may be of interest. It may be noted that though the Pow- exs of Europe recognised the independ- ence of Albania in 1913, since the out- break of the present war the country has been entered altogether by eight different armies, of the Entente and Central Powers, and was occupied in the north by Austria and in the south by the troops of King Constantine. Except for the fact that Italy was at Yalona, the land was entirely in the hands of the enemy. The tide turned at the close of 1916, when the French troops freed Koritza, evicting the Greeks and hoisting the Albanian flag, to the intense joy of the population. The little piece of land thus freed was proclaimed a free State by the French only just in time, for the troops of Constantine were seizing and exporting all the foodstuffs to the enemy, and famine was on the land. The French, by starting road-making and thus giv- ing employment to the inhabitants, which was well paid for, and by giv- ing a daily bread dole until the next harvest, saved the people. The little free State—the nucleus of the Alba- nia of the future—then set to work to organise itself. - It is now, according to a report lately to hand, “ The Calendrier of Koritza,” flourishing. It is governed by an ad- ministrative council of representative Albanians. A French officer is present at the meetings, but has never, it would appear, found it necessary to interfere with the Council’s proceedings. A court of justice has been established, all the functionaries of which are Albanians, and its ruling have given as much sa- tisfaction that we are told that it is superior to that of any other Balkan State. The gendarmerie has also been well organised, and, save for a few instances of brigandage by’ Greeks from across the frontier, the order of the country has been undisturbed. The most remarkable development is in the Department for Public Instruct- ion. It should be remembered that un- der the Turkish Government the Al- banian language was prohibited under very heavy penalties. Anyone found10 with an Albanian book or paper in his possession was liable to fifteen years’ imprisonment, and schools in the lan- guage were not allowed. The Albanians are second in inteligence to no race in Europe, and their efforts to educate themselves in the face of dangers and difficulties have been beyond all praise. Their liberation in December, 1916, has been followed by a rush for education which is quite phenomenal, and gives us an idea of what the futare development of the: race is likely to be. An Albanian Education Board was at once inaugurated, and in spite of the difficulties of obtaining scholastic material four primary schools and one secondary school have been opened in Koritza itself, with about 2,000 pupils, and fifty schools in the neighbouring villages are equally well attended. The land is fertile, and agricalture is pro- gressing, 00 that the district is well A brown coal mine is’ being worked in the mountains: At present the ‘Albanian State is the only one in Europe which, after paying all its debts, had a surplus of over a million francs last year. ‘As the French army advances, and THE ADRIATIC REVIEW September, 1918. larger and larger portions of Albanian territory are liberated, the work in- itiated at Koritza will spread rapidly. By the time the whole land is freed there will be a united and progressive people extending from Koritza to Scu- tari and Djakova. .That this people will willingly sur- render any of its coast to the Slavs, as your leader to-day suggests, is to the highest degree improbable. To force them to do so would be comparable to forcing Belgium to give her harbours to Germany. Nor is there the least ne- cessity for such a violation of the rights of a people, for the Slavs already pos- sess (or did before the outbreak of the war) two good harbours at Antivari and Dulcigno, and the whole coast north of those two ports is Slav-inhabited land, arid as euch ihe natural outlet for Jugo- slavia. ‘We ‘can never make perminent peace by presenting land which is not ours to’ any of our allies, however es- timable they may be. All that Al- bania asks of the Powers is that her independence shall be guaranteed and respected, and that she shall be allowed 16 save her own soul. B®September, 1918. THE ADRIATIC REVIEW ll Ancient Illyrians in Entente After 2,000 Years of Solitary Albanians Join Forces With Soldiers of Democracy —Dusk of a Picturesque Nation (From the New York Evening Sun) \ESPATCHES tell that the Albani- ‘ans have joined forces with the soldiers of democracy. From the Pan-Albanian Federation of America Vatra, which has its headquarters in Boston, comes word that the 70,000 Al- banians in the United States have pur- chased nearly a million dollars worth of Liberty bonds through the organ- ization. The news indicate that a ‘moet ancient and hardy nation at last has made the proper choice. Albania stretches along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, opposite I- taly, having Montenegro on the north, Serbia on the east and Greece on the \ wath. Albania has a commanding place upon the landlocked sea, and her har- bor at Valona, one of the finest in the world, is considered by military qtitics an Adriatic Gibraltar. The country is a rugged, wild, heavily wooded mountain complex, undevel- oped and unpathed. Albania became nominally a prov- ince of Turkey in 1468 and remained sach untill 1913, when the London Con- ference granted a national indepen- dence under a Prince chosen by the great Powers. The Albanians bitterly complained at that time about the bor- ders delimited for them on the ground that many purely Albanian districts had been given to Montenegro, Greece and Serbia. Albania was in a sulky mood at the outbreak of the great war. However, its isolation was character- istic, for Albania has stood alone throughout its history. In this time of flaming national prides the Albanian, or Shkypetar, de- serves a fleeting notice. He has fought the longest and the hardest of all hie toric struggles for independence, but untutored in the uses of propaganda his heroic story has attracted rare and scant‘ attention. Unsupported by al- lies, sympathy, song or story, the Shkypetars, a “little nation,” with their backs to their barren crags, war for freedom voiceless throughout the centuries. 