Aug. 18.
Just what mischief Mussolini meditates perpetrating against Greece is not yet clear, though the government-controlled _Italian Press seems to be following the atavistic processes of the war dance to stir up the Ita-Mian people to favour some sort of conflict. The murder of a man described by the Greeks as a thoroughly bad character, and by the Italians as an Albanian patriot, leader of the Albanian minority in Greece, took place two months ago. His murderers have been in Greek custody ever since, and though it has not been so stated, would probably be handed over if the Italians made a demand for their extradition. 'The very fact that no such demand has been made although at one time it was intimated it would be, is in itself highly significant. 'The Italian' Government not too keen to take the prisoners over, for it would involve the admission that the crime was committed within their jurisdiction, and consequently an affair of purely Albanian domestic concern. To get around. that Signor Gayda, Mussolini's journalistic mouthpiece claims that the Greeks were plotting in Athens against Albanian. independence; a most remarkable claim, seeing that Italy herself deprived Albania of that when she invaded the country on Good. Friday of last year. There is no such thing. as Albanian independence and it follows, therefore, that there could be no Greek conspiracy against it.
The editor of the "Giornale d'Italia" then. apparently changes his ground, with a facil~ ity borne of long practice, and suggests that responsible Government and military circles in Athens contemplate the annexation of. southern Albania, with the old familiar allegation concerning the persecution of the Albanian irredentists in Greece. The loving and tender care for minorities in other countries is one of the most prominent features' of dictatorship. If Signor Gayda does not seem to be quite certain as to what the quar= rel is all about, Rome Radio is in an even worse predicament. Alleging that the Italian Government has complete proof of Greek responsibility in this matter,—the production of "proof" is one of the main diplomatic activities of totalitarian states,—the broadcaster reminded his listeners that "the Albanian borders were sacred to Italy," the element demanding reverence in this instance apparently deriving from the day on which albanian independence was stolen. The same gentleman then apparently went on to lay the blame for the murder of the Albanian upon Great Britain, alleging that she was trying to set fire to the European powder magazine in the Balkans, The whole fact of the matter appears to be that the Italians do not know exactly on what their case is based, and that in an endeavour to make out some sort of justification for whatever Musso-ini may be contemplating they are lashing out with tongues and pens in all directions.
That some action is sooner or later to be expected in the Balkans is to be seen im the fact that the "Popolo di Roma" Geclares that the murder on Saturday of Leonardo Ciurcovich makes him the "frst Fascist martyr for the liberty of Dalmatia." For the past ten years the Italians have been working for the separation of that island from Yugoslavia, and an assassination having taken place at Zara the starting point for a movement to achieve Italian ambitions this respect has been reached. The sheer hypocrisy of the whole business is positively revolting. Mussolini may not move against Greece or Yugoslavia immediately. It many be that he will prefer to wait until other incident have been ete ated to make his case appear somewhat stronger than it does at present, but that ultimately he intends to reduce the Balkans to a state of mere vassalage, and embody as much of them as possible in the Italian "Empire" is becoming increasingly patent. That is undoubtedly what is meant by the emphasis laid by the Fascist Press on Italy's plans for the reorganization of the Balkans, It follows that all these incidents, all this bleating about the protection persecuted minorities, all this parade of a "holier than thou" attitude are designed for nothing but to justify a most bare-faced grab of another nation's territory, and it is only when this war Is ended as it shall be ended that it will be possible to stop this type of international behaviour which is more suited to the Dark Ages than to these days of greater enlightenment,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.