MASTER OF RESTLESS STATE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 84, 7 January 1928, Page 23

MASTER OF RESTLESS STATE

ALBANIA’S STRONG YOUNG MAN PERSONAL GLIMPSE OF AHMED ZOGU YOUTHFUL IN YEARS, .OLD IN RESOURCE (By the Special Correspondent of the “Christian Science Monitor,” writing from Tirana, Albania.) Two huge white letters, A and Z, are visible for many miles near the top of the highest peak of the imposing lofty bare ridge, Tarabosli, at the very entrance to Albania from the Montenegro side—at the southern end of a •_ defile amid wild,

barren mountains without villages, flocks, herds or vineyards. T hose two great letters were, recently placed there by a patriotic organisation in Scutari, Albania’s largest northern city. They stand for Ahmed Zogu, the

President of the Albanian Republic. The Albanian stamps bear the picture of Ahmed Zogu; his head is surrounded with a wreath ; there is an A in one upper corner, a Z in the other. The Albanian bank notes or bills, of larger denominations, bear his picture. The new gold coins and silver dollars or five-franc pieces also have his name and picture stamped upon them. ® Albania’s 800 or more “red soldiers and officers, with black boots, black fur caps and red uniforms, who are well paid and well armed, are Ahmed Zogu’s personal guard. The soldiers of at least one regiment, naturally Albania’s best regiment, wear buttons and caps bearing the letters A. Z. On the clothes of Albanian diplomats are A Z. buttons. In every shop and public building you see pictures of Ahmed Zogu. In Tirana Zogu maintains three houses—that of his mother and sisters, his own and another. He also has at his exclusive disposal one of the finest houses in Duiazzo, built and maintained at public expense. The one fine house at Scutari, or near Scutari, which has barely been finished, and is just now being elaborately furnished, and which is surrounded by a cordon of white guard houses, for red soldiers, is Ahmed Zogu’s paid for by the State. Albania’s best band, the members of which are well paid, is his personal band. There are just two generals tn Albania—one is Sir John Percy, the other is Ahmed Zogu.

Great Rise in Five Years. This ruler, good-looking, brave, with much presence of mind and a good deal of tenacity, is Albania s “strong man.” He is a Mussulman mountaineer from east central Albania, the son of a leading family in his district, a hereditary chieftain. For more than a decade he has played a promising role in liis country s historv. Although it was not more than ’five years ago that he became one of the verv first leaders, for a long time he has been regarded by all as “the coming man.” In the stormv years following the war, when' foreigners dominated the country, and Italv was putting forth vigorous efforts to gain complete control of Albania, Zogu ;jnd his retainers did their part for the national cause, and effectively aided their fel-low-nationalists in securing Albania S independence. He was present at the famous congress of Lushilia, at which, in January, 1920, a group of self-appointed patriots from 'all parts of Albania, in spite of Italian occupation, constituted an independent State and formed a purely indigenous Albanian Government. There were created a directory of four persons, a council of Ministers and a Parliament, all emanating from the delegates at the congress of Luslinia. At that time Ahmed. Zogu was permitted to become a Minister, and ever since he has been a dominant figure in Albanian politics, always controlling either the Ministry of the Interior or the army or both. Driven from Government. For a time lie was a close friend and colleague of a very intelligent, vigorous, and “progressive” leader, the priest Fan S. Noli. He was decidedly against foreign intervention and domination. He was known as a man of much determination and firmness, and proved a source of much strength in one Cabinet after another. He was not in sympathy with the group of large landowners, who own most of Albania’s best arable land, and was an open opponent of their leader, Essad Pasha. At turbulent moments he showed himself the man of grit and audacity. Once, when he left the capital on a punitive expedition into the north, the Cabinet at Tirana was overthrown, and it was Zogu who came back hurriedly and restored it to power. Again when Tirana was attacked and largely occupied bv a rebel band it was he who, with one other Minister, dared to stay in the capital—and he succeeded in reestablishing order. A group of young people thought that he was aspiring to become a Caesar, and a fiery young Brutus shot the ambitious Minister in the Parliament House, but Ahmed Zogu was onlv wounded. The would-be assassin was warmly applauded by many people, and a while later a very able and rising young member of Parliament, who was known to be opposed to Zogu, was killed. It was believed that the present President had a hand in the assassination, and feeling ran strong against him. A few weeks later' indignant people from all parts of. Albania joined a spontaneous uprising and drove out Ahmed Zogu and his Government. Fan S Noli, the progressive, enlightened priest with an American education, became the head of a new Government with advanced social ideals. Works Hard, Acts Promptly. Then appeared a real political cleavage on definite social lines. The large landholders came out decisively against ban Noli. They were undoubtedly supported by certain foreign Governments, which were opposed to the priest’s “Bolshevistic” leanings. Ahmed Zogu took advantage of the opposition of the feudal landlords, and with help from Belgrade entered Albania six months after he had been driven out. He entered from Macedonia, in South Serbia, with many followers, native and foreign, with plenty of arms and a large quantity of ammunition, and within a week was master of Tirana.

