Italy and the Jugo Slavs.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16398, 18 December 1918, Page 6

Italy and the Jugo Slavs.

The message published last week relative to an attempt by an Italian military force to occupy Cattaro and lower the Jugo-Slav flag has been followed by a report that tho Jugo-Slavic Council at Agram has appealed to tile United States to prevent tho bloodshed in Dalmatia that is threatened by Italian aggressiveness. There may be no more in the incident than tho mistaken zeal of some Italian commander, but it is nn unpleasant reminder of the territorial problems in which tho interests of Italy and Jugo-Slavia aro in conflict. Italy has interests in almost all the territory washed by the "Western Mediterranean, and no interest greater than tho acquisition of the Adriatic seaboard. The conservation of those interests was her principlo requirement in tho secret Treaty on the basis of which she entered the war, and it was with tho object of "preserving tho political bal- " anco in the Mediterranean Sea" that Italy insisted upon receiving ,; the pro- " vince of Dalmatia in its present "form." At that timo. the prospect that Austria would split into fragments, and that a new Jugo-Slav State would come into being, appeared to be exceedingly remote —so remote that it could not bo taken into account in practical settlements at the time. Conditions have very greatly altered since then. The Austrian Empire has-oeased to exist, and the,Jugo-Slav State has been established, and has received the approval and the blessing of tho Entente Powors, including Italy. An official announcement was made that "the Italian " Government regards the movement of " the Jugo-Slav people for the conquest | " of their independence and for their constitution into a free State as cor-

" responding with the principles for •' which the Entente is fighting, and " also to the aims of a just and lasting "peace." This decision was not arrived at without some serious differences within fhe Italian Cabinet. At one stage tho dissensions in the Cabinet led which is understood to rcfleci; the Premier's views, to issue a

grave warning against the raising of territorial issues as between Italy and Jugo-Slavia before tho end of the war. Austria, it pointed out, would orolit by any quarrel which brought Italian policy into conflict with Jugo-Slavic aspirations. Moreover, those who placed difficulties ir. the way of the Jugo-Slav State across the Adriatic would be injuring a principle which was of importance to Italy herself—the principle that legitimate national aspirations should be satisfied. Nevertheless, there is a strong party in Italy which holds that Italy's claim to Dalmatia and the Adriatic seaboard generally as far as Yalona must have preference over the claims of the Jugoslavs, who arc racially predominant. T .Ve shall doubtless be supplied in due course with a satisfactory explanation of the Cattaro incident and tho JugoSlavic Council's protest, for the Italian Government is committed to full recognition of the Jugo-Slav State and France, Britain, and America are Ijound to see tho Jugo-Slavs through.