2,000 YEARS OF STRUGGLE. Serbia’s or Montenegro’s endurance is pale compared to that which has preserved this remnant of a race against all comers through truceless ages. For more than 2,000 years the Albanians have stood their ground, yielding their patrimony foot by foot,12 THE ADRIATIC REVIEW September, 1918. but guarding the fragment of their na- tive land so well that it to-day re- mains the least known region in Eu- rope. They are the oldest race in Eu- rope to survive upon the land where the morning light of history found it, and this stubborn tenure of their fatherland has been possible only by a Jonger, braver and more indomitable struggle than that waged by any other Balkan people. The taciturn and dour Shkypetar, however, has fought si- lently, with morose and unbroken spirit and at lone venture, All other Balkan peoples have continuously clamored for the sympathy of the world. To-day, however, their hills, swal- lowed up in the overwhelming mael- storm of world war, their hand crossed by the battle lines of great Powers, they are living the last chapter of their troubled history. Whatever tarn the great battle in the Balkans may take, it apparently can only mean that the time has come at last for Albanian sumbergence. Italians, Aus- trians and Serbians are contending bitterly for the last strip of the Shky- petar heritage and it seems that the measure of their existance has been reached. They will emerge from this world shock Italians, Serbians or Aus- trians, and the ancient Ilyrian will vanish into the limbo of forgotten things. FOUGHT WITHOUT COMPLAINT. “There is no such thing as Albanian nationality!” Bismarck roughly ex- claimed at the Congress of Berlin. More properly speaking there was no Albanian diplomatist, no Albanian spokesman. There was just a little nation to be dealt with atcording to’ the irrefutable wisdom of power, just the remnants of an ancient race that had been forced ever further into a fringe of unproductive mountains, which formerly had bordered their homeland in the Balkans. The conflict sustained for more than’ 2,000 years against Greek and Slav and Turk and Frank by this uncon- querable race, has awakened no echo of understanding or applause abroad on the civilized world. Montenegro’s sturdy defiance of the Turk through five centuries; the courageous, resist- ance of the Serbians; the stolid sur- vival of the Bulgarians under cen- turies of merciless domination, and the revival of the Grepks, the nation of illustrious ancestry; all these have stirred the world. The wrongs and the hopes and the virtues of all other Balkan peoples have been told in the press everywhere. The Shkypetar has continued his history into modern times of propaganda and press agen- cies practically voiceless. | Overshad- owed and overshouted by the peoples around him he at best received flashes of consideration as a possible booty or as a race of guerrillas. Lord Byron gave the Shkypetar a momentary notice, a brief literary me- morial, when he said that the wild Albanian had never shown an enemy his back or broken his faith to a guest. The Albanian has asked nothing of Europe, and Europe has given himSeptember, 1918. THE ADRIATIC REVIEW 13 nothing but a ead reputation. Thé mis- sion schools have passed im by. AN ANCIENT RACE. The Albanians are the remnants of the original inhabitants of lyria, Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace. Over- whelming waves of Celts, Goths, Romans, Greeks, Serbs, Bulgars, Franks and Turks have flooded against them, but the Shkypetars have al- ways survived the shock; have sur vived the burning of their villages, the wasting of their lands, the masea- eres of their people, and have some- how emerged unbroken, unassimilated upon the stage of the twentieth cen- tury. They have bore the assault of Slavonic storm almost since the Eu- ropean debut of the Slave. Between the Slavs and the Ilyrians there have been centuries of blood feud. The Slay has called the Albanian a brigand and plunderer, and the world has accepted the verdict, while the Slav and the Turk have steadily encroached upon the Shkypetars’ homeland. Un- til the wild torrents of this world war awept over his country, the Al- banian had maneged to maintain the freedom of his hills. SINGLE HANDED FOR INDEPENDENCE. Though occasionally beaten and forced into narrower limite, he has obstinately refused submission, has opposed a rugged, uncomplaining, un- conquerable spirit to all grievous mis- fortune; and alone, without the eym- pathy of any one, illiterate, poor in country, his few remaining rocks coveted by every neighbor, with no ally or disinterested counsellor, at the outbreak of the world war, the Shky- petar stood at the end of a splendid fight of more than 2,000 years dura- tion, in which the armistices have been few and short. And their claims are the best in Europe to the lands they occupy. There can be no doubt of the legiti- macy of their tenure. When the Slavs first appeared in the Balkans in the beginning of the sixth century the Shkypetars had already enjoyed 1,100 years’ possession, True, the Albanian has not been a friend to the stranger nor has he been a seeker after the stranger’s light, but then almost the whole sory of his contact with higher civilization has been in battle for his hearth and home against aggression. Rome policed the shores of the Al- banians’ country, but left the un- breakable people largely to themselves. The Slavs drove them from many of their lands, but could not crush nor subdue them. For more than 1,000 years the Shkypetars have contested their ground foot for foot against the Slav and Turk. Montenegro struggled against the Turk a bare five cen- turies. The first known king of this peo- ple, the Shkypetars or the Sons of the Mountain Eagle, was Hyllus, who died 1225 B. C. Pyrrhus, the greatest soldier of his age, wae a Shkypetar. Many of the greatest military leaders in Balkan history sprang from this race. The Slav, Teuton, Turk and14 Italian are the interlopers. To-day, however, the resistless waves of the greater peoples are closing over them THE ADRIATIC REVIEW September, 1918. and .the voiceless warrior nation is going down in a storm so great as to blot out completely their going. Boundaries in Europe and in the Near By JAMES D. BOURCHIER. From the NEAR EAST of London, Eng. 'TR Thomas Holdich’s interesting and suggestive book (“Boudaries in Europe and the Near East ”—Mac- millan and Co.), which deals with the important question of territorial read- justment after the war, comes as a wel- come contrast and corrective to much of the partisan literature which has latterly appeared in connection with this important and intricate subject, and will largely help to dispel the con- fusion which has thereby been created in the public mind. Appeals to the pre- vailing war spirit tend to deaden the sense of justice with which the grave problem of future frontiers in the Near East, and especially in the Balkans, should be approached, and the ap- pearance of a dispassionate and scien- tific examination of the difficulties with which the question is surrounded is, therefore, opportune and timely. In the outlining of new boundaries the author bases his views on two main principles— firstly, of harmonizing results with the will of the people con- cerned, and, secondly, of the acquisi- tion of strong scientific boundaries.” East As the root cause of boundary violation and aggression—the overflow of sur- plus population—is universal and based on laws of nature, it ean only be dealt with by an international agreement and fair geographical adjustment. It is necessary to divide nations into separate geographical units in such a manner as to set definite and scientific barriers between countries liable to mutual ag- gression. It is further necessary to give each country space and opportun- ity for internal development, such as may remove all incentive for discon- tent and desire for encroachment on other preserves. The first difficulty is to define the real basis of nationality; racial affinity cannot always be count- ed upon, and ties of religion and cul- ture are negligible as binding forces; patriotism, on the other hand—i. e., the love of a country—is the most potent of binding forces where it ia strongly developed. But geographical environ- ment, the author thinks, is what has mainly shaped and moulded the cha- racter of the various peoples of the Near Ea¢t; and, this being 20, they should be given, in the making of frontiers, a geographical environment shaped to suit their idiosyncrasies andSeptember, 1918. needs, in order that contentment and peace may be attained. ‘What, then, are the fundamental con- ditions of natural environment which conduce to the development of strong nations? Affinity of race and senti- ment being “ collateral questions,” what are the primary necessities of geogra- phical habitat? The first of these is sufficient space, the advantages of which in the fusion of diverse populat- ions are illustrated in the United States and in the Argentine Republic. Next to space come conditions of cultivable land, means of communication with other countries, and open ports for the exchange of produce. Every country, to be contented and happy, wants its waterway outlet, either by sea or riv- er. Finally, the natural boundaries must be well defined and as strongly defensive as nature or art can make them. In illustration of these prin- ciples, Sir Thomas Holdich gives a gen- eral description of the natural confi- gration of the Balkan Peninsula, which, unfortunately, is very inad- equately supplement by the map which appears as a frontispiece to his book. The important mountain barriers of the Carpathian and Rhodope ranges are duly delineated, but the still more im- portant Dinaric system, which bars ac- cess from the interior of the Peninsula to the Adriatic, unaccountably disap- pears. The map, it may be added, is ‘open to further criticism as representing only the Jugoslay and Roumanian national claims to territorial expansion, while those of the Greeke, Bulgarians, and Albanians are not indicated. A map showing the author's proposals for THE ADRIATIC REVIEW 15 the readjustment of territories would have been very helpful; it is necessary to glean these one by one by reference to the several lectures which make up the book, and no opportunity is af- forded of judging how the realization or his suggestions would affect the gen- eral political contour of the Belkan Peninsula. ITALY AND DALMATIA Beginning with Italy, whose aspir- ations “ must be regarded as inseparable from Balkan considerations,” Sir Thomas Holdich observes that she is remarkably well provided with sea and mountain frontiers, and to this circum- stance he attributes the might and mag- nificence of the ancient Roman Em- pire. But Italy aims at the command of the Adriatic and the possession of Trieste and Fiume, and it was mainly with these objects that she entered up- on the war. Her aims are regarded with sympathy by the author, who be- lieves that the Italian clement in Le tria and along the Dalmatian coast is “quite strong enough to warrant the claims of Italy on the score of race af- finity.” On what data he relies for this statement he does not say: it con- flicts with the generally accepted view that the Italian population of Dalma- tia is an almost infinitesimal minority, and that in Istria the Slovene and Serbo-Croat populations form the maj- ority. In the town of Trieste only the Ttalians are more namerous than the Slovenes, who predominate in the sub- urbs. But the importance of the nat- ural frontier provided by the “Dinaric backbone” appears to weigh most with