THE BALKANS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19866, 14 June 1927, Page 7

THE BALKANS

ALBANIA’S NOTE Jugo-Siavia Desires League to Investigate SIDELIGHTS ON THE SITUATION. (By Telegraph—Per Press Assn.—Copyright.] Received June 13, 5.5 p.m. (A. & N.Z.) GENEVA, June 13. M. Potitch, the Jugo-Slavian delegate, has submitted to the Secretary of the League of Nations Belgrade’s reply to the Albanian Note, expressing Jugoslavia’s willingness that the Council of the League should discuss Jugo-Slavian relations. Some interesting sidelights on the present trouble in the Balkans were given recently by the Albanian correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph. Writing from Tirana, he said: “The President of Albania, Ahmed Zogu Bey, who gave me an hoar’s audience to-day, is about 34 years of age. Dressed smartly in a khaki uniform, faced with gold braid, and cerise cloth, he is a tall, well-set-up, and distinguish-ed-looking man. With brown hair and a small moustache, he has exceptionally sloping eyebrows and markedly blue eyes. He possesses all the eharm common to Albanians of high class, and has a winning smile, an intelligent expression, and a deliberate way of speaking. “Inasmuch as my reception constituted an audience rather than an interview, it is impossible to enter into details on all the questions we discussed. Nevertheless, it is legitimate to recount the broader lines of the conver- ; sation. His Excellency seems fully to I realise the Albanian difficulties arising ' partly out of the country’s long subjui gation and the bad legacies inherited from Turkish times. For these and other reasons much remains to be done for the country, and Ahmed Zogu’s avowed primary objects are the betterment of the national health and education and the improvement of the roads, which is necessary not only for ordinary communication, but for a thorough development of agriculture. “The President seems to understand the necessity and also the difficulty of reaching a better understanding between. Albania’s neighbours. This difficulty is complicated by the fact that no country wisues to make concessions, since unlike the West, the Balkan nationalities have no definite national boundaries and therefore try to encroach upon their- neighbours. Albania, however, has no preLensions of the kind. She greatly admires the League of Nations, and has made and fulfilled engagements regarding the minorities, who are allowed to live in peace in this country. “Regarding the Tirana Pact, Ahmed’ Zogu claims that it is an agreement, between two independent countries, concluded in the interests of peace anu againct nobody. His opinion, ae thinks, is proved by the contents of the pub lisued annex and by the declarations of Signor Mussolini and himself. Moreover, I Aioama has been freed from foreign i subjugation, and, according to the President, she would never have accepted any document leading to a return to that stale. “Ahmed Zogu, who is a Moslem, fav ours greater freedom for Moslem women and is strongly opposed to polygamy, which is now forbidden in Albania.) This attitude, coupled with many othe: opiniois freely expressed, seems to indicate that Ahmed Zpgu possesses modern views, even if Albania is not yet provided with a modern Government. 4 ‘ On my leaving his Excellency asked me to say that, as President and speak ing for every Albanian, he realises how much the British Empire has done lot this country.’’