Since then he has ruled Albania. He brought about certain changes in the Constitution, the most important of which was the creation of the presidential office witb very extensive

powers. A Senate was also formed. It consists of 18 members who serve for six years. The 47 members of the House serve for four years. There are seven Ministries. In general Albania enjoys all the institutions, which exist in the most advanced modern democracies. But Ahmed Zogu is absolute master. He dominates every Department of the Government and oversees every detail in the administration. He works very hard, is alert, decides quickly, and acts promptly. He is commander-in-chief of the army and controls a well-organised police force. He brooks no criticismThere is no opposition Press or party. No protest or discussion meetings can be held. Every road is vigilantly watched, every traveller repeatedly required to show his local passport. No one speaks freely or openly. Suspicion is rife. Dissatisfaction is common. ■ Nation Thriving. It is the general opinion that Ahmed Zogu is planning to declare himself prince or king. He is expected to seek a marriage with some foreign princess. He acts now like a king, being incomparably more pompous and ostentatious than Boris, King of Bulgaria, and not a few other sovereigns Head of a very poor state, with a population less than that of many American cities, he spends with a lavish hand. He receives from his little state of poverty-stricken villagers a sum not incomparable to that received by the President of France. He seldom shows himself and is more closely guarded than any Balkan sovereigns. He is one of Europe’s most absolutist dictators. There is no political freedom in the land.

t On the other hand, there is order ' and progress. Every' observer reports : that Albania is advancing. They' all ■ find a decided improvement. “The i last two years have been good years - for Albania,” they say. What does - that mean ? Road building. Bridge construction. New public buildings. More schools. General security. Work. ■ Business. • 1 Ahmed Zogu has made it possible for serious, energetic people to work ! for Albania He has made travel comparatively rapid and safe. He has greatly improved Albania’s tra.de balance. He is turning his capital from 'a wretched village into a city. He himself is an indefatigable worker and an I organiser. And since Albania, united for the first time in modern history, needs discipline and order, the people . would endure his despotism if he were ( frugal and economical. Loves Pomp. ’ Besides this extravagance ami love of pomp, lie has another quality which estranges him from his people. He is too dependent on Italy. He is trying to use Italy as his tool. Italy is also trying to use him. Together they have brought Rome into Tirana. Ahmed Zogu’s money, guns, munition, and army instructors are largely Italian. So i he is not independent. If Italy should give her support to Zogu’s opponents, the President would probably fall. What will happen no one can predict. One can only say that Albania is advancing, that order prevails, that a | strong dictator governs, that a very industrious man is at the head of af- I faits, that Italy dominates, that a peo- 1 l pie noted for swift rebellions is rest- I

less, and that Zogu’s enemies exiled to foreign lands are very active.