Constantine would certainly not have imparted this interesting fact had he suspected that we were unaware of it.

Albania's struggle to obtain national education in the face of difficulties merits a chapter in the history of education. Here we can relate it but briefly. Books and papers printed in London, Brussels, and Bucharest were smuggled into the country at great risk and eagerly studied, in spite of the fact that anyone found in possession of such works was liable to even fifteen years' imprisonment. Many people, both Moslem and Christian, studied their own language from the Gospels and the Book of Genesis which were published in Albanian by the British and Foreign Bible Society and circulated with great difficulty. Schoolmasters found guilty of teaching Albanian were severely punished-in some cases the extreme sentence of fifteen years being inflicted. But the Albanians did not relax their efforts.

In South Albania the Americans, to whom Albania is deeply indebted, opened a Girls' School at Koritza which was protected by the great Republic. This was a center of national enthusiasm. The girls taught their brothers to write their mother tongue. In the north education was better provided for. Both Italy and Austria, being anxious to obtain influence there, opened schools for boys, girls, and infants in Scutari and Durazzo. And the Abbot of the Mirdites started a school in his mountains.

The Albanians took every advantage of the foreign schools. But though very grateful for the help afforded by them, no such bribes have induced them or will induce them to wish to change their nationality or become the subjects of any foreign

power. As for the Albanians who have received their education outside of Albania in English, French, American, Italian, Turkish, or Greek schools, they may be reckoned as many thousands.

Such was the situation of Albania when the Young Turk revolution took place in 1908. To this the Albanians at first lent their hearty support, believing that it meant equal opportunities for all races. They were soon undeceived. The Young Turks began a policy of forcible Ottomanization and the Albanians rose against it.

In 1912, after three years of fierce struggle, the Turkish government realized that all attempts to forcibly denationalize the Albanians were vain and that they must be granted national recognition. Albania was at last on the point of gaining autonomy within her ethnographical limits.

These limits are as follows: Starting from Dulcigno and passing across the Lake of Scutari along the ancient Montenegrin frontier, Albania should include all the northern mountain clans of Triepshi, Hoti, Gruda, Klementi, Kastrati, and Shkreli, together with all the Pulati clans. The frontier line should be drawn so as to include Ipek, Mitrovitza, Prishtina, Guillan, Katchanik, and the western part of the former vilayet of Monastir, which should include Ochrida. Thence the line should continue south along the side of the Lake Presba, and pass near Florina and Kastoria, including all Albanian-speaking villages. For reasons which follow, the Pindus district should form part of the Albanian State. The frontier should thence be drawn to the River Arta and follow it to its mouth. That this was the southern limit of Al

bania in the first century is clearly defined by Strabo. "On sailing into the Gulf," he says, "on the right are the Arcananians, who are Greeks. On the left are the Cassipoei, a tribe of the Epirotes, extending as far as the recesses of the Gulf." All the territories lying between these points and the sea constitute Albania historically and ethnographically. The inhabitants are identical in language, customs, and traditions, with the exception of a small minority of Kutzovlahs and Greeks.

The scheme for Albanian autonomy was actually set on foot by the Turkish government. But this did not suit the already matured plans of the Balkan States, each of whom had planned to obtain territorial aggrandizement at Albania's expense. Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, and Bulgaria threw themselves upon the Turks in order to obtain portions of Albania before she should have time to establish herself. Ostensibly these States rushed to war in order to liberate oppressed nationalities. In truth, each was actuated by the hope of proving stronger than its neighbor and thereby securing the lion's share of the plunder, especially parts of Albania.

The Albanians found themselves in a peculiarly difficult position. They wished to defend their own lands, but they had no desire to fight for the Turks. The Turks mistrusted them because of their recent revolts, and would not supply them with either arms or ammunition, and they possessed but small supplies. They decided to remain neutral, and for the most part resisted only when attacked, and hoped, by proclaiming their neutrality and hoisting the Albanian flag, to obtain European recognition. But they were invaded by three of the Balkan armies.

The second Balkan War, during which the Balkan allies fought one another for the plunder, soon followed. The Carnegie Commission of Inquiry has sufficiently described the horrors and atrocities committed by these self-styled "liberators" on the populations they purported to set free.

Italy and Austria, both having interests in the Adriatic, protested against the entire dismemberment of Albania, and called on Europe to recognize her independence, as did also very emphatically we Albanians. And on January 1, 1913, the Ambassadors of the Great Powers at the Conference of London decided upon creating Albania a neutral and independent State. But the Great Powers-not for the first time in their history-came under the malign influence of Imperial Russia, who intervened and insisted upon the cession of much Albanian land. Her voice was dominant at the Conference. Albania emerged free but badly mutilated. Regions populated by compact masses of Albanians, numbering in all some million and a half souls, were annexed to the Kingdoms of Serbia, Montenegro, and Greece, all of whom had previously violated Albania's neutrality and occupied her territory.

The Great Powers created Albania as an independent neutral State and took it under their protection. They decided that they would aid and guide its first But all they did was to appoint an International Commission of Control, which did almost nothing and kept none of its promises, and to appoint a Prince without giving him any assistance.

Before Albania had time even to organize gendarmerie, the Greeks attacked and occupied a large part of South Albania, and the Commission looked on and

took no steps, while Greek irregular bands and troops armed with artillery burnt and pillaged the villages and massacred the inhabitants. Between Tepeleni and Koritza three hundred villages were burnt. And in order to force the population either to starve or emigrate, the Greeks burnt even the standing crops in the fields. The Albanians, who had no artillery and were poorly armed, fought bravely, and for a time were victorious; but the Greeks were reinforced by further troops, and the Albanians were forced to withdraw. Thousands of starving refugees crowded to Valona in the last stages of misery. But the International Commission, beyond supplying a little bread, took no steps.

While Albania, already plundered and devastated in the war of 1913, was struggling against Greek aggression and foreign intrigue and propaganda, the present world-war broke out.

Scutari for over a year had been occupied by international forces under the able command of General G. F. Phillips. So soon as the world-war was imminent these forces quitted Albania. The French remained rather longer than the others, but they, too, soon went over into Montenegro. Scutari had been completely disarmed during the international occupation, and was thus left quite defenseless.

The Prince Zu Wied, who had been selected by the Powers as ruler of Albania, retired on September 3, leaving the government of the country to the International Control Commission, all the members of which also departed shortly.

The Italians, who had not as yet entered into the war, might then have protected Albanian neutrality and thereby gained the lasting gratitude and